MULTIMEDIA APPLICATIONS IN EDUCATION

Abstract

The continuous development of information and communication technologies undoubtedly leads to the development of multimedia and its increased use in many other fields, including science and education. Multimedia is a medium that combines several content formats: text, graphic, animations, audio (sound, music, speech) and video. The modern educational process cannot be imagined without multimedia. Multimedia has a huge impact on both classical and distance education. It can be used at all levels of education and applied to various fields. It can positively affect students’ acquisition of knowledge and skills. Multimedia has the power to improve the process of teaching and learning, to increase the interaction between students and teachers, but also to encourage inspiration, excitement and motivation among students. Multimedia tools create effective learning environments that allow students to explore, experiment, hypothesize, ask questions, and provide answers to a variety of real-world situations. In the first part of the paper, we analyze Meyer’s cognitive theory of multimedia learning and its basic principles as a theoretical basis. Through the prism of this framework, we dedicate a special section to the pedagogical basis and standards in the application of multimedia in education. We also analyze several multimedia applications, including animations, simulations and computer games. For the same specific teaching content, we create different models of multimedia applications. Through concrete examples, we demonstrate the benefits and advantages, but also the disadvantages of these models’ application. In the final part of the paper, we provide appropriate recommendations to educators, educational institutions and education authorities regarding the importance and proper use of multimedia in education. Finally, this paper attempts to answer the following questions: What should be the preparation of teachers to use multimedia in teaching and learning? How to make an appropriate choice of multimedia tools? Which are the necessary conditions for proper use of multimedia tools? Which criteria should be taken into consideration when adapting multimedia content to students? How to properly combine multimedia tools? To what extent the application of multimedia should be included within one lesson? How to effectively recognize the concepts and phenomena in the curriculum in which the adoption of multimedia can play a key role?