Online Assignments, Multimedia, & Educational Simulations

Online Assignments

Online assignments give teachers unique instructional capabilities, such as connecting students with learning tools, tracking student progress and gauging student questions and concerns, assisting students to visualize problems and solutions, and linking students with a wide variety of information resources (Roblyer and Edwards Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching). Online assignments can range from simple html pages with hyperlinks to more sophisticated multimedia activities and educational simulations. When designing online or multimedia assignments, it is important to consider matters of usability and accessibility. For example, refer to common usability criteria regarding navigation, linking practices, text and reading ease, and effective visuals. In regard to accessibility, it is also important to keep in mind designing for students with disabilities as well as other accessibility issues, such as different types of monitors, browsers, etc. Some additional benefits of online assignments are that they

  • are always available to students
  • are easily edited and revised according to student questions, concerns, strengths, weaknesses
  • can be enhanced with annotations, hyperlinks to relevant materials, checklists, background information
  • take advantage of and incorporate online materials (document databases, images, communication tools)
  • encourage collaboration
  • encourage publication

Multimedia

The integration of multimedia into education can drastically alter the landscape of the humanities classroom. Multimedia is a valuable pedagogical tool because it incorporates a range of technologies--such as images, audio, film, hypertext, video, and interactive discussion capabilities--to produce dynamic learning environments. Multimedia can be used to make a single assignment appeal to students with different learning styles, take advantage of digitized audio and video, and motivate learners. Some other benefits of developing online multimedia assignments are that they:

  • increase student motivation by attracting learner attention, engaging the learner through production, and increases perceptions of control (Roblyer and Edwards)
  • benefit students with high visual orientation (Smith)
  • adapt to individual differences and learning styles
  • allow learners more control over their path of study / increased learner-controlled environment (Schroeder)
  • place learning into the hands of users (Stemler)
  • and permit instructors to customize assignments and interfaces for different classes and student populations
  • facilitate student and teacher inquiry and constructivist practices
  • facilitate student and teacher production and publication through diverse media
  • facilitate communication and interaction with diverse communities located outside of schools and universities

Example Online and Multimedia Assignments

Educational Simulations

Several research studies have confirmed that students tend to respond favorably to multimedia environments and educational simulations (Koroghlanian). Some of the benefits of using simulations are that they are

  • student-centered
  • engages students in active and hands-on learning
  • increases student motivation
  • better represents experience with the world

Example Educational Simulations