Multimedia Website Research Articles

Conversion of Introductory Plant Biology Course and Lab to Web-Based Distance Ed Course

Conversion of the introductory plant biology course for non-majors from a lecture/lab format to a web-based course was a collaborative project between the Department of Plant Biology and the Instructional Support group at ASU. This course provides an introduction to biology through the world of plants by including lectures and laboratory activities that examine plant systems. The project was undertaken to provide students with an asynchronous opportunity to participate in either the course, the lab, or both. There were three distinct phases of implementation of the multimedia website: Design, Development, and Delivery. The design phase was driven by the faculty, who, along with graduate assistants, developed the course outline and content. They gathered images, identified concepts to be animated, and created storyboards to layout the sequence in the animation. The development stage was driven by the Instructional Designers who selected the appropriate media for animations and worked with developers to create them. The delivery phase was again driven by the professors. They implemented the website as a teaching tool, gathered feedback from students and teaching assistants, and worked with instructional designers and multimedia developers to improve the site. A wide variety of on-line multimedia components were incorporated into the website, including illustrations, images, animations, interactive modules, video and text. Three separate media packages were used: MacroMedia Flash (Macromedia, 2000), Director Shockwave (Macromedia, 2000), and QuickTime (Apple, Inc. 2000). Findings from surveys of students, faculty, and staff identified positive regard for the site as a whole. Several technological and logistical challenges were encountered and addressed.

Tito's Home Page

ABSTRACT The article describes the multimedia website Tito's Home Page, which is devoted to Marshal Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia, his life, work, and associates, as well as others' reactions to him. Photos, songs, recordings of speeches, a filmography, and a bibliography are among the items included. The site is in English.

Digital Star Dust: The Hoagy Carmichael Collection at Indiana University

Funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Indiana University Digital Library Program and Archives of Traditional Music are completing a two-year project to preserve and digitize the university's extensive Hoagy Carmichael collections. When the Project ends in September 2000, the Project team will have preserved thousands of items, including sound recordings, photographs, sheet music, lyric sheets, and more, pertaining to the life and work of this master of the American popular song. Much of this content is already accessible to the public through a multimedia Web site. More digital content and improved search capabilities will be added in the coming months. While the Project builds upon previous experience and expertise, the complexity of the Project has presented numerous challenges. This paper describes some of these challenges and their resolution, along with a brief discussion of remaining issues.

Database of patients' experiences (DIPEx): a multi-media approach to sharing experiences and information

The Database of Individual Patients' Experience of illness (DIPEx) is a multimedia website and CD-ROM that links patients' experiences with evidence-based information about treatments and the illness itself and with a range of other resources that may be useful, including support groups and links to other websites. DIPEx aims to identify the questions that matter to people when they are ill and it has potential for informing patients, educating healthcare professionals, and providing a patient-centred perspective to researchers and those who manage health services.

NAE Puts the Focus on Women

The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is laying plans for a project to attract more women into engineering. The brainchild of NAE's new president, William Wulf, it will feature conferences for students and a multimedia Web site.