Multimedia can be a powerful tool for adult education. When used effectively it can captivate an audience, tug emotions, maintain attention, and contextualize scenario-based learning. But creating and producing quality content also has a number of drawbacks in terms of cost, learning curves, and copyright laws. Integrating multimedia into curricula can have a tremendous impact on the learning process, but are the drawbacks worth the trouble? I’ve compiled this short of list of 6 benefits and 6 drawbacks of multimedia integration from my own experience developing curriculum at the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. What is your experience? I welcome you to share your experiences and opinions at the bottom of the page.
Author: Dominic Kiraly
Dominic is co-founder of TechChange and brings experience in e-learning implementation, audio engineering, video production, and web development. He is also a faculty member in the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)'s newly established Academy for International Conflict Management and Peacebuilding. He and Nick Martin built USIP’s e-learning platform, and Dominic currently overseas the development of 30 new distance learning courses. At USIP, Dominic established an in-house recording studio where he produces podcasts and video training materials for USIP’s Academy courses. For example, he recently co-produced an audio training CD entitled, “Making meaning through interpreters: Lessons learned from zones of conflict.”
Dominic also consulted for the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC) to develop and deliver the USIP-ICNC training course, “Civil Resistance and the Dynamics of Nonviolent Conflict.” Before joining USIP’s Academy, Dominic worked for the Africa Programme of the United Nations-affiliated University for Peace (UPEACE) in Geneva, Switzerland where he developed training programs in West Africa and managed publications on conflict prevention.
Dominic earned an MA in International Law and Human Rights from UPEACE; an MBA in International Economic Development from Eastern University; and studied for three years as a PhD candidate in International Politics at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth in the United Kingdom.
Contact Dominic at dominic [at] techchange.org
Deck the halls, wrap some presents and pour yourself a tall glass of eggnog: Cloud storage gives you one less thing to worry about this holiday season.
Unfamiliar with cloud storage? Cloud storage is a place that ensures your personal computer files are safe in the event of a computer crash, theft or accident. We’ve all heard the horror stories of someone’s computer crashing and the subsequent loss of irreplaceable family photos and important documents. Just recently I was in the Apple store and overheard a grieving woman recount how her toddler spilled milk on her laptop. She lost all her files. I personally have a lot of memories stored on my computer, which I’d be quite devastated to lose.
So how can you have peace of mind when computer hardware is so fickle? With a cloud backup service you can upload your data remotely, use it to host your files and ensure everything is backed up and safe. Here are some of the perks of floating your data on a cloud.
TechChange is excited to launch a new blog series dedicated to e-Learning for educators and trainers. The series will highlight emerging technologies, best practices in instructional design and pedagogy, and important industry trends.
The very nature of the way we learn and the way we teach are continually transformed by the implementation of online technologies in education and training. According to a recent report, Learning on Demand: Online Education in the United States, 2009 online enrollments in higher education are increasing at a rate of 17%, far exceeding the meager 1.2% overall growth in higher education. More than one in four higher education students now take at least one course online. Increases in distance learning enrollments at community colleges are even higher at 22%, according to the Instructional Technology Council’s Distance Education Survey Results.