26-02-2013, 01:54 PM
Advantages and disadvantages of Multimedia
Multimedia
Definition: Multimedia uses computers to present text, audio, video, animation, interactive features, and still images in various ways and combinations made possible through the advancement of technology. By combining media and content, those interested in multimedia can take on and work with a variety of media forms to get their content across. This is an exciting new field for those interested in computers, technology, and creative career options. Multimedia can be accessed through computers or electronic devices and integrates the various forms together. One example of multimedia would be combining a website with video, audio, or text images.
As the name implies, multimedia is the integration of multiple forms of media. This includes text, graphics, audio, video, etc. For example, a presentation involving audio and video clips would be considered a "multimedia presentation." Educational software that involves animations, sound, and text is called "multimedia software." CDs and DVDs are often considered to be "multimedia formats" since they can store a lot of data and most forms of multimedia require a lot of disk space.
Due to the advancements in computer speeds and storage space, multimedia is commonplace today. Therefore, the term doesn't produce the same excitement is once do. This also means it is not as overused as it was back in the late '90s. Thank goodness.
Advantages and disadvantages of Multimedia:
Advantages:
• Increases learning effectiveness.
• Is more appealing over traditional. Lecture based learning methods.
• Offers significant potential in improving personal communications, education and
training efforts.
• Reduces training costs.
• Is easy to use.
• Tailors information to the individual.
• Provides high-quality video images & audio.
• Offers system portability.
• Frees the teacher from routine tasks.
• Gathers information about the study results of the student.
It is very user-friendly. It doesn’t take much energy out of the user, in the sense that you can sit and watch the presentation; you can read the text and hear the audio.
It is multi sensorial. It uses a lot of the user’s senses while making use of multimedia, for example hearing, seeing and talking.
It is integrated and interactive. All the different mediums are integrated through the digitization process. Interactivity is heightened by the possibility of easy feedback.
It is flexible. Being digital; this media can easily be changed to fit different situations and audiences.
It can be used for a wide variety of audiences, ranging from one person to a whole group.
Disadvantages:
Disadvantages of multimedia:
• Expensive
• Not always easy to configure
• Requires special hardware
• Not always compatible
Information overloaded. Because it is so easy to use, it can contain too much information at once.
It takes time to compile. Even though it is flexible, it takes time to put the original draft together. It can be expensive. As mentioned in one of my previous posts, multimedia makes use of a wide range of resources, which can cost you a large amount of money.
Too much makes it unpractical. Large files like video and audio has an effect of the time it takes for your presentation to load. Adding too much can mean that you have to use a larger computer to store the files.
In case you want to upload it onto the Internet, there are a few factors to keep in mind, for example bandwidth and the user’s abilities.
Usage / Application
Multimedia finds its application in various areas including, but not limited to, advertisements, art, education, entertainment,engineering, medicine, mathematics, business, scientific research and spatial temporal applications. Several examples are as follows:
Creative industries
Creative industries use multimedia for a variety of purposes ranging from fine arts, to entertainment, to commercial art, tojournalism, to media and software services provided for any of the industries listed below. An individual multimedia designer may cover the spectrum throughout their career. Request for their skills range from technical, to analytical, to creative.
Commercial uses
Much of the electronic old and new media used by commercial artists is multimedia. Exciting presentations are used to grab and keep attention in advertising. Business to business, and interoffice communications are often developed by creative services firms for advanced multimedia presentations beyond simple slide shows to sell ideas or liven-up training. Commercial multimedia developers may be hired to design for governmental services and nonprofit services applications as well.
Entertainment and fine arts
In addition, multimedia is heavily used in the entertainment industry, especially to develop special effects in movies and animations. Multimedia games are a popular pastime and are software programs available either as CD-ROMs or online. Some video gamesalso use multimedia features. Multimedia applications that allow users to actively participate instead of just sitting by as passive recipients of information are called Interactive Multimedia. In the Arts there are multimedia artists, whose minds are able to blend techniques using different media that in some way incorporates interaction with the viewer. One of the most relevant could be Peter Greenaway who is melding Cinema with Opera and all sorts of digital media. Another approach entails the creation of multimedia that can be displayed in a traditional fine arts arena, such as an art gallery. Although multimedia display material may be volatile, the survivability of the content is as strong as any traditional media. Digital recording material may be just as durable and infinitely reproducible with perfect copies every time.
Education
In Education, multimedia is used to produce computer-based training courses (popularly called CBTs) and reference books like encyclopedia and almanacs. A CBT lets the user go through a series of presentations, text about a particular topic, and associated illustrations in various information formats. Edutainment is the combination of education with entertainment, especially multimedia entertainment.
Learning theory in the past decade has expanded dramatically because of the introduction of multimedia. Several lines of research have evolved (e.g. Cognitive load, Multimedia learning, and the list goes on). The possibilities for learning and instruction are nearly endless.
The idea of media convergence is also becoming a major factor in education, particularly higher education. Defined as separate technologies such as voice (and telephony features), data (and productivity applications) and video that now share resources and interact with each other, synergistically creating new efficiencies, media convergence is rapidly changing the curriculum in universities all over the world. Likewise, it is changing the availability, or lack thereof, of jobs requiring this savvy technological skill.
The English education in middle school in China is well invested and assisted with various equipments. In contrast, the original objective has not been achieved at the desired effect. The government, schools, families, and students spend a lot of time working on improving scores, but hardly gain practical skills. English education today has gone into the vicious circle. Educators need to consider how to perfect the education system to improve students’ practical ability of English. Therefore an efficient way should be used to make the class vivid. Multimedia teaching will bring students into a class where they can interact with the teacher and the subject. Multimedia teaching is more intuitive than old ways; teachers can simulate situations in real life. In many circumstances teachers don’t have to be there, students will learn by themselves in the class. More importantly, teachers will have more approaches to stimulating students’ passion of learning
journalism
Newspaper companies all over are also trying to embrace the new phenomenon by implementing its practices in their work. While some have been slow to come around, other major newspapers like The New York Times, USA Today and The Washington Post are setting the precedent for the positioning of the newspaper industry in a globalized world.
News reporting is not limited to traditional media outlets. Freelance journalists can make use of different new media to produce multimedia pieces for their news stories. It engages global audiences and tells stories with technology, which develops new communication techniques for both media producers and consumers. Common Language Project is an example of this type of multimedia journalism production.
Multimedia reporters who are mobile (usually driving around a community with cameras, audio and video recorders, and wifi-equipped laptop computers) are often referred to as Mojos, from mobilejournalist.
[edit]Engineering
Software engineers may use multimedia in Computer Simulations for anything from entertainment to training such as military or industrial training. Multimedia for software interfaces are often done as a collaboration between creative professionals and software engineers.
Industry
In the Industrial sector, multimedia is used as a way to help present information to shareholders, superiors and coworkers. Multimedia is also helpful for providing employee training, advertising and selling products all over the world via virtually unlimited web-based technology
[edit]Mathematical and scientific research
In mathematical and scientific research, multimedia is mainly used for modeling and simulation. For example, a scientist can look at a molecular model of a particular substance and manipulate it to arrive at a new substance. Representative research can be found in journals such as the Journal of Multimedia.
Medicine
In Medicine, doctors can get trained by looking at a virtual surgery or they can simulate how the human body is affected by diseases spread by viruses and bacteria and then develop techniques to prevent it.
[edit]Document imaging
Document imaging is a technique that takes hard copy of an image/document and converts it into a digital format (for example, scanners).
Disabilities
Ability Media allows those with disabilities to gain qualifications in the multimedia field so they can pursue careers that give them access to a wide array of powerful communication forms.
Miscellaneous
In Europe, the reference organisation for Multimedia industry is the European Multimedia Associations Convention (EMMAC).