Structure and Tools

1. Structure and Tools • Multimedia titles have structure or architecture • Navigational structure determines how user can go through the overall content • Activity structure determines how learner interacts within a local activity on a screen • Can you provide an example of each? • Why do e-learning designers especially need to plan navigational and activity structures? • Different models of structure lend themselves to different multimedia development tools

2. Present content sequentially Which relies more on linear structure: UC or AE? Why might a linear structure seem less interactive, under user’s control? But how can it still be interactive? Why might it be a good idea to start by designing a a linear structure, then elaborate? Linear

3. Hierarchy • Tree: root is main menu screen, with branches to sub-menus or leaf screens • How are The Universal Computer and The Analytical Engine organized with a hierarchical structure? • What are the pros and cons of this approach? • How can drawbacks of hierarchical structure be overcome?

4. Multi-track • Multiple streams of synchronous media • User can switch between different channels in focus, or collage several together • I.e., you can watch a full-screen movie, or call up a sidebar with text and/or control buttons • How does UC feature a limited use of multi-track? • Cartoon Guide to Physics has three distinct tracks: • One track has user-driven experiments with laws of physics • In Lucy’s World track, a character explains physics as a story • Hall of Fame track provides biographical and in-depth info

5. Interactive stories • User controls order of outcome of story • Branching story structure: • Starts with common trunk • User chooses between different branches • Example in UM: A Taste of C++ • Why are branching structures more expensive to produce?

6. Web stories • Initial sequence, or “cut scene,” sets the stage, introduces characters, etc. • User then explores a “web” of places to collect clues and meet more characters • When you solve a key to puzzle, another cut scene advances the story some more, opening the doors to new web of places

7. Virtual space • A familiar multidimensional space, such as a room or a book, which users know intuitively how to navigate though. • How would a book UI support this? • To what other structure is a virtual space usually similar?

8. Modular • Independent media objects which user can manipulate • Barbie game lets children mix & match dolls, houses, clothing & accessories • Pieces are independent of each other could even be sold as separate units • Constructive: each piece has behaviors that combine to create unpredictable interactions • Why might a constructive approach be useful for e-learning?

9. Simulation • Build a model of some slice of the real or imaginary world, then run it • Popularized by games like SimCity • What kind of e-learning applications are especially suitable for simulations? • Immersive training or testing applications • Can simulations be useful for other e-learning applications? • See Turing Machine in The Universal Computer

10. Reflection • Linear, hierarchical, interactive story, web story, virtual space, modular, or simulation—which navigational structure(s) might you use in your project? Why? Justify your answer in terms of your content, your audience, what you believe will facilitate learning, and ease or difficulty of development.

11. Authoring tools • Software for creating multimedia titles • Authoring tools match with different architectural styles • Range in a continuum from general languages like C++ and Java to specialized tools like HyperCard, Toolbook, Director and Authorware

12. Cards and Stacks • Metaphor of index cards, which developers arrange into stacks of cards • Hypercard: the first popular multimedia authoring tool, for Macintosh • Supercard adds better color and richer media types • Thus cards can link to other cards in a stack structure, and stacks link to other stacks • Good for creating hierarchical and linear structures, simple interactive stories and simulations

13. Myst authored in Hypercard

14. Time-based tools • Metaphor is a film director constructing a title out of scenes in a movie set • Director assembles a cast of characters • Characters (sprites) move on a stage • Plots created as a score of frames • Flash borrows its UI from Director, fine-tuned for web • What kind of navigational structures can we create with these tools? • Good for linear, multi-track or hierarchical structures, especially with animation • Especially strong at arranging synchronization of sprite behaviors

15. Icon-based tools • Metaphor is a flow line onto which developer drags elements • Authorware, IconAuthor: visual programming by combining media building blocks • What kinds of structure can you create with icon tools? • Linear structures are obviously easy • Hierarchical structures supported with “maps” and “frames” that nest other flow lines • Menu structures are possible with user interactions • Different elements can execute concurrently; thus multi-tracking structures and animations are possible

16. Scripting languages • For programming event handlers, e.g.: on mouseUp pause [stop the animation] end mouseUp • Event may occur on any part of a card, sprite, frame or icons • Director’s Lingo is known as a very rich scripting language • Authorware and Flash also have scripting languages

17. Object-oriented tools • Artifacts using self-contained units with well-defined interfaces • Smalltalk, C++. Python, Java, ActionScript 3.0 • Also mTropolis, ScriptX and MediaForge • Dynamic binding lets objects determine what behaviors mean at run-time • Especially suitable for modular or constructive models and simulations • Kaleida's DreamScape: http://www.catalog.com/hopkins/lang/scriptx/demo/demo1.html

18. General programming languages • Visual Basic and Java use an event-driven model: code attached to objects waits for user- or system-triggered events, then springs into action • Java comes with a rich library of classes, including Swing and Java Media Objects library • C# is Microsoft’s answer to Java • Good for simulations and may improve performance • Why is it generally better to use a more specialized tool for multimedia applications?