KNOWLEDGE ENGINEERING IN MULTIMEDIA DESIGN
AND COMPUTER-ASSISTED LEARNING FOR
SPECIAL NEEDS TRAINING: EFFECTIVENESS?
Onintra Poobrasert
University of Regina
Department of Computer Science
Regina, Saskatchewan
Canada S4S 0A2
Tel. (306) 585-5492
Fax. (306) 585-4745
Email. poobrase@cs.uregina.ca
Brian Maguire
University of Regina
Department of Computer Science
Regina, Saskatchewan
Canada S4S0A2
Tel. (306) 585-4756
Fax. (306) 585-4745
Email. rbm@cs.uregina.ca
ABSTRACT
Multimedia
Technology is an excellent technology for training students with disabilities.
Because multimedia is interactive and synthesizes sound, images, and text, it
supports new methods of communication in the learning environment. Multimedia
Technology, applied to education, typically involves the use of computer
assisted instruction (CAI) in conjunction with visual media and is very helpful
when incorporated in intelligent tutoring system (ITS). The use of computers as
a teaching tool offers sufficient and personal attention to the child using
them, while also allowing instruction to proceed at the child’s pace. Computer
programs can provide immediate reinforcement to children, allowing them to see at
once the results of their responses. The use of computer animation and color
graphics may also aid in motivation and attention processes for children.
Although the computer cannot replace a teacher in the classroom,
when
used as supplement, multimedia use in the classroom provides undeniable
benefits for both teachers and students.
The purpose of this study, is to
examine the degree of effectiveness of multimedia technology in training, in
comparison to traditional print-based training methods. Testing done with the
multimedia training program, was developed from Macromedia Director (an
authoring tool for multimedia production). The course content is the same in
the print-based training methods as in the multimedia program; it is the method
of delivery that is different. In this study, we had two experiments. The first
experiment, we focused on the learning which was the comparison between groups
(multimedia training group and print-based methods group). The result from the
first experiment has shown that there was no numerical difference between two
groups of students. The students seem to enjoy learning from the CD-ROM more
than from the instructor. We, then had the second experiment, this time we
mainly focused on the measurement qualitative nature of learning using
multimedia. The results of the second experiment have shown that the two
methods of teaching and learning impacted students about the same since the
average scores of both groups of students were not much different but about 67%
of the students preferred to learn from CD-ROM and 80% from the groups
interested in learning English Finger
Spelling with the computer.
Keyword:
Knowledge Engineering, Instructional Design, Multimedia Technology,
Computer-Assisted Learning
1. INTRODUCTION
This
study will discuss knowledge engineering in multimedia design for training
purposes. The specific training context for testing is the training of finger
spelling in eighth grade high school student at the School for the Deaf, in Bangkok, Thailand.
Our objective of this
research was to compare multimedia training and print-based methods and our
preparation for the development of effective multimedia led us to study the
similar roles of knowledge engineers
and instructional designers. Also, our experience in knowledge engineering
led us to the realization that the formalism of usability testing into the
development of the training material was necessary.
A
knowledge engineer is one who participates in building expert systems (Poulter,
Morris, and Dow 1994). Knowledge engineers are specialists in eliciting
knowledge from experts rather than necessarily being experts in the domain
itself. A new professional specialty has emerged from the development of expert
systems. The term knowledge engineers
(Heinich 1999) has been coined to describe the people who work with experts in
a field to assemble and organize a body of knowledge and then design the
software package that makes it possible to train someone to become skilled in
the area or to enable anyone to call upon the skills of experts to solve the
problem. The work of a knowledge engineering is similar to that done by
instructional designers in task
analysis and module design.
The
most important tasks of the special needs trainer is to identify what
adaptations are needed for a particular student and to provide them. The
following should be considered by the instructional designer and knowledge
engineer (i) motivation, and (ii) communication.
2. METHODOLOGIES
The
purposes of this study are to investigate the degree of effectiveness of
multimedia technology and to measure the qualitative nature of learning using
multimedia. We would like to examine the benefits of a multimedia program in
comparison to traditional print-based training methods. Section 2.1 explains
how this study was planned and conducted using a pretest-posttest. Section 2.2
details the qualitative questions. Section 2.3 is the multimedia training
program: Life in Saskatchewan and the
ten elements of instructional design plan.
2.1 Pretest-Posttest
2.1.1 Pretest
Pretest will be
important for the following reasons: (Kemp, 1995).
·
It determines students’ readiness for the program by alerting each of
them to what they do and do not know about the topic.
·
It indicates both to students and instructors the point at which to
start the program, or to complete remedial course work before starting the
program.
·
It informs students of what will be treated during the study of the topic, so that they may be aware of what will be
required of them.
2.1.2 Posttest
A posttest is given after completion of the lesson and is usually
selected as
a menu item ( Newby,
Stepich, Lehman, Russell, 2000 ). We used a posttest to measure students’
learning.
2.2
The Qualitative Questions
In this study we also asked
the students for their attitudes toward the computer. Figure 2.1 shows the
results of the students' attitude.
Figure 2.1: Students'
Attitude Toward Computer
2.3 The Multimedia Training Program: Life in Saskatchewan and the Ten
Elements of Instructional Design Plan
1. Learning Needs:
Students can finger spell the specific words.
2. Topics-Job Tasks
Purposes: Knowledge engineering in multimedia design for
training: Effectiveness and potential benefits.
3. Learner
Characteristics: A voluntary group of hearing-impaired eighth-grade high
school students from the School
for the Deaf in Bangkok, Thailand.
4. Subject Content:
Life in Saskatchewan which was divided into five items: Library,
Dormitory, School,
Winter Activities, and Run Around.
5. Learning Objectives: To examine the degree of effectiveness of
multimedia
technology compared to print-based training.
6. Teaching/Learning Activities: The comparison group one uses multimedia
technology program. The comparison group two uses print-based
training.
7. Instructional Resources: Multimedia program (CD-ROM), textbooks,
and pictures.
8. Support Services: Macromedia Director and Internet.
9. Learning Evaluation: The posttest is provided after the
training.
1. Pretesting:
Pretest is at the first meeting.
3. EXPERIMENTS
To
test the effectiveness of multimedia technology compared to traditional
training methods, the testing involved two comparison groups of learners from
eighth grade high
school students from the School for the Deaf. Group one (the first group), used the
multimedia training program (CD-ROM Life
in Saskatchewan). Group two (the second group), learned from print material
representing traditional methods.
3.1 Procedure for Multimedia Training Group
The Macromedia program Life
in Saskatchewan (figure 3.1) was
installed in the personal computers that were used. During the first hour of
training and after the pretests were done, we took about 20 minutes to explain
to the students how to navigate through the program, after which the students
were free to learn from the program by themselves. The students depended wholly
on themselves to learn within the time limitation of 18 hours total. They had
to learn how to finger spell 30 specific words. The instructor was available in
the class to assist students in the group when needed.
Figure 3.1 Multimedia Training Program
3.2 Procedure for Print-based Methods Group
The
print-based methods group (the second group)(figure 3.2) was instructed on the
same content as the students in the multimedia training group (the first
group). However, the instructor represents the main visual stimulation for the
learners. All tests and time limitations were exactly the same as for the first
group. The students were required to take the tests on print materials. The
instructor was available to assist the class at all times.
Figure 3.2 Print-based Methods Group
4. ANALYSIS & RESULTS
·
Test results indicated
that both the multimedia training group and the print-based methods group
enabled students to improve their learning.
·
There was no
significant difference in learning effectiveness between the multimedia
training group and the print-based methods group. Students in both groups
received similar marks.
·
Most students (eighth
grade high school students at the School for the Deaf) enjoyed learning from
the CD-ROM.
·
Even though the
experiment#2 has shown that 67% of the students preferred using the computer,
there were 22% of the students who felt more comfortable learning from the
instructor and 11% who were undecided.
5.
CONCLUSIONS
In this study we have been
trying to examine the degree of effectiveness and potential benefits of
multimedia technology and to measure the qualitative nature of learning using
multimedia. The result of this study has shown that there was no difference in
learning between multimedia technology and print-based methods. However,
students enjoy learning from multimedia training more than from traditional methods.
The students came to the computer lab before the specified time and wanted to learn the program. In
addition, the results in Figure 2.1 have shown that almost 70% of the students
accepted that learning with computer is excited and fun. This is consistent
with our observation of the students during the training period. Our
observation indicated that multimedia can be an important motivating factor.
6. REFERENCES
Dow,
Julie, Alan Poulter, and Anne Morris. (1994). LIS Professionals as Knowledge
Engineers. Annual Review of Information
Science and Technology . 29. New
York: Wiley. 1-6.
Heinich,
Robert, Michael Molenda, James D. Russell, and Sharon E. Smaldino. (1999). Instructional Media and Technologies For
Learning 6th edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Kemp, Jerrold E. (1995). The Instructional Design Process. New York: Harper & Row.
Newby,
Timothy J., Donald A. Stepich, James D. Lehman, and James D. Russell. (2000). Instructional Technology for Teaching and
Learning, Designing Instruction, Integrating Computers, and Using Media.
Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.