A Survey of Hardware and Software Technologies for the Rapid Development of Multimedia Instructional Modules

Abstract

A survey of hardware and software technologies was conducted to identify suitable technologies for the development of instructional modules representing various instructional approaches. The approaches modeled were short PowerPoint presentations, chalk-and-talk type of lectures and software tutorials. The survey focused on identifying application development technologies that would help simulate the in-class learning experience in the modules. The scope of the survey was limited to those technologies that would facilitate the rapid development of multimedia modules by being simple to learn, use, and adopt. This article describes the survey in three fronts. First, the hardware components that are critical to the production of the multimedia modules are discussed. Second, different input devices are reviewed with a view of selecting a suitable device for simulating the chalk-and-talk type of lectures. Third, the authoring software currently available for producing software tutorials is discussed. The survey indicated that there are now powerful and affordable hardware and software that could be used effectively for the rapid development of multimedia modules. As a result, the use of instructional multimedia in classrooms is anticipated to grow as instructors become familiar with the emerging and maturing tools for instructional multimedia development.