Core+issue+Appropriateness+and+effectiveness+of+the+use+of+multimedia+within+the+Wiley+environment

Draft 1. Craig Davies Core issue: Looking at the appropriateness and effectiveness of the use of multimedia within the Wiley environment from the lecturers perspective. (Yes and this would include the implementation and use of multimedia). John Wiley & Sons reviewed findings from their proprietary research among higher education instructors. From the research that Wiley undertook it is discussed that the Development of online social media tools such as Facebook, MySpace and the like has ‘Spawned shorter attention spans’ in students. Wiley claims from their research that this explosion in social media use amongst students is leading to them having shorter attention spans in the classroom, therefore coupled with potentially larger class sizes making it more difficult than ever for instructors to engage, assess and motivate their learners. This situation along with growing student population, means instructors can now be burdened with heavy class loads leaving instructors less time to ‘reach out’ to students.

Wiley online is designed so that instructors are able to create courses, assignments and administrate them whilst leaving them more time to interact with better prepared students. The aim of Wiley on line is as follows; The Wiley on line space is feature rich. From the perspective of an instructor they are able to create their own material, or adopt the pre-loaded courses and use for their students as a mix of the two and it really does seem like a great resource, for both student and instructor. The blend that is available to the instructor is a positive one. However it is just that, ‘a blend’ that can be used in conjunction with another form of teaching, for example, attending lectures as well as using Wiley online could possibly determine a positive outcome for both student and lecturer. This educational technology has the potential to offer instructors affordances. We use the term //affordance// to describe a potential for action, the perceived capacity of an object to enable the assertive will of the actor, Ryder and Wilson (1996). Wiley online offers the instructor the affordance of being able to create meaningful, multimedia presentations, assessments and text material, for their students, keeping them engaged, focused and learning. The use of multimedia within Wiley is effective as this provides a blend for the student and will therefore cater for a mix of learning styles. The mix of multimedia consists of video, audio and diagrams. The instructor is also able to add their own material, so they are afforded the easiness of having a location to ask students to be able to log onto to access this new material as opposed to emailing or using another alternative medium of presentation. This ensures that the relevant material is stored in one place. Wiley online has no interactive space for instructors to be able to interact with their students. This space would be helpful to both as a collaborative tool to reflect and /or ask questions and would add value. For an instructor ‘just being there’ in an online sense could provide an extra strand of support for students. For example, if a student needs to ask a question about the material being learnt then if the instructor happened to be online they could answer them allowing the student to be able to carry on with their studies rather than perhaps becoming unable to move forward with it for fear of being on the wrong track. Keeton 2004 asked the question to instructors employed by Higher Education establishments about online instructional strategies. The instructors questioned gave higher ratings to online instructional strategies that "create an environment that supports and encourages inquiry," "broaden the learner's experience of the subject matter," and "elicit active and critical reflection by learners on their growing experience base." As Wiley point out in their white Paper, in this day and age it is more difficult than ever for instructors to engage, assess and motivate their learners, an online interactive tool could enhance Wiley. The training of instructors in the use of Wiley is another important factor in determining its affectivity. Sammons 2003 states, Faculty training and support is another critical component of quality online education. Many researchers posit that instructors play a different role from that of traditional classroom instructors when they teach online courses. This could pose an issue for those instructors whom are experts within their fields of teaching but have less knowledge when it comes to assessing and indeed navigating around Wiley online. Partlow and Gibbs 2003 discuss that online courses designed from constructivist principles should be relevant, interactive, project-based, and collaborative, while providing learners with some choice or control over their learning. Whilst Wiley reflects some of this theory there are parts that do not. An example of which is the lack of interactivity that comes from Wiley.
 * ‘//Leveraging Blended Learning for More Effective Course Management and Enhanced Student Outcomes’//**

As learning networks evolve with the development of the internet and ultimately ‘open systems’ Lippmans definition of interactivity, the mutual, autonomous, and simultaneous activity of both participants working toward a common goal. Lippman suggested five criteria which are necessary to satisfy this definition: (Brand, 1987) (Stone, 1995)


 * //interruptability//, the ability of either participant to interrupt the other at any point.
 * //Graceful degradation//, the ability to set aside the unanswerable questions in a way that does not halt the conversation.
 * //Limited look-ahead//, the quality that makes it impossible to predict the ultimate outcome of a conversation by either party.
 * //No default//, a quality which allows the shape of a conversation to develop naturally, organically, without a pre-planned path.
 * //the impression of an infinite database//, the quality of limitless choices and realistic responses to any possible input.

Wiley online features have limited interactivity and are more typical of a ‘closed system’. There are no Synchronous features. Wiley’s white paper suggests; Instructors can employ online resources to maximize their course management efficiencies and create a more stimulating learning experience for the student Using online resources, instructors can effectively “extend their reach” and create a customized student learning experience by: presenting material in a variety of ways; assigning and grading more efficiently; and implementing on-going student self-assessments. Good as this maybe from an interactive instructor/student approach the material for this particular accounting course is more passive and the addition of more interactive features will enhance the instructor and the student experience