Elaboration of multimedia teaching materials at Riga Technical University
J.Blūms, A.Blūma, M.Jansone, I.Klemenoks, I.Klincāre and M.Knite,
Riga Technical University, Institute of Technical Physics, Azenes str. 14-322, Riga LV-1048,
Latvia.
E-mail: blum@latnet.lv
Summary
Multimedia study materials in physics are under elaboration at Riga Technical University.
Study materials include topics of lectures, animated lectures, and animated problem solutions,
animated instructions for real laboratory works, short (6-7 min) learning movies, and multipleanswer tests. In addition, physical thesaurus and overview of physical study materials in Internet
are elaborated. Study materials are provided for an independent use for distance learning, adult
education, full-day students and other purposes.
All study materials are organized in Blackboard Learning System ML™. The system makes
possible not only to elaborate all kinds of study materials and tests, but also to organize and
control student’s work with all study materials.
Materials are provided for an independent use in distance learning, adult education, fulltime students and others, who want to complement (or renew) their knowledge of physics.
Introduction
In the last decade the amount of students studying engineering specialties at the Extramural
Department of Riga Technical University has grown. Extramural students have classes only on
some Saturdays per semester, mostly for laboratory works. As a consequence many problems
typical for this kind of the education rise:
- different age and level of knowledge of students in one group;
- small number of contact hours with teachers, as a result a lot of theoretical material and a
most part of practical works students have to master independently;
- extramural students have to join their studies and the job;
- many students have to come from other cities – additional expenses appear.
On the other hand advances in computer and communication technologies have created a
wide array of new possibilities for teaching and learning in different contexts. The widespread
availability of desktop/laptop computers and internet connections holds a huge potential for
technology enhanced learning development. In particular, increasing of computational power,
steady growth of memory capacity and increase in data transmission rates allows adaptation and
creation of different multimedia learning content to extend boundaries of teaching beyond the
walls of the university.
Mover multimedia as a way of presenting learning material provides valuable and diverse
resources more than a traditional text-book. Rich multimedia presentations have been
successfully used for supporting learning on desktop computers for years. Only recently due to
improved Internet connections it becomes widely available outside university. There has been
also a substantial research carried out on educational value of multimedia. A number of theories
have been created to assist analysis of multimedia and to create guidelines for improving media
based learning scenarios. Cognitive load theory by Sweller [1] and cognitive theory of
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multimedia learning (CTML) by Mayer [2] turned out to be quite successful for analysis of
multimedia instructional material. By emphasizing the role of the human cognitive system and
its resource limitations (e.g., limitations in processing channels, working memory, and attention)
theories allow to seek and find most relevant instructional material creation approaches.
Researchers seem to agree that when multimedia is combined with proper instructional
approaches it yields effective learning.
The aim of this activity is to use the virtual learning system (Blackboard Learning System
MLTM) and modern technologies for elaboration of all study materials for the independent study
of physics. The accessibility of all materials through Internet and usage of multimedia will solve
many problems mentioned above. The main goal of elaborated study materials is not to study a
theory of physics, but to make students get practical skills in problem solving, and to help them
in a preparation to the real laboratory works.
The analysis of earlier created study materials for subject “Wave optics” [3] shows, that such
materials are very popular and useful for students.
Description of elaborated study materials.
The top level organization of the materials in the virtual learning environment is according to
their type (see graphical presentation in Fig.1). All study materials are divided if following
groups:
- topics of lectures;
- video presentations;
- examples of the problem solution in step-by-step manner;
- materials for the preparation and execution of the laboratory works (including
descriptive text and a video presentation);
- educational movies;
- tests;
- dictionary of used physical terms;
- overview of Internet resources for the each topic.
In each such section materials are grouped according to the time schedule. There are 32 parts
in each section corresponding to 32 study weeks (or 2 semesters for physics in Curriculum).
This is especially important for self-control reasons - for materials of each study week three tests
are elaborated: (1) one for theory, (2) one for practical skills in the problem solution and (3) one
for the corresponding laboratory work.
All study materials are organized in the virtual learning system - Blackboard Learning
System MLTM. This system allows registration of all users, control of their activities in
framework of this system, management of access to created documents, provides a
communication between users and instructors, offers management of tests and other activities
necessary for successful mastering of physics.
A traditional textual form description of all corresponding phenomena and laws are
given in topics of lectures. By adding multimedia to the instruction it is supposed that students
can benefit from multiple and dynamic ways of material presentation.
Video lectures are created as a short about 20 min presentation of study material
corresponding to topics of a lecture. The major task of this material is to give a basic knowledge
about phenomena and effects under consideration. Animations used in video lectures make vivid
the substance of discussed phenomena and physical laws. For the convenient use each video
lecture is divided in short (up to 7 min) segment corresponding to the content.
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The process of getting to a solution of physical problem is animated in problem solving
examples. On the screen appears all what students usually see and listen during practical training
when a teacher solves a practical problem on the board. By watching this video material students
see entire solution in a step-by-step manner: first they see text of the problem, than the given
data are displayed, picture or scheme is constructed, and then the solution appears with all
necessary comments (in form of a text). Each example is recorded as a movie using screen
capture technique.
Materials for laboratory works include the traditional textual description of
corresponding physical phenomena and the experimental set-up and short (up to 10 min) video
presentation. In this presentation the general description of the real set-up used in our
laboratories and concrete numerical examples are given. Using these video presentations
students can see how to prepare set-up, to make measurements and calculations. This sort of
study materials is very important for the extramural students due to very compressed timetable
of laboratory works.
Up to now 8 educational movies are created:
1. “Uniformly accelerated motion”.
2. “The second Newton’s law”.
3. “Combination of harmonic motion”.
4. “Combination of harmonic motion at right angle”.
5. “Waves in elastic media”.
6. “Rotational dynamics of a rigid body”.
7. “Rotational dynamics of a rigid body 2”.
8. “Rotational dynamics of a rigid body3”.
For the self-control of knowledge’s and practical skills 3 tests are elaborated for the
materials of each study week: (1) one test for theory, (2) one for the laboratory works and (3)
one for the practical problems. Each test contains 10 multiple-choice questions with only one
correct answer. The Blackboard learning system allows random selection of questions from a
question pool for the each test.
For each topic the review of Internet resources is done. The list of the best in our opinion
websites concerning each topic is given additionally to our study materials. Comments and
instructions necessary for the successful use of these websites are added to the list.
A common dictionary of used physical terms is created for all study materials. For each
special term used in the topics of lectures a short (1-2 sentences) definition is given. With
elaboration of new study materials the dictionary will be replenished with the corresponding
terms.
Conclusion
The aim of the project implemented at Riga Technical University is to elaborate multimedia
study materials in physics for extramural students. The virtual learning system Blackboard
MLTM Learning System is used for organization of the study materials and making them
available for students seven days a week twenty four hours a day. It is possible to use all study
materials (excepting tests) either online, or download.
Discussions and interviews among students of physics have shown that they enjoy this
form of knowledge acquisition. Though it was new experience for most of them, they found it
convenient and interesting. It gave them freedom of choice for time and place to study. Most of
them expressed a wish to continue this form of knowledge acquisition. As to the content they
found it both challenging and demanding, as the emphasis extramural department students, is on
independent work.
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Ackowledgments:
This project is financially supported by EU Social Foundation, contract
2005/0127/VPD1/ESF/PIAA/04/APK/3.2.3.2/0021/0007.
Topics of
lectures
Dictionary
User
Video
lectures
Examples
of problem
examples
solution
Tests
Materials for
laboratory
works
Learning
movies
Internet
resources
Fig.1. The arrangement of the study materials according to their type.
Bibliography
[1]
[2]
[3]
J. Sweller, Instructional design in technical areas. Camberwell: ACER, 1999.
Richard E. Mayer, Multimedia Learning. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2001.
J.BLUMS, A.BLUMA, M.JANSONE, I.KLEMENOKS, I.KLINCARE, B.Žuga, AND
M.KNITE, “ELABORATION OF MULTIMEDIA STUDY MATERIALS IN PHYSICS AT
RIGA TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY”, Europhysics conference abstracts, vol 29G, ISBN 2914771-28-2, ed. R.M.Pick.
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