and to adjust their learning steps. Third, teachers can integrate materials and present them with a variety of information under the help of
multimedia. Fourth, it helps to develop students’ associative thinking.
Fifth, it provides an idea for the communication between teachers and students as well as students and students.
From all the advantages of the interactive multimedia in the teaching and learning stated above, it can be concluded that to use the
interactive multimedia effectively for reading and writing in the classroom, it should be interesting; it should increase motivation of the
students; it can increase information volume; it can integrate the materials; and it should help students to develop their thinking.
On the other hand, CEMCA 2003: 5 states some disadvantages of using interactive multimedia. Using interactive multimedia requires
high-end computer system, it is inaccesible to a large amount of learners, it spends much cost and time to make, it requires a special
software, and it requires a training for the teachers.
e. Criteria of Interactive Multimedia
Interactive multimedia can bring positive effects to the students in the teaching and learning process. The developer should be serious in
selecting the software based on its quality and specification. Therefore, knowing the criteria and quality of interactive multimedia is the best
solution. Stemler 1997: 2-11 provides some guidelines for the design
of various types of instructional multimedia. The main principles of multimedia are shown in the table below.
Table 2.4. The Principles of Multimedia Stemler, 1997
No Multimedia Features Principles
1 Screen design
1. Focus on the learner’s attention
2. Develop and maintain interest
3. Promote processing
4. Promote engagement between
the learner and lesson content 5.
Help learners to find and organize information
6. Facilitate lesson navigation
2 Interaction
1. Provide
opportunities for
interaction 2.
Chunk the content and build in questions with feedback and
summaries 3.
Ask questions
without interrupting the instructional
flow 4.
Use rethorical questions to get student’s thinking about contents
and to stimulate curiosity 5.
Provide active exploration in the program
3 Feedback
1. Keep feedback on the same
screen with questions 2.
Provide feedback immediately following students’ response
3. Provide feedback to verify
correctness 4.
Tailor feedback to the individual 5.
Provide encouraging feedback 6.
Allow students to print feedback 4
Navigation 1.
Content icons, navigational icons, and analysis icons should
exist to help the learners operate the program.
continued
5 Learner control
1. Provide selectable areas for users
to access information 2.
Allow users
to access
information in a user determined order
3. Provide maps so users can find
where they are 4.
Provide feedback to let the users know if there is time delays
5. Provide users with information
that they make progress 6.
Arrange information so users are not
overwhelmed by
the information
7. Provide visual effects and give
visual feedback 6
Color 1.
Use color consistently with a maximum of 3 or 6 colors per
screen 2.
Use brightest colors for the most important information
3. Use
neutral colors
for background
4. Use dark letters on a light
background for text 5.
Avoid to use complementary colors e.g. blueorange
6. Use commonly accepted colors
for particular actions e.g. red for stop
7. Avoid hot colors on the screen as
the appear to be strong 7
Graphics 1.
Graphic include photos and scanned pictures
2. Information is better presented
and retained when supplemented with pictures
3. Icons and photos enhance menu
screen 4.
Use graphic to indicate choices e.g. left or right arrow indicates
users may go to the “next” and “previous” pages
8 Animation
1. Can be motivational
continued continued
2. The use of animation can provide
subtle benefits like highlighting key information
3. Can
provide instructional
benefits 9
Audio 1.
Use audio for the primary presentation of the program
2. Do not allow audio compete with
text and video presentation 3.
Do not put many texts in a single screen
4. Provide the students with
headphones if the audio is used 5.
Tell the students what is relevant only
10 Video
1. Synchronize video with content
and reinforce or repeat the concept being presented
2. Use video as an advantage
organizer and simulation
f. Types of Interactive Multimedia
