What is multimedia?
Multimedia can be described as the computer-delivered combination of text, pictures, audio and video commonly found on resources such as the World Wide Web and CD ROMS.

Why use it in the classroom?
Different ELT experts have put forward various ideas and theories as to why using multimedia in the classroom may be effective. Amongst these are that it allows for autonomous language learning, it is interactive, motivating and stimulating, and it is integrated.

Brett (1998) suggests that multimedia language learning environments can 'deliver authentic input, provide meaningful language learning tasks, deliver feedback on those tasks and can be manipulated according to the needs of the user.' This makes it ideal for independent study, the learner perhaps having the opportunity to work through the exercises at their own pace.

Multimedia is also interactive in that it provides for tactile learning and the learner is required to interact via the mouse with the different elements on the screen. Multimedia is motivating for most learners in that they enjoy working with it and the combination of pictures, text, audio and video provides a stimulating environment in which to work. Various elements are also integrated onto the one screen. This is especially important as it does not involve large eye movements between the various elements on the screen and therefore concentration is less likely to be lost. This problem can, on the other hand, arise with video and pen and paper tasks because the distance between the television screen and the task paper is relatively large.

On the negative side, learners may be hesitant about using computers; perhaps their lack of knowledge stunts their confidence and this should be taken into account in the classroom. Another negative aspect when using multimedia on the World Wide Web is that it usually requires a reasonably fast Internet connection and this is particularly important when dealing with multimedia applications such as video. A large file would take an unreasonably long time to download with a slow Internet connection and might create classroom management problems. Sometimes, files are not downloaded but are streamed. This means that information is sent in small amounts at a time and the video may be viewed as soon as enough information is received to start it. However, if you have a slow Internet speed then streamed video may be shaky, stopping and starting at inconvenient times. Finally, the actual size of the video may be inconveniently small and may pose a problem for some learners.

Summary of advantages and disadvantages

Pros and cons of using multimedia
Advantages		Disadvantages
Self-study it provides a non-threatening environment for a learner to study at their own pace Interactivity it involves interaction between the learner and the various elements on the screen Motivation most learners enjoy working with multimedia Integration all the different elements are integrated onto the one screen making co-ordination between the elements easier.		Lack of IT knowledge certain students may not be as computer literate as others Slow Internet connection video files can be large and a long download time may leave some students with nothing to do Small size of video extracts the small size of the video may be prohibitive Quality of video extracts if it is streamed a slow Internet connection may make the video shaky.

How to integrate multimedia into the lesson
Any lesson using multimedia must be properly thought out and the teacher must be aware of the pitfalls (see above). Also, the success of any multimedia activity in the classroom depends on the before and after activities.

An effective pre-task activity will ensure the learners are adequately primed for the main task and an effective post-viewing activity gives the students the chance to practise the language they have learnt. Pre-task activities include vocabulary drag and drops, questionnaires or quizzes to elicit what they already know about the subject to be taught. These may be paper based or computer based, in either case requiring a degree of teacher preparation.

Post-task activities may be done individually or in pairs or groups, and may be written or spoken. It would give them the opportunity for output in a way which they are testing their learning. On the technical side a multimedia environment would require one or more of Quicktime, RealPlayer or Windows Media Player to be installed on the computer. These would be necessary to view a video extract.

Using the WWW as a multimedia resource

Two ideas for a multimedia lesson

Almost an infinite number of possibilities for multimedia use in the classroom exist on the World Wide Web. Most provide an authentic resource for classroom material and thus the possibility for students to experience 'real' English. One such web site is the BBC's own Web Site to be found at www.news.bbc.co.uk . Multimedia is a characteristic of the BBC site offering combinations of text, pictures, audio and video.

The video extracts themselves come in manageable 2-5 minutes each and give the learner the chance to watch the extract the whole way through if they so intend, as indeed was the intention of the BBC, or pause and play as often as they like. This puts the learner in control and they are able to concentrate on areas they find difficult. These video extracts make particularly motivating additions to a lesson on news items. The extracts are viewed in RealPlayer and they don't need to be downloaded as they are streamed. This has the advantage of not having to wait a long time for the extract to download and the information is sent a bit at a time and played as it is sent.

On the downside the actual picture can sometimes be shaky and the quality may occasionally hinder understanding. Also the size of the picture is usually small and so not suitable for people who may find the small size a handicap.

Sample lesson 1
Pre-viewing task	Elicit different categories of news items such as crime, current affairs, business etc. Teacher brings in newspaper headlines and students match to category.
Viewing task	Students log on to www.news.bbc.co.uk and click on the link 'MORE AUDIO VIDEO NEWS' on the right. Students go through the headlines and the introductory paragraphs and decide what kind of news items they are. Students, individually or in pairs, then choose one and write some questions that they would like to find the answers to and then watch to see if they can find the answers, perhaps noting down more difficult vocabulary.
Post-viewing task	Students tell the other members of the group about their news item.

Another source of multimedia on the web are the trailers on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb) Web site at www.imdb.com. This site has an archive of film trailers and there is often a choice of whether to use Quicktime, RealPlayer or Windows Media Player to view the trailers. These trailers provide an ideal length of extract, suitable for teachers who perhaps would be a bit reluctant to show a whole film in class time, or suitable for teachers to give learners as a 'manageable' piece of homework. This may give the learners the impetus to go and watch the whole film in their own time.

Trailers, by nature, are designed to give the viewer a taster of the film and to try and persuade them to go and see the full version. In order to stay true to the intended purpose of the trailer, the teacher can plan a lesson with this in mind.

Sample lesson 2
Pre-viewing task	Elicit different film types and ask the students what a trailer is. Log on to www.imdb.com and get students to choose a recent trailer (as they are less likely to have seen the full version if it is recent)
Viewing task	Students in pairs complete a jigsaw viewing activity where one watches the extract without headphones so they can't listen and the other listens, with headphones, with their back to the computer. They then compare to produce a more complete picture of the trailer.
Post-viewing task	Students discuss whether or not the trailer was successful in persuading them to go and watch the complete film.

Further post-viewing activities can be based on the other sections of the IMDb Web Site, such as the plot summaries, keywords and biographies.

Bibliography

Brett P (1998) 'An intuitive, theoretical and empirical perspective on the effectiveness question for multimedia http://pers-www.wlv.ac.uk/~le1969/index.htm

Paul Jackson