“Early multimedia learning looked like a car that had been cobbled together from different scrap yards with components of different sizes, colours, models, and ages. It was a mongrel beast.”1
So said Donald Clark, a leading authority in multimedia learning in Britain. He was referring to the early flood of learning websites that had loud music and equally loud colour. Videos were mixed with animation, and graphics popped up all over the screen. The designers loved it, but users were at first bemused and then distracted, and in the end they learnt little. So far at BMJ Learning, we have erred on the side of multimedia learning for a purpose—you don't need broadband to use the site. Text is still very useful—experienced readers can read at a rate of 300 words a minute, but everyone can read at their own pace. You can also search text quickly, and we can easily update it.
However, we are building more multimedia content on the site. This month we have published a module on psoriasis. About 2% of UK adults have psoriasis, and our module outlines how to diagnose and manage patients in primary care. Traditionally, colour slides are used to support text, but here the pictures are at the core of the module. We show you pictures of patients with different types of psoriasis and then test and train your skills in diagnosing and managing the condition. Further pictures enable you to test your knowledge of some complications of psoriasis such as psoriatic arthropathy and erythrodermic psoriasis. The module also gives an update on recent advances in management such as the role of vitamin D analogues and tumour necrosis factor blockers.
To find out more, look at our new module on bmjlearning.com.
References
- 1.Clark D. White paper: Media rich is not always mind rich. Epic Group. www.epic.co.uk/content/resources/white_papers/media_mix.htm (accessed 29 Sep 2004).