Multimedia evaluation

Hello Alison and Michelle,

After reviewing some web pages I found this http://www.dekalbcountyilsheriff.org/
really interesenting.

CONTENT
· Who is the target audience for this multimedia piece? All the citizens of Dekalb county who want some information about the Sheriff Office in Dekalb, Illinois. Such as Civil Process, Forms or Sex’s offenders information.
· How well is the information (including text, graphics, music, animation, and video) communicated to the target audience? Information is not useful. It is incomplete and unclear. The information is packed in a text too long, too compact and it is no visual at all. It is no attractive, it has no pictures, videos or animation. Blind people are not going to be able to use the web page. There is no audio. Information should be written in a clearer way, in shorter paragraphs, add some bold headings and titles, and add some pictures or videos to call viewers’ attraction (police cars, activities between police and adult citizen or kids)
· How would you evaluate the information for its clarity, usefulness, and ability to arouse interest in the target audience? The information is no clear enough. It looks like it was copied from an old history book. It is not useful because it is not connect with real-life problems so it is not going to arouse interest in the target audience. I think not everyone wants to read all this information; people will prefer to call to the office or talk to an officer. It would be necessary to inform the citizens about topics such as: jail information, court services, information about the sheriff divisions, volunteer opportunities, fingerprinting service, handgun-carry permits or even it would be necessary links that can inform about other topic related to the sheriff information or police information in general.
· Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to the content on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent). 1

STRUCTURE AND NAVIGATION

· How well is this piece organized for the target audience? It is badly organized because the navigation bar is not classified from general to concrete. There is not a concrete Sheriff Home page in the more visible navigation tool. At the bottom we can find a “Return to the top” link, and a Dekalb County Government link, that works as the home page. I think this link should be “related links” instead.
· How easy and intuitive is it for a user to figure out how to move through it? It is no easy or intuitive. The navigation tool at the left it is not designed to be attractive or to call the viewer’s attention. For instance, the employment page is called Employment, but viewers do not know what are they going to find there, perhaps, job postings or benefits? Likewise, viewers cannot go back to the Sheriff’s Office page, because the home link takes them to the Dekalb County Government home.
· Is the breadth and depth of the information easily apparent, and how efficiently can a user move through the multimedia piece to learn the extent of what is being presented? There are no links that allow viewers to complete and wide their knowledge about the information available. It will be necessary to create a Related Links, for State of Illinois or emergency procedures.
· Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's structure and navigation on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent). 1

COMMENTS:
They will have to redo the structure and the navigation. The navigation column on the left will have to be more attractive, cover useful topics and to have a Home page to the Sheriff Office web page. The navigation link at the bottom will have to be more useful. It will be a necessity to create a Banner and a Header that will act as identification and attraction. It will be necessary to create a Related Topic links to viewers’ convenience.

VISUAL DESIGN
· How would you describe the visual appeal of this multimedia piece? Awful. There is no visual appeal. It looks like the person or persons that designed this page were not thinking of making an appealing or interesting web page. They are only interested in telling something, but they do not bother whether viewers like or not.
· How suited is the design to the target audience? Badly. I think that the target audience is not going to pay too much attention. If they do so, it is not because the web page will be attractive, but because they need to retrieve some concrete information.
· Would this design appeal to users other than the target user? If so, which ones? If not, why not? No. Because there is no design appeal.
· Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's structure and navigation on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent). 0

COMMENTS:
I would create a new visual design. For instance, I will edit the header, and I will divide the page into three columns. The middle one will be the widest one. I will use it to provide short ideas and I will include attractive pictures or animation or even with a video about citizens giving their opinion about the Sheriff office and showcasing some of activities. On the left column I will put a navigation tool about the sheriff office topic, perhaps adding a picture of the Dekalb sherrif. On the right column I will put other links that could be interesting for the audience, related links. Depending on what I would do in the center column, I could combine this with an animation.
I will complete the web page with a footer and navigation in a small font size, and with the sheriff office address and phone. Finally, I will add audio to each link.

FUNCTIONALITY
· How appropriate is the technology used on this piece for the type of content being delivered to target users? It is insufficient. The target users will need more technology to pay more attention to the information.
· Would this piece work on a dial-up connection or does a user need a high-speed connection? This piece work will work on a dial-up connection.
· Do all the links work? No
· Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's functionality on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent). 1

INTERACTIVITY
· In what ways does this piece encourage users to interact with the content? None at all. This page only is telling some information. The designers do not expect any interaction.
· How does this interactivity enhance a user's understanding of the content?
Does not apply because there is no much interactivity.
· Weighing all the above factors, assign a value to this piece's interactivity on a scale of 1 (poor) to 6 (excellent). 1

I will look for your feedback,

Susana

Multimedia and motivation

Allison and Michelle:

How does multimedia keep the learner motivated to learn?
Multimedia keeps the learner motivated because it allows access to the teaching and learning material at anytime. This accessibility to the material and the possibility of repetition allows the student freedom to learn and a wider knowledge. The use of multimedia obliges learners to know the material since there is no other way “one can pass to the next level”.
The material presented through multimedia could represent a challenge for the students, could wake up their curiosity, could be fun and interesting, could create fantasy, and could increase competition or cooperation.
Is there an “entertainment” factor needed for today’s student?
Yes, I think that our learners are immersed in a world where technology entertains every aspect of our lives: TV, CD, the Internet, mp3/mp4, videos… Learners today expect to be taught with tech gadget available. They have grown up with tech and with the entertainment that it brings. Otherwise, the class is going to be boring.
Do you think the student has to always interact with content just to stay focused?
From my own experience, a learner has to interact with the content if the learner wants to learn because it is the intellectual process that is going to result in his or her understanding. There are different ways to interact with the content, using technology, through demonstrations, through discussions or other strategies that help the learner to interact with content, but I believe the students always have to interact with the content to stay focused.

Susana

Types of Interaction

Learner-content: paper-based text, radio, TV, audio, video, CD, computer program, online course...
Learner-learner: discussion, presentations among learners, teleconferences, online courses, and computer mediated instruction…
Learner-instructor: tutoring, email, online courses, computer mediated instruction…
Learner-interface: online courses, GI courses, computer mediated instruction…
Learner-environment: experiment, fieldtrip, computer mediated instruction…
Vicarious interaction: online classes, computer mediated instruction...

The type of interaction that I think is more age and culture specific is the learner-content because it can take you to the other types. A learner-content type is designed for paper-based text, radio, video or TV courses, CD, computers programs, online courses and computer mediated instruction.
The learner-content interaction is the most important in other aspects. For instance, the learner’s success on the computer mediated instruction depends of the age, maturity, interests or even cultural experiences of the learner. Usually, the kind of learner who decides to use a computer mediated instruction is a mature learner by all means.
When the learner begins to interact with the content, he or she will try to keep up by learning through others types of interaction. Some of these types are: Learner-Instructor, by phone or email; Learner-Learner, as in the previous one students can work together asynchronously through wiki, blog, chat room or email; and Learner-Interface, using technology to interact with content, instructor, learners or even environment.
Usually the computer meditated instruction is successful among cultural groups like the Asian learners, a shier group that prefers to work far from the campus.
The more difficult interaction, for me, to match for my learners is the learner-content interaction. If I want to go with a traditional instruction, there is no difficulty at all, only following a paper-based text. However, modern instruction requires the use of technology, discussions, demonstrations, and connection with real-life problem. Due to that the teacher has to know the audience, has to design the content to reach all kinds of learners, and has to work harder.
I suppose I have preconceived biases about appropriate types of interactions for one’s audience. I, as a teacher, might have the tendency to a way of working, but as soon I know my audience, I try to adapt my type of interaction so I design and use teaching strategies according to the kind of learners, mature, shy, women, teenagers, etc.

Susana

ADS ANALYSIS

Hi Alison and Michelle: This is my first assignment. I will look forward to your feedback:

As it is written in the syllabus, Rinso ad is from the 1940’s era. The illustration shows a young and attractive woman hanging a bright, clean bed sheet on a line to dry.
This ad makes the task of clothe washing light and sweet. She looks like she is dancing instead of hanging a sheet.
The intended audience for this ad is conservative housewives who are in their twenties, thirties or forties.
My audience did not pay attention to this ad because at their age they do not pay too much attention to house chores; moreover, they use dryer machines and they usually do not know care about detergent brands.
Las Vegas ad says “Come and play”. This ad is an exotic invitation to come and play at Las Vegas. It is an invitation not only because the slogan reads, “Come and play”, but also because the girl’s exotic back in a black dress holding an “I love Las Vegas” bumper sticker across her behind means an invitation. It lets the viewer guess what he can find in Las Vegas. Her bracelet of dices is another invitation to play in the casinos, where one can find high roller or lower stakes games and at the same time find beautiful and sexy women.
The primary Audience for this ad is men from ages 21 on.
For my audience this ad could be very exciting, especially for the men. For some girls this ad could bring excitement because of all the expectations that the invitation is implying. However, some girls could find this ad offensive because of moral or religious beliefs.
The Data Computer ad shows three young business people, one woman and two men. All of them are in their 20’s and are wearing business outfit. They look smart, attractive and assertive. This ad is addressed to young people between the ages of 20to 35, young executive, who know how to navigate between technology and business, and want to know more about this technology resource.
My audience will be attracted to this ad because it shows successful, happy and young people.
They might think they can be in the same position in a short period of time.
Color in the Rinse ad is a fade away due to the time or to the way they did it. We have to consider that the Rinse ad is from the 1940’s when the printer color was not so bright, vivid and intense as they are today. The Rinse ad would have today a bright background with a clear and blue ski, a beautiful backyard, and perhaps a couple of cute and playful kids. Because of that the font and color of the letters will have to be different.
Las Vegas ad is effective according to their color and layout. The picture is clear, the background is bright white, the girl is in the right position, and with the right and sexy black color to be attractive enough. The girl’s skin looks perfect with only an inviting tattoo that disrupts the body curves. She has beautiful hands in the right position that are decorated with rings and a bracelet that combines black and white even though a red dress would be sexier.
The Data computer add is effective due to its lack of color. The contrast created in black and white underscored the persons and the idea that they try to reflect. Likewise, the positional contrast, the tie and shirt movement, and the face gestures make this ad intense and effective.
On the humorous side in ads I have to explain that it is a way to attract viewers. However, humor can be dangerous because it can be mean.

Las Vegas ad is not humorous to make one laugh, but it is humorous to be provocative. The girl advertises by holding an “I love Las Vegas” bumper sticker across her behind. I do not think the publicists are trying to be offensive, but rather provocative. We should not forget the primary audience of this ad, men who want to have fun and an exciting adventure in Las Vegas.
Regarding the Las Vegas ad, my audience will think according to their gender. Women will think is a provocative and full of sexual content ad. Men will love it because of everything it represents.

Susana

AUDIENCE ANALYSIS

The dean has asked me to design a Spanish course for American students who are going to spend an entire semester in Guadalajara, Mexico. This course has to be an accelerated one where the students can learn and practice the basic sentences and expressions to be on their own in Guadalajara. The dean asked to introduce some cultural rules in order for the students to not be rude to Mexican people.

The group is a homogeneous one. They are 16 sophmore American students who have been in this college for at least one semester. They are between the ages of 18 and 23. There are eleven females and five males.

This is their second semester studying Spanish so they are still in a beginning Spanish level. They have never been in Mexico and only four of them have been practicing their Spanish with a native person.

As college students they are familiarized with computers, the Internet, word processors, Power Point, podcasts, and blogs.

This group of students is motivated because they already paid for the trip. They are a little afraid of Mexico and they want to be able to communicate. Yet, they are motivated because they know that if they do well, they are going to complete 9 credits in Spanish writing, speaking and culture.

Their learning styles basically are VARK: Visual, Auditory, Read/write and Kinesthetic.

Introduction

Hello 617 EDT Alison and classmates!

Welcome to this class, we have a great teacher and I know that we are going to work but we are going to learn. I am really excited about taking this class because it is going to complement what I have learned in 616 EDTC.
I graduated from Cordoba University in Spain in 1999 with a master’s degree in Geography and Philosophy. That has allowed me to work as a private teacher and as an instructor.
However, because of my husband’s job, we moved periodically so it is difficult for me to keep a job, so I decided to become an online teacher. I tried to learn about online teaching and I did an online course to learn about “Online Teaching”, but it was not enough for me. I felt I needed to know more; so I decided to enroll at Regis University and pursue a Masters in Education: Instructional Technology.

Since this topic is about matching the media to your audience, it makes me remember a TV ad I saw for first time during the 2008 elections that later I found in http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJxfsqUsCDY and is called “Get out and vote-Election 2008 Celebrities”.
This video grabbed my attention for different reasons. First because the people who act in it. They are very famous people: Will Smith, J. Roberts, Harrison Ford, Steven Spielberg, Leonardo Di Caprio… people that public always want to see. They are actors, singers, men and women so it is a guarantee that it is addressed to a variety of public; and it will be watched by a large audience .
This video called my attention because the message’s contradiction. At the beginning actors are told to ask us not to vote, but they cannot do it, they do not believe in this message. Then because this actor’s opposition the director of the video tell them to do what they feel is right. They ask us to vote, and they explain their reasons.
Moreover, this video is appealing because it is only a conversation between actors and the director/actor. This conversation looks real and that it could happen to anyone.
At the same time the ad could be fascinating or repulvise, because the message is very simple; they repeat the word so many times yet it sounds “weird” but one gets the idea: VOTE.
Thanks,
Susana