LB#15

PROJECT - BASED LEARNING AND MULTIMEDIA: WHAT IT IS?

Project-based multimedia learning is most of all anchored on the core curriculum . This means that project-based multimedia learning addresses the basic knowledge and skills all students are expected to acquire  as laid down 

in the minimum competencies of the basic education curriculum.Engaging students as multimedia designers extends multimedia authoring by placing students in a designer's position. Instead of merely learning the technical skills and creating a project, the designers need to consider such issues as the needs of the audience, the distribution of work in a group, the management of time and resources, and the deadline. They need to implement steps such as planning, designing, evaluation, and discussion. The authenticity and complexity of the design tasks provide students a learning environment where they can develop cognitive skills and skills of high value to the work place. This study investigated the effect of being multimedia designers on middle school students' learning of design knowledge, their cognitive strategy use, and their motivation toward learning. The findings showed that such an environment could facilitate the development of cognitive skills for the middle school students and actively engage them in learning. Students significantly increased their understanding of the importance of the cognitive skills involved in a design task from pre to posttreatment. They have internalized the design knowledge to some extent. However, sustaining these middle school students' motivation toward learning while they are engaging in a series of "boring" activities (e.g., planning, testing) for an extensive period of time presents a challenge and calls for creative teaching techniques.