Principles for the selection and integration of educational multimedia materials

This paper sets out to clarify the decision framework for the selection and integration of educational multimedia material into courses. Two main areas are discussed. The first involves matching the educational principles inherent in the multimedia artefact to the aims of the course. The opposition between instructionist and constructivist approaches is particularly highlighted. The second area concerns the models used to integrate the multimedia component into the overall course. The models are classified in terms of how they distribute the balance of responsibility for explicit educational structuring between the multimedia system and the course tutor. The paper does not set out prescriptive rules; it aims rather to inform and articulate the decision space for the tutor.