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296 Pages·2001·7.77 MB·English

COMPUTER SUPPORT FOR
MULTIMEDIA CURRICULUM DESIGN

Qiyun Wang
CIP-GEGEVENS KONINKLIJKE BIBLIOTHEEK, DEN HAAG

Wang, Qiyun

Computer support for multimedia curriculum design
Thesis University of Twente, Enschede - With refs. - With summary in English and Dutch.
ISBN 90-365-1670-0

Lay-out: Sandra Schele
Press: PrintPartners Ipskamp - Enschede

© Copyright, Qiyun Wang, 2001

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be produced in any form: by print, photoprint, microfilm, or
any other means without written permission of the author.
COMPUTER SUPPORT FOR
MULTIMEDIA CURRICULUM DESIGN

PROEFSCHRIFT

ter verkrijging van
de graad van doctor aan de Universiteit Twente,
op gezag van de rector magnificus,
prof.dr. F.A. van Vught,
volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties
in het openbaar te verdedigen
op woensdag 24 oktober 2001 om 15.00 uur

door

Qiyun Wang

geboren op 5 februari 1970
te Shandong, China
Promotor : Prof.dr. J.J.H. van den Akker

Assistent-promotor : Dr. N.M. Nieveen
i

Table of Contents

PREFACE vii

1 INTRODUCING THE CASCASE-MUCH STUDY 1
1.1 Context of the study 1
1.1.1 Curriculum development in China 1
1.1.2 Curriculum development in Shanghai 4
1.2 Origins of the study 9
1.2.1 The project of multimedia curriculum for Biology (MCB) 9
1.2.2 The CASCADE study 11
1.3 Overview of the study 12
1.3.1 Intended target users 12
1.3.2 Aims of the program 13
1.3.3 Methodology: Focus on development research 16
1.3.4 Approach of the prototyping stage 17
1.3.5 Approach of the assessment stage 19
1.4 Preview of the dissertation 20

2 MULTIMEDIA CURRICULUM AND COMPUTER SUPPORT
SYSTEMS 21
2.1 Multimedia 21
2.1.1 Definitions of media and multimedia 21
2.1.2 Media and learning 22
2.1.3 Multimedia and learning 24
2.2 Curriculum development 26
2.2.1 Concepts of curriculum 27
2.2.2 Curriculum development models 30
2.3 Multimedia curriculum development 32
2.3.1 The definition of multimedia curriculum 32
2.3.2 Multimedia curriculum modules 34
2.3.3 Multimedia curriculum development model 36
ii

2.4 EPSS 37
2.4.1 The concept of EPSS 37
2.4.2 The potentials of EPSS 39
2.4.3 The design of EPSS 41
2.5 Existing computer support systems for curriculum development 43
2.5.1 CASCADE 43
2.5.2 CASCADE-SEA 44
2.5.3 Other support systems 46
2.5.4 Comparison of the support systems and implications on the
design of the study 47
2.6 Conclusions 51

3 PROTOTYPE DEVELOPMENT 53
3.1 Preliminary choices 53
3.2 Overview of the prototyping process and the prototypes 55
3.2.1 Prototyping process 55
3.2.2 Evolution of the structure and the four components 56
3.3 The first prototype 64
3.3.1 Content 64
3.3.2 Support 68
3.3.3 Interface 69
3.3.4 Expert appraisal and micro evaluation 71
3.4 The second prototype 76
3.4.1 Content 76
3.4.2 Support 79
3.4.3 Interface 79
3.4.4 Scenario 81
3.4.5 Expert appraisal and micro evaluation 82
3.5 The third prototype 88
3.5.1 Content 88
3.5.2 Support 90
3.5.3 Interface 92
3.5.4 Micro evaluation 94
3.5.5 Expert appraisal at the UT 101
3.6 The fourth prototype 105
3.6.1 Content and support 105
3.6.2 Expert appraisal at the ECNU 106
iii

4 DESCRIPTION OF THE FINAL VERSION 13
4.1 Overview of the program 113
4.2 Content 115
4.2.1 Goal and usage analysis 116
4.2.2 Learner analysis 117
4.2.3 Content selection 119
4.2.4 Content representation 121
4.2.5 Content organization 122
4.2.6 Interface design 125
4.3 Support 126
4.3.1 Information 127
4.3.2 Advice 128
4.3.3 Tools 132
4.3.4 Training 133
4.4 Interface 134
4.4.1 General characteristics 134
4.4.2 Screen design 134
4.5 Scenario 139
4.5.1 General characteristics 140
4.5.2 Components 140

5 ASESING THE PRACTICALITY OF THE PROTOTYPE 143
5.1 Introduction 143
5.2 Design of the assessment studies 144
5.2.1 Participants 144
5.2.2 Procedures and activities 146
5.2.3 Data collection and analysis 148
5.3 Results with primary target group users 150
5.3.1 Perceived practicality of the four components 150
5.3.2 Actual use of the program 154
5.3.3 Comments and suggestions 159
5.4 Results of study with other users 161
5.4.1 Perceived practicality of the four components 161
5.4.2 Actual use of the program 164
5.4.3 Expected extension to other subjects 166
5.4.4 Other comments and suggestions 168
5.5 Conclusions 170
iv

6 DISCUSION 171
6.1 Introduction 171
6.2 Discussion of the main findings 172
6.2.1 Content 172
6.2.2 Support 175
6.2.3 Interface 177
6.2.4 Scenario 179
6.2.5 Functionality for various user contexts 181
6.3 Discussion of the development research approach 184
6.3.1 Prototyping 184
6.3.2 Formative evaluation 186
6.3.3 Design principles 188
6.4 Recommendations 190
6.4.1 Web support 190
6.4.2 A follow-up study 191
6.4.3 Implementation 192
6.5 Closing remarks 193

REFERENCES 195

ENGLISH SUMARY 205

NEDERLANDSE SAMENVATING 213

APPENDICES
A-1 Screen dumps of Main Frame (English and Chinese version) 221
A-2 Screen dumps of Designer's Aid (English and Chinese version) 227
A-3 Screen dumps of Edit Panel (English and Chinese version) 245
B Example of an instructional scenario 249
C Interview topic list (used during the second round of prototyping) 255
D Instruments for the micro evaluation (used during the third round
of prototyping) 263
E Instruments for the expert appraisal at the UT (used during the
third round of prototyping) 267
F Questionnaire for the assessment studies 275
G Example of interface styles 281
H Original data collected from the assessment studies 283
v

LIST OF FIGURES
1.1 The administrative framework of curriculum innovation in Shanghai 6
1.2 Line of reasoning for this study 11
1.3 Multimedia curriculum development process 14
1.4 Multimedia curriculum design process with CASCADE-MUCH 15
2.1 Difference between a multimedia curriculum (left) and a conventional
curriculum (right) 33
2.2 Multimedia curriculum development model 36
3.1 The prototyping process 55
3.2 A screen dump of Designer's Aid 70
3.3 A screen dump of Designer's Aid in the first prototype 80
3.4 A screen dump of Edit Panel 93
4.1 Overall structure of the CASCADE-MUCH program 114
4.2 Overview of Designer's Aid 115
4.3 Linear content organization 123
4.4 Non-linear content organization 124
4.5 Integrated content organization 124
5.1 Means of answers given by the novice and experienced designers 154
5.2 Examples of walking routes 155
5.3 Time spent on each screen 157
5.4 Illustration of means 164
5.5 Average time spent on each screen 165
6.1 Possible extension of the program 181
6.2 Assessment of the effectiveness of the program 192

LIST OF TABLES
2.1 An example of matrix media-selection model (Allen, 1967) 24
2.2 Curriculum components proposed by various authors 28
2.3 The comparison of the compute support systems 49
3.1 Overview of the prototypes 59
3.2 The relationship among the components, quality and participants 83
3.3 Modules of a multimedia curriculum 90
3.4 Characteristics of the subject teachers (n=7) 95
4.1 The interrelationship between the analysis and the design elements 131
4.2 The explanation of the menu 136
4.3 Presentation forms and screen elements for content representation 138
4.4 The factors used for describing each knowledge unit 142
5.1 General characteristics of the participants in study 1 (n=6) 145
5.2 General characteristics of the participants in study 2 (n=13) 146
vi

5.3 Overview of instruments and data analysis 148
5.4 Perceived practicality of the content (n=6) 150
5.5 Perceived practicality of the support 151
5.6 Perceived practicality of the interface (n=6) 152
5.7 Perceived practicality of the scenario (n=6) 153
5.8 Support tools utilized by the participants 158
5.9 Perceived practicality of the four components by other users 162
5.10 Support tools utilized by other users 166