Multimedia skills and application
Overview of course ...................................................................................................... 2
Learning outcomes ....................................................................................................... 2
The Practitioner Research Cycle .................................................................................. 3
Course information ...................................................................................................... 4
Course schedule ........................................................................................................... 4
Face-to face event ........................................................................................................ 5
Post-event activities ..................................................................................................... 6
Working with learners.................................................................................................. 7
Shared knowledge ........................................................................................................ 8
Evaluation .................................................................................................................... 8
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Overview of course
The course will explore the stages in the development of multimedia products from
client brief to delivery. Multimedia developers from industry will contribute to the
face-to-face training session, which will include workshops focusing on the stages
of development of a range of products including audio and video.Participants will
have opportunities to develop ideas for multimedia projects to use with learners and
will see learning resources that have been developed to support delivery of
multimedia product development in the classroom.
Learning outcomes
At the completion of this course, you should be able to demonstrate the following
outcomes:
Professional and reflective practitioner skills

An understanding of the processes involved in the development of a
multimedia product from client brief through to delivery
 To critically consider and discuss the areas where learners have most
difficulty, including scoping and evaluation, and how these can be
supported by use of learning resources from e-skills UK.
Practical skills


To develop a simple project plan from a suitably detailed client brief
To work with learners to plan and create a multimedia product that includes
animation, audio and video
 To support learners in the evaluation process, including user testing,
collecting and analysing feedback, and planning for change.
Knowledge and understanding

An understanding of the content of learning materials available from e-skills
UK and how these can be used with learners to develop multimedia
products
 An understanding of multimedia development in the business world, and how
successful development is contingent on detailed client specifications, user
and audience research, and design decisions taken during the planning
phase.
Cognitive skills

To critically discuss how employer or client requirements are a key part of
providing learners with realistic modelling of multimedia development for a
purpose
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
To discuss strategies for supporting learners in gaining confidence in the
evaluation phase of multimedia product development through processes of
user testing and acceptance of feedback and need for change.
The Practitioner Research Cycle
Vital Courses are based on the Practitioner Research Cycle as shown in the diagram
below.
You will no doubt already be familiar with the notion of reflective practice, which
typically has four stages:




Identify needs
Plan
Do
Reflect.
The Practitioner Research Cycle extends that by adding in two further stages:


Find out
Share.
‘Find out’ involves investigating what the wider education community knows about
how to address identified needs (in order to help learn from other people’s prior
experience and avoid re-inventing the wheel).
In the ‘Share’ stage you pass on what you have learnt to the wider community so
that they in turn can benefit from your experiences and expertise. (This is then
mediated by a process of peer review before becoming an established part of the
education communities’ shared knowledge base.)
This cycle draws on, and develops, personal and professional knowledge bases
(Pers KB and Prof KB in the diagram). The latter is the knowledge that underlies
professional practice in education, and is reflected in the literature, resources,
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policies and other materials that are used to inform practice. Throughout the course
icons will indicate the stage of the cycle being addressed.
Course information
You will need access to:


the internet
sound recording and editing equipment, and video recording and editing
equipment for post-course activities in the classroom
 a group of 14–19 learners who are following programmes of study that
include multimedia development, e.g. the Diploma in IT Higher and
Advanced level, GCSE ICT, A-level ICT and Applied ICT.
You should have the following skills and qualifications:

An understanding of the requirements of the qualification specification for
GCSE, Diploma in IT or A-level relating to multimedia development.
Duration of the course: 10 hours over six weeks.
Collaborative
0 hours
(timetabled)
3 hours
0 hour
3 hours
Facilitated face-to5 hours
face
Online hours
Collaborative (flexible)
Independent study online
Sub-total
Offline hours
Workplace: working with learners on project ideas
emerging from the face-to-face session
Independent study offline
Sub-total
2 hours
0 hours
7 hours
10
hours
TOTAL
Course schedule
Week Activities
1
1
1
Stage* Type
Face-to-face event: Opening event and
workshops 1–3
Activity 1 Workshop 4 – Planning a
project for learners
Activity 2 Final Plenary with facilitators
and developers
4
Find
out
Find
out
Find
out
Face-toface
Face-toface
Face-toface
Approx time
needed
3 hours, 30
minutes
1 hour
30 minutes
Week Activities
2
2–5
6
6
6
Activity 3 Contacting participants in the
forum
Activity 4 Working with learners on
multimedia development
Activity 5 Reporting back to the forum
Activity 6 Negotiating our shared
learning
Activity 7 Course evaluation
Stage* Type
Approx time
needed
Share
Online
30 minutes
Do
Workplace 2 hours
Share
Online
1 hour
Share
Online
1 hour
Online
Total
30 minutes
10 hours
*Stage in Practitioner Research Cycle.
Face-to face event
The main focus of this course is a face-to-face training event. A facilitator, together
with IT industry multimedia developers, will be explaining the processes of
development from the client brief, through generation of a project plan, to the
production and delivery of a product to the client. You will also be working in
small groups to generate ideas for projects with associated client briefs with course
participants and employers. These ideas will be of value in the classroom.
Activities 1–2 are completed as part of the face-to-face event. Activities 3–7 are
online and classroom activities following the face-to-face event.
Face-to-face event agenda
Opening keynote address from IT industry developer
A multimedia developer from the IT industry will start the day by reflecting on the
changes in multimedia development over recent years and how important the user
experience is to a product’s success.
Workshop 1 – From client brief to project plan
The first workshop will focus on working with clients and will examine the steps from
receiving a client brief through to generating a requirements specification and a
project plan for a multimedia product. The session will include a developer discussing
how this process is carried out in the industry and its importance in delivering a
product that meets the original client brief.
Workshop 2 – Effective use of multimedia in website development
This workshop will look at the different use of multimedia in website development,
including production and integration of audio, video and animation. Examples of
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Opening keynote address from IT industry developer
A multimedia developer from the IT industry will start the day by reflecting on the
changes in multimedia development over recent years and how important the user
experience is to a product’s success.
software that can be used in the classroom to support creation of multimedia content
will be demonstrated.
Workshop 3 – Supporting learners in the evaluation process
One of the most difficult tasks for learners is to evaluate a final product, whether this
is a written piece of work or a multimedia product. This workshop will look at
strategies for evaluation, including organisation of user testing and evaluating a
product against the original brief. Industry developers will talk about the importance
of this part of the development process and how they manage the user testing and
delivery phase.
Activity 1 Workshop 4 – Planning a project for learners
Participants will break into smaller groups to work with facilitators and developers
to come up with ideas and client briefs for multimedia projects. These ideas will be
useful in the classroom and can be used with learners in the post-course activities.
End of activity.
Activity 2 Final plenary with facilitators and multimedia developers
To finish off the day, a question and answer session will be held for participants to
ask any questions of those who have been involved in delivering the day’s sessions.
The Vital Community will also be demonstrated at this final session, where a forum
will be available for five weeks after the event. Participants will be able to meet up
again online and discuss and reflect on their progress using the learning resources
created from Activity 1 (Workshop 4).
End of activity.
Post-event activities
These activities are designed to build on the contacts made at the face-to-face
training event and to reflect on the use of the learning resources provided by the
session with groups of learners.
Activity 3 Meeting participants in the forum
30 minutes over 1 week during week 2 of the course
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The objective of this course activity is to make contact with other course
participants by posting a message in the forum which reflects on the face-to-face
training event.Go to the course forum. Post a message that reflects on your
experience of the face-to-face event. Indicate how you intend to work with learners
using the project ideas and insight into industry multimedia product development
gained at the session. Respond to any messages posted by the facilitator or other
participants, including discussion threads relating to the employer-led workshops.
End of activity.
Working with learners
In these activities, you will use the project resources, tools and skills from the faceto-face session with a group of learners and then report back on this in the course
forum.
Activity 4 Working with learners on multimedia development
A minimum of 2 hours over 3 weeks during weeks 2–5 of the course
The objective of this course activity is to work with a group of learners on a
multimedia product development activity that makes use of the resources, project
ideas and skills gained from the face-to-face event.
During Workshop 4 of the face-to-face session, you will have worked with
employers and other participants to generate ideas for projects that can be shared
with learners. You will have also seen examples of the multimedia resources
created by e-skills UK, which give you two project ideas for web development with
associated multimedia products for integration. You may also have picked up skills
and techniques in multimedia development that you would like to share with
learners.
You need to work with learners using something that emerged from the face-to-face
event. This may be the project idea from which you can create a client brief and use
it to start to create a project plan for a multimedia product with learners.
You may wish to work with a group on specific skills, such as video creation and
editing, or you may wish to share information about the industry developers who
contributed to the face-to-face session and what their roles are in real life
multimedia development for clients.
End of activity.
Activity 5 Reporting back
1 hour online week during the sixth and final week of the course
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The objective of this course activity is to share your experiences of working with
learners on multimedia development activities with other course participants and
your facilitator.When you have worked with your group of learners, go back to the
forum and respond to the ‘Reporting back’ discussion thread created by your
facilitator. Post a message to the other participants reflecting on your work with
learners and including your thoughts on using the materials, ideas and skills gained
from the face-to-face session, and subsequently.
End of activity.
Shared knowledge
The practitioner research cycle is based on sharing your experiences and expertise
in order to develop the professional knowledge base.
Having reflected individually upon your own learning within this course the next
stage is to share these reflections within the course group and see what
commonalities there are in what each of you has learnt. You may then want to share
these insights more widely within the community.
Activity 6 Negotiating our shared learning
1 hour online, during the sixth and final week of the course
The objectives of this course activity are:


to discuss and agree what you have learnt as a group
to identify what information, if any, we wish to share with the wider
community (and to share it).
Go to the course forum and, in the Discussion called ‘Shared Learning’, post a
message in which you summarise the key learning points that have emerged for you
during the course.
Then read through the key learning points that other members of the course have
posted.
In your group decide on ONE combined set of key learning points which you are
all agreed upon.
End of activity.
Evaluation
This final section allows for evaluation.
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Activity 7 Course evaluation
30 minutes online, during the sixth and final week of the course
The objectives of this course activity are to complete an evaluation form and rate
and review the course.
Your task is to complete the evaluation questionnaire, which can be found on the
course page.
End of activity.
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