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Chapter 1 · Watch, then practise

Introduction

Describe a presentation through its media, screen layout, timing and interactions. Coordinate these parts into a coherent experience.

3 questions · 3 with related videos. Matches are based on playlist titles; broader background matches are labeled.

What to study

  • Media objects
  • Layout and timing
  • Interactive presentation

Chapter playlists

Choose a playlist

Notes

Multimedia Technology & Design: Unit 1.1 Understanding and Defining Multimedia

UNIMAS MOOC · 4:58

Supplementary multimedia introduction for recognizing combinations of text, graphics, audio and interaction.

1. Describe a presentation

What combines a diagram, narration and clickable chapter menu into a presentation?

Identify the media objects, their positions, start and stop times, and responses to user actions. Layout alone does not specify synchronization or navigation. SMIL is one example of a language expressing these relationships.

Multimedia Technology & Design: Unit 10.1: Structuring multimedia project

UNIMAS MOOC · 5:34 · Background lecture

Supplementary multimedia-structure background; the sequential-versus-parallel timing is explained in the answer.

2. Sequential or parallel?

A title appears for 3 seconds, then a 20-second video starts. Contrast this with a title overlaid during the video.

The first arrangement is sequential: one item follows another, taking 23 seconds under these assumptions. The overlay is parallel: title and video overlap on a shared timeline. Its total duration depends on their start and end times, not their summed durations.

Multimedia Technology & Design: Unit 10.1: Structuring multimedia project

UNIMAS MOOC · 5:34 · Background lecture

Supplementary multimedia-structure background for an interactive presentation; the menu example is explained in the answer.

3. Interaction example

What makes a lesson menu interactive rather than a fixed linear presentation?

The learner’s selection changes which media or section is presented next. The author must define those navigation choices and their effect on playback. The same underlying media can support either fixed playback or user-directed exploration.

References