Multimedia assignments provide rich learning experiences for students in which students can combine different types of media such as text, images, audio, videos, maps, etc. to create a cohesive project. The format of multimedia assignments offers more flexibility and choices than a traditional research paper, which helps to meet the needs of diverse learners. Such an assignment provides multiple ways to engage students in the course activities and multiple avenues to demonstrate their learning.
Emerging new media tools hold great potential for improving the quality of learning and teaching in higher education [1] if they are implemented effectively. The use of multimedia tools in course assignments can motivate students with creative options, and enable higher levels of engagement with academic content. It allows students to express themselves in new ways and to perform at highest Bloom’s taxonomy cognitive levels. A multimedia assignment does not only improve students’ technological skills but also gives students the chance to master and demonstrate various learning outcomes, including creativity, problem-solving, critical thinking, inquiry and analysis, successful application and use of technology, communication, and presentation skills [2]. Educational research shows multimedia assignments are beneficial for student learning and for developing skills such as teamwork, time management, and conflict resolution [3]. Some multimedia assignment ideas include,
Podcast or Audio Essay
Video Essay (including 360 video projects and documentary films)
Geographic or Narrative Map Project
Individual or team Website or Blog
Animated or digitally published text
Take a look at this gallery of multimedia assignments used in LSA classes and supported by the LTC consultants!
Podcast Essay Project
In Professor Monica Dus’s course, Neuroepigenetics, students worked in pairs to create 15 to 20 minute podcasts about a topic in Neuroepigenetics, written for the public.
Audiovisual Essay
In Professor Matthew Solomon’s course, Art of Film, SAC 236, students made a video argument about one of the films screened for class, using any of the skills and rhetorical strategies they have learned in the course.
Story Maps Assignment
In Professor Shachar Pinsker’s course, Jews in the Modern World, students used Story Maps to create a visually rich story to present their own understanding of Jewish modernity.
Website and Blog Assignment
Students from Professor Lucy Hartley’s course, What is Empire?, are currently working in groups to create a website to exhibit their conclusions.
Crafting effective and engaging multimedia assignments to be incorporated into your course requires several considerations, including,
Define clear and measurable learning outcomes for the assignment.
Determine the type of media to use based on the learning outcomes of the assignment and the required time to accomplish it.
Determine the deliverables you will require from students.
Provide a structure for your assignment that requires revisions: an outline, pitch, or proposal, a first draft, and a final version, with feedback to guide each stage.
Determine the assessments and rubrics and share them ahead of time with students. Assessment should evaluate the learning process, not just the final product. Rubrics can help keep students on task and apprised of what’s expected from them.
Determine the type of training, scaffolding, and technical support needed.
Make sure that the workload for the assignment is comparable to more traditional projects.
Determine how to grade them, e.g. single group grade versus multiple weighted grades, or group versus individual scores.
We offer student work spaces and equipment loans to suit many types of assignment. If you would like to consult on how to design a multimedia assignment that best aligns with your course learning objectives and what hardware and software tools are needed, contact the Learning and Teaching Technology Consultants at LSATechnologyServices@umich.edu.
References
[1] Adams Backer, S., et al (2017). NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.
[2] Lieuw, T. (2014). How to Assign and Grade a Multimedia Project. Teaching Commons. Stanford University.
[3] Reyna, J., Hanham, J., & Meier, P. (2017). A taxonomy of digital media types for Learner-Generated Digital Media assignments. E-Learning and Digital Media, 14(6), 309–322. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042753017752973
