C. Decide on Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are statements of what is expected as a result of a learning activity. For the purposes of this course, we will classify multimedia activities into the following categories:

1. Content/Basic-Thinking Activities. The Iowa Department of Education defines Content/basic thinking as "the skills, attitudes, and dispositions required to learn accepted information -- basic academic content, general knowledge, 'common sense,' -- and to recall this information after it has been learned" (1989, p. 7). Multimedia activities that would fall into this category might include students labeling a map in a graphics program or creating an animation explaining how to measure perimeter.
2. Communication Activities. Communication skills involve the ability to convey ideas and information and to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and others. Multimedia can be used to enhance and encourage communication skills by allowing students to illustrate ideas via graphics, sound, or video. In addition, students can use the Web or presentation software as a forum for presenting their ideas. Multimedia activities that would fall into this category include creating a presentation focusing on factual information or developing a graph on data that has been gathered concerning a specific topic.
3. Collaboration Activities. Collaboration skills include the ability to distribute roles, accept responsibility, and interact effectively. Multimedia is a good forum for developing these skills and enhancing cooperation and social negotiation. Although two or more students may share a computer, true collaboration requires the ability to work as a team toward a common goal. Multimedia activities that would fall into this category might include collaborating on a digital video project or using Inspiration to brainstorm an idea.
4. Critical Thinking Activities. Critical thinking involves three critical skills -- analysis, evaluation, and making connections (Jonassen, 2000). Analysis involves the ability to identify individual parts of relationships, conduct comparisons, and classify objects into categories. Synthesis focuses on activities that require students to integrate, combine, or connect ideas into a plan or project. Evaluation involves assessing the reliability, usefulness, and accuracy of information, on the basis of specific standards or criteria. Multimedia activities that would fall into this category include contrasting writing styles of famous Floridian authors on a web page or creating a Venn diagram using concept mapping software.
5. Creative Thinking Activities. Creative thinking focuses on the generation of new knowledge and involves skills such as synthesizing, elaborating, and imagining (Jonassen, 2000). Elaborating involves the ability to modify, extend, and hypothesize. Imagining focuses on being able to visualize, speculate, and predict outcomes based on specific circumstances. Multimedia activities that would fall into this category include scanning objects of family heritage to create a digital video or reflecting on various student projects in a web-based electronic portfolio.

To summarize these classifications, review the following table: