SCHOOL OF LIFELONG LEARNING

CBMT2013
INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY

JANUARY 2015

NAME : RABIAH BINTI HAJI MURSHIDI

MATRIC NO : 740413135194001
LEARNING CENTRE : SARAWAK LEARNING CENTRE

JANUARY 2015 SEMESTER

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Contents

Page

Introduction

The Interactivity Features

Computer Hardware

Computer Software

Suggestions

Multimedia Technology

Conclusion
References

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INTRODUCTION
In this modern world, there are many ways of communication to keep people in touch with one
another. The most important feature is able to get other people keep up with the updates and get
the information fast and correct. Multimedia plays the most important part in this modern world
in conveying messages to others and the effectiveness have been proven when it is used widely
in the business world. Multimedia comes from the word multi and media. Multi means the
combination of several items or functions in one assignment and media, according to the Oxford
Advanced Learners Dictionary, 7th edition, page 916, is the main ways that large numbers of
people receive information and entertainment. Many years back, television, radio and newspaper
had played the important role as the main broadcaster and still they are but over the years, the
invention of the latest technology, multimedia, has play a better role.
Interactive multimedia technology can be used to develop a company website. What is a
website? Website is a virtual location on WWW, containing a various number of subject or
company that is related to the webpage and data files accessible through a browser. Each
website can be reached through the connection of the internet. Therefore, a company must have
the connection of the internet and build its own website to be able to broadcast itself to the
world. The most important feature of interactive multimedia technology is cheaper compare to
other means of media. Some are unpaid for its perfect services.
Interactive multimedia features to develop a company website are the hardware and software.
Basically, a computer is required at the first stage. It compromises the CPU or Central Processing
Unit. However, the user needs to know like what component makes the computer works faster,
for example, what is the suitable device for storage. There are five categories of the devices
which are System devices, Memory and storage devices, Input devices, and Communication
devices.

COMPUTER HARDWARE
System Devices
The system devices components are the microprocessor, motherboard and memory. The
microprocessor is the brain of the computer and many other household and electric devices. It is
the heart of the datacenters, communications product, and other digital devices. When the user
turns on the computer, it is the microprocessor performs some operations. It received the first
instruction from the Basic Input/Output System or recognized as BIOS, which is a part of its
memory. The Basic Input/Output System will load the operating system into random access
memory or RAM.
Another important component in the central processing unit is the motherboard. Motherboard is a
device in the computer that contains the computer components like microprocessor, memory,
basic input/output system, expansion slots and interconnecting circuitry.
Memory and Storage Device
Memory and storage device are responsible to operate system, application programmes and data
in current use so that the computers processor reaches them quickly. Random access memory is
the temporary storage space in the computer uses to operate Windows and other programmes. It
is called random access memory or RAM because any storage location can be accessed randomly
or directly. It is much faster than the hard disk, floppy disk or the CD-ROM. However, it can be
categories as short-term memory and gets slow when used to its limit compare to the hard disk,
floppy disk, CD-ROM, and the latest, USB flash device as the long-term memory of the
computer. It is recommended that more memory devices are needed to work on multimedia.
The hard disk able to stores and access to large amounts of data on an electro magnetically
changed surface. It contains disk cache that responsible for improving the time it takes to read or
write to a hard disk and hold data that has been recently been read. Cache memory holds
something temporarily.

Compact disk (CD) is used to store data pertaining to audio, video, text, and other information in
digital form. Initially, compact disks, read-only-memory (CD ROM) are formed to read-only, can
store computer data in form of text, graphics and sound but newer technology allows users to
record as well. For data recording to a CD, the user needs a CD recorder, for example CD
Recordable (CD-R) or CD-Rewritable (CD-RW). The CD-Rewritable enable the users to erase
and again save new data into the same disk but in the CD-R, the recorded data will stay as CDROM and the user will not able to delete or change the data recorded.
Input Devices
Input devices are referring to the keyboard, mouse, microphone and a digital camera. The
keyboard is the main text input device to the computer. It contains certain standard function keys,
such as cursor movement keys, escape key, tab, control keys and shift key.
A mouse is a small device connected to the computer with a cable and known as the computeraided display control by Bill Englishs 1965 publication. However, the latest technology has
produced a wireless mouse which connected to the computer by installing Bluetooth both to the
computer and the mouse itself. It is a pointing device that can be move on a pad in order to point
to a place on display screen. It is very easy to operate the mouse. The user needs to move it and
point to the wanted place on the display screen, click to order the computer to meet the user
instruction or drag to move the data.
Microphone is another input devices connect to the computer. It can interpret dictation and
enable the user to input sound.
A digital camera is also known as input devices as it captured photographic images and can be
stored in the computer. Besides taking photographic images, the digital camera is also able to
take video and then transfer to the computer for editing.

Communication Devices
Today, most personal computer is able to connect to a communication devices such as the
smartphone. Modems from the computer and the smartphone enable the user to be connected to
a network.
Hence, the computer hardware is the most important compartment in order to start multimedia
tasks. However, without the computer software, the computer will only contribute to a basic
work like typing data and saving it. Installing various software, will make the data becomes alive
and interesting.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Software is a set of instructions, stored digitally within the computers memory. It tells the
computer system what to do as instructed. The word software is use to show the different with
the hardware as the hardware can be touch and seen. The software only can be used with the
presence of hardware. Computer software can be categories into three groups according on their
use and application. They are the system software, application software and programming
languages.
System Software
System software or referred as operating system is used by the computer to translate the inputs
from different sources into the language that the machine understand. The widely use system
software is the Microsoft, Windows and recently Vista. It is to manage and control the hardware
components and to enable interaction between the hardware and types of software used.
Applications Software
Applications software is develop to allow the user of the system complete a required task.
Application system is a program to deal with a specific task, such as web browser, games,
presentation and so on. The most popular example of the application software is Microsoft
Office.
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Programming Language
Programming language is a formal constructed language to instruct the machine, mostly
computers. It is to control the behaviour of the machine.
The Interactivity Features
These interactivity features can improve the effectiveness of information broadcasting on a
website because it is part of the future of interactive media. As a fast growing industry, it is
important that the interactivity features on the broadcasting are interesting. It should include
some new ideas of the 21st century ways of thinking. In the world of digital technology, people
are no longer interested to read flyers as well or to buy newspapers to get new information on
several items. People feel very comfortable to explore the website with their gadget to get as
much as they could for information or updating themselves with the latest product. It is not only
comfortable, but they are saving their time and expenditure as google up is more reliable
nowadays. They may go shopping online as they say and need not to queue up at the counters to
cash the bills. Everything is within their fingertips.
In line to attract the consumer or customer, it is important to create the overall look and feel of
the web site by using text, graphics, sound, data, animation and other digital and visual effects.
Presently, most information shared on the web is in the form of graphic and text. The
information provider must create a friendly use to all kind of customers. There is maybe a couple
of folks who does not read but get a slight idea from the graphic shown.
As to create friendly user information broadcast, it is suggested the information supplier must
take account of the website users, good server, improve website ranking and attractive website.

Suggestion 1 - Website Users

The information provider must understand that the website user may come in various stages of
age, education and surrounding. It may happen that while the grandchildren are online and the
grandparents may take a look and fall interested with the product seen. In this situation if both
parties are not understand to the information text provided, it would be easier if there is an audio
included.
Suggestion 2 Choice of Good Server
The main problem to Malaysian internet user is the server. When a particular product gets
thousands of attention at one time, it would take the whole day to be able to view the information
about it. The information provider must choose the relevant server to place their website. It is
wise enough if the information provider to broadcast his product through a popular social
network where the network is able to serve millions of viewers at one time.
Suggestion 3 Improve Website Ranking
It is very important that the website owner knows his website ranking. The owner must know
why some other website owner is on the top and why others are following from the bottom. The
website owner must design the advertisement to provide the end- users with useful and helpful
information. In general, the website advertisement designer can improve the rank of their
website by creating high-quality broadcast that end-users will want to purchase their product and
share the information with others. As the top ranking website, the website will appeared at once
when the user go online and users will not spending time on searching the website in the search
engine.

Suggestion 4 Attractive Website

The website itself must have the power to attract users to visit their site. First impression is very
important before the users go to the content. There are five categories of the basic tool set for
building an attractive multimedia project. These are including Painting and Drawing tools, 3-D
Modeling and Animation tools, Images Editing tools, Sound Editing tools, Animation Video and
Digital Movie tools. These tools when used up to the maximum will produce and determine the
quality of the multimedia work. There is many more software that can be used to build an
attractive broadcast and will invite more audience of all stages of life.
The effectiveness of information broadcasting depends on how the audiences react to the content
and later persuade the audience to follow, or like or even purchase the product and how often the
website visited by the audience.
Multimedia Technology
Multimedia Technology applies interactive computer applications such as graphic, text, video,
sound and animation with the main objective of good, clear, and exact in delivering messages or
information. Today, information presented to a large audience often contains digital and print
images. The use of multimedia technology combining text and animation can often enhance of
an importance message.
In building an attractive broadcast project, interactive computer applications are very important.
Graphic, text, sound, video and animation are depending on one another to make it comes alive
and able to deliver the right message to the right audiences and to captured more audiences.
Graphic
Graphic is connected with a diagram or picture that appears on computer screen. Most graphic
designers use computer software to generate new images and can be modify to meet the designer
requirement.
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There are a few advantages using graphic in designing for broadcasting via website. The design
will be more attractive. It also helps the user to have better interaction with the computer. The
picture will be in high resolution and the picture will be able to attract the viewers.
For a professional, graphic is easily to develop and the cost will be very affordable.
Text
Text is the most important and widely used means of presenting information on screen and to
convey ideas and messages. It is also flexible. By using various fond, text could be interesting
and can be used creatively. The designer should consider how to present text in acceptable way
and able to supplementing it with other media.
Text can be combining together with graphic to design better information broadcasting via the
website. The combination will not take a lot of space requirement. It is easy to download when
needed.
Sound
Sound or audio is less used in the broadcasting via website because it is involving recording the
audio before it is transforms to file and send to the website. The process is time consuming but
the result is always the best comparing to other media. This is because the audience can listen
to the multimedia. The development of sound systems for desktop and portable PCs has
permitted the incorporation of soundcards, speakers and internal and external peripherals for
controlling sound-recording and playback, software for composing, sequencing and editing
music, as well as audio and video compression software making it possible for multimedia
programs on CD-ROM to approach those on the Net. Therefore, the element where the
highest expectations from multimedia packages will lie, whether commercial or educational,
will be audio. This may appear in a huge variety of forms and with a huge variety of
purposes. Audio is no longer an element that is foreign to the production, but rather the
factor responsible for breaking the monotony and for making the product more attractive and
interactive.
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Unquestionably in todays society, known as the multimedia or the information society,

multimedia products that lack an elaborate audio interface will not be acceptable. Multimedia
products will have to provide users, as well as graphic interactivity, an elaborate
soundtrack, sound effects to enhance graphics, images, text, narrations, voiceovers etc.
Consequently, the power of communication and interactivity via the audio interface will bring
us an even closer relationship with the computer.
There is no doubt that from now on, multimedia product design should come closer to the
design of products that use audiovisual language, seeing sound and graphic events as one
sole element, rather than as separate elements each with their own language, combining
image and sound in order to synthesize the information, and make it more effective, as
opposed to computer productions with storage and text-, image- and number-processing
limitations. So sound is unquestionably as important as graphics, and neglecting or failing
to plan for this is as unpardonable as neglecting or improvising visual elements.
As we see that, audio being an essential element for transmitting information and making
the most of multimedia systems, as well as generating the need for an audiovisual identity, the
time to identify a musical idea for the soundtrack and the interactivity via audio is in the
design phase, as this is when all the media that will make up the product and the ways in
which they will interact have to be considered. The relationship between images and sounds
is usually established in three ways: by contrast, when image and sound are used to set
up a contrast; by superposition or addition, when the two things offer mutual support to the
same idea; and passive, when the sound appears insignificant or unaffected by the image.

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Animation
Animation in computer-based instruction holds powerful instructional potential. Instructional
animation is used in computer-based instruction to accomplish one of three functions: attentiongaining, presentation and practice (Rieber, 1990). According to Park and Hopkins (1993),
animation in visual display fulfils five instructional roles: as an attention guide; as an aid for
illustrating functional or procedural behaviour: as a representation of domain knowledge
entailing movement; as a device model for forming a mental image of system functions which
are not directly observable; and as a visual analogy or reasoning anchor for understanding
abstract concepts. Computer graphic technology including innovative capabilities previously
unavailable through printed text or still pictures is strategically applied in instruction with
rationales. It is presenting new challenges to traditional educational practice.
Animation, like other instructional visuals, should facilitate recall and retention when it
illustrates visually-based or spatially-based facts or concepts which are related with movements.
Animated graphics are probably much better than static graphics at representing ideas which
involve changes over time because of its ability to implement motion, therefore concretising
abstract temporal ideas (Rieber and Kini, 1991). If a learning task only requires learners to
visualise fixed objects, then the use of static visuals would be sufficient.
Some traditional visual aids, such as film and videotapes are available to show the motion and
dynamic processes. But in many of these film and videotapes, the illustrations are separated by
some period of time while students are watching them. Students are not likely able to absorb and
process the learning material while sitting in a darkened room and it does not help the learning
process (Epstein, 1990). Thus, it would be an advantage if students have at their disposal the
visual illustration. It would also be an advantage if students could control the pace and sequence
of learning, and interact with the computers. Computers have the unprecedented capability of
allowing students to interact with visual illustrations.

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Interactive learning takes place in a learning situation where a learner and computer are actively
and mutually responding to input/output and adapting to responses (Jonassen, 1999). There are
three levels of interactivity according to the way in which users interact with computers (Lucas,
1992). The 'reactive' model which is the lowest level of interactivity draws on behaviourist
approach and simply refers to physically pressing the space bar to advance to the next step of
program. The 'proactive' model which is based on a cognitive approach is the highest level of
interactivity in which the learner is actively engaged in knowledge construction.
According to Rieber (2004), Attention involves cognitive decisions regarding which information
to attend to, given the fact that the environment contains far more information than any one
person can handle at any given time. Interesting pictures gain and maintain learner's attention in
instructional text (Keller and Burkman, 1994). Good pictures motivate learners and encourage
curiosity. Pictures including novelty and drama maintain learner's attention (Keller and Burkman,
1994). In this sense, learners can be attracted to animated visuals that include dramatic and
unique effects.
One of the important roles of animation as an instructional tool is gaining students' attention
(Park and Hopkins, 1993; Rieber, 1991). Gagne, Briggs and Wager (1992) described attention as
the first event of instruction. Attention correlates with students' achievement more highly than
the time-to-learn and poor learners have poor attention (Mayer and Wittrock, 1996). The
presentation of highly visual material is an effective teaching technique for arousing and
sustaining student's attention (Hativa and Reingold, 1987).

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Conclusion
Therefore, the effectiveness of information broadcasting via website is one of the methods used
nowadays. The need to improvise the presentation of the broadcasting via website must meet the
requirement of the viewers in line to attract the viewer to visit the website and able to share the
information with others. The multimedia technology is indeed important as it help the designers
to design for the broadcasting via website. The viewers are mostly teenagers to fifty years old
grown up and their interest are different but they could surf for the same information for
knowledge. Those who are more to fashion world, they would like to see beautiful things. The
broadcasting designers must come up to the point that their advertisement to, suit all stages of
age. Most of all the website owner should always keep update to their viewers requirement.

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REFERENCES
CBMT2013: INTRODUCTION TO MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY

www.http://Cemca.org.in/ckfinder: Hardware and Software for Multimedia

Development
www.http://Whatis.techtarget.com: Microprocessor (Logic Clip)
www.http://download.intel.com/newsroom: What is a Microprocessor?
www.http://windows.microsoft.com : Memory and Storage