INCREASING ACCESSIBILITY, INTEREST AND UNDERSTANDING: THE APPLICATION OF MULTIMEDIA ELEMENTS IN DISTANCE AND FACE TO FACE GEOLOGY COURSES

With the increase in demand for online courses, faculty must find ways to incorporate alternative forms of content to their students they might not otherwise use in their face to face classes. Distance learning instructors must accommodate students with disabilities and of varying learning styles using multimedia elements. Here we present a method of alternative content that can be used in both face to face and distance learning geology courses to meet the needs of students with variations in learning style preference and those with accessibility issues due to disability.

One way to present content in a multi-sensory format is in the production of short video clips accompanied by narrated slide shows using Windows Movie Maker software packaged with the Windows XP platform. This program provides a simple method of assembling images, powerpoint slides and audio files into a ‘movie' that can be produced on an office PC and viewed on any machine running Windows software.

Some advantages of employing this multi-media element for distance learning instructors includes explaining difficult geological concepts, providing ‘in class demonstrations' and establishing instructor ‘presence' all while addressing student learning styles and accommodating students with disabilities. For face to face classes, this technique can be used as an instructional enhancement to the course.