Multimedia

Creative industries

Creative industries use multimedia for a variety of purposes. These include fine arts, entertainment, commercial art, journalism, to media and software services provided for any of the industries listed below. Requests for their skills range from technical to analytical to creative. Multimedia, but more impressively in the modern day, the interactivity of the multimedia created forms the foundation for which most creative endeavors that take place online.

Commercial uses

Commercialization and marketing of products by companies in the modern day rely on increasingly more advanced displays of Interactive Multimedia for sophisticated tactics and customer retention. Advertising companies rely heavily on social interfaces and television to promote products, while ads and websites that utilize pop-ups need their shorter, more concise methods to be as efficient and pleasing to the potential customers as possible. Using these platforms, they are able to express their message or persuade a targeted audience. External and internal office communications are often developed by hired creative service firms for advanced displays of information in a variety of necessary situations. Examples range from as common as holding more engaging presentations to providing trainees or new workers with more effective media to educate on a company's policies. Commercial multimedia developers may be hired to design for governmental services and nonprofit service applications as well, which often takes the form of the campaigning websites and commercials pushed out to the public. In addition, the prominence of data mining within multimedia platforms in order to adjust marketing techniques based on the data they mine is a crucial and notable practice of commercial advertisement to efficiently understand the demographic of a target audience.^[11] In recent years, a new trend of multimedia has arrived: a new sort of digital billboard placed on the side of buildings and usually wrapped around the side of them. These clips are made at differing angles to trick the brain into seeing them as 3-dimensional, like they're leaving the billboard entirely. This makes them eye-catching and therefore more likely to draw people's attention, which is, of course, very good for commercial purposes.

Entertainment and fine arts

Multimedia is heavily used in the entertainment industry, especially to develop special effects in movies and animations (VFX, 3D animation, etc.). Multimedia games are a popular pastime and are software programs available either as CD-ROMs or online. Video games are considered multimedia, as they meld animation, audio, and interactivity to give the player an immersive experience. While video games can vary in terms of animation style or audio type, the element of interactivity makes them a striking example of interactive multimedia. Interactive multimedia refers to multimedia applications that allow users to actively participate instead of just sitting by as passive recipients of information. In the arts, there are multimedia artists who blend techniques using different media that in some way incorporate interaction with the viewer. Another approach entails the creation of multimedia that can be displayed in a traditional fine arts arena, such as an art gallery. Video has become an intrinsic part of many concerts and theatrical productions in the modern era and has spawned content creation opportunities for many media professionals. Although multimedia display material may be volatile, the survivability of the content is as strong as any traditional medium.

Social media

Social media platforms are platforms heavily based around the spread of multimedia in a social environment. The text and images on posts or in messages, the audio of voice recordings or in the background of videos, and the animations and videos posted are all forms of multimedia which social media platforms facilitate the spread and viewing of for its users.

Education

In education, multimedia is used to produce computer-based training courses (popularly called CBTs) and reference books like encyclopedias and almanacs. A CBT lets the user go through a series of presentations, text about a particular topic, and associated illustrations in various information formats.

Learning theory in the past decade has expanded dramatically because of the introduction of multimedia. Several lines of research have evolved, e.g., cognitive load and multimedia learning.

From multimedia learning (MML) theory, David Roberts has developed a large group lecture practice using PowerPoint and based on the use of full-slide images in conjunction with a reduction of visible text (all text can be placed in the notes view' section of PowerPoint).^[12] The method has been applied and evaluated in 9 disciplines. In each experiment, students' engagement and active learning have been approximately 66% greater than with the same material being delivered using bullet points, text, and speech, corroborating a range of theories presented by multimedia learning scholars like Sweller and Mayer.^[13] The idea of media convergence is also becoming a major factor in education, particularly higher education. Defined as separate technologies such as voice (and telephony features), data (and productivity applications), and video that now share resources and interact with each other, media convergence is rapidly changing the curriculum in universities all over the world. Higher education has been implementing the use of social media applications such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, etc. to increase student collaboration and develop new processes in how information can be conveyed to students.^[14]

Educational technology

Multimedia provides students with an alternate means of acquiring knowledge designed to enhance teaching and learning through various media and platforms. In the 1960s, technology began to expand into classrooms through devices such as screens and telewriters.^[15] This technology allows students to learn at their own pace and gives teachers the ability to observe the individual needs of each student. The capacity for multimedia to be used in multi-disciplinary settings is structured around the idea of creating a hands-on learning environment through the use of technology. Lessons can be tailored to the subject matter as well as personalized to the students' varying levels of knowledge on the topic. Learning content can be managed through activities that utilize and take advantage of multimedia platforms. This kind of usage of modern multimedia encourages interactive communication between students and teachers and opens feedback channels, introducing an active learning process, especially with the prevalence of new media and social media.^[16] Technology has impacted multimedia as it is largely associated with the use of computers or other electronic devices and digital media due to its capabilities concerning research, communication, problem-solving through simulations, and feedback opportunities.^[17] The innovation of technology in education through the use of multimedia allows for diversification among classrooms to enhance the overall learning experience for students.^[18]

Within education, video games, specifically fast-paced action games, are able to play a big role in improving cognitive abilities involving attention, task switching, and resistance to distractors. Research also shows that, though video games may take time away from schoolwork, implementing games into the school curriculum has an increased probability of moving attention from games to curricular goals.^[19]

Social work

Multimedia is a robust education methodology within the social work context. The five different types of multimedia that support the education process are narrative media, interactive media, communicative media, adaptive media, and productive media. Contrary to long-standing belief, multimedia technology in social work education existed before the prevalence of the internet. It takes the form of images, audio, and video into the curriculum.

First introduced to social work education by Seabury & Maple in 1993, multimedia technology is utilized to teach social work practice skills, including interviewing, crisis intervention, and group work. In comparison with conventional teaching methods, including face-to-face courses, multimedia education shortens transportation time, increases knowledge and confidence in a richer and more authentic context for learning, generates interaction between online users, and enhances understanding of conceptual materials for novice students.

In an attempt to examine the impact of multimedia technology on students' studies, A. Elizabeth Cauble & Linda P. Thurston conducted research in which Building Family Foundations (BFF), an interactive multimedia training platform, was utilized to assess social work students' reactions to multimedia technology on variables of knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy. The results state that respondents show a substantial increase in academic knowledge, confidence, and attitude. Multimedia also benefits students because it brings experts online, fits students' schedule, and allows students to choose courses that suit them.

Mayer's Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning suggests that "people learn more from words and pictures than from words alone." According to Mayer and other scholars, multimedia technology stimulates people's brains by implementing visual and auditory effects and thereby assists online users to learn efficiently. Researchers suggest that when users establish dual channels while learning, they tend to understand and memorize better. The mixed literature of this theory is still present in the fields of multimedia and social work.^[20][21][22]

Language communication

With the spread and development of the English language around the world, multimedia has become an important way of communicating between different people and cultures. Multimedia technology creates a platform where language can be taught. The traditional form of teaching English as a Second Language in classrooms has drastically changed with the prevalence of technology, making it easier for students to obtain language learning skills. Multimedia motivates students to learn more languages through audio, visual, and animation support. It also helps create English contexts since an important aspect of learning a language is developing their grammar, vocabulary, and knowledge of pragmatics and genres. In addition, cultural connections in terms of forms, contexts, meanings, and ideologies have to be constructed.^{[citation needed]} By improving thought patterns, multimedia develops students' communicative competence by improving their capacity to understand the language.^[23] One of the studies, carried out by Izquierdo, Simard and Pulido, presented the correlation between "Multimedia Instruction (MI) and learners' second language (L2)"^[24] and its effects on learning behavior. Their findings, based on Gardner's theory of the "socio-educational model of learner motivation and attitudes," show that there is easier access to language learning materials as well as increased motivation with MI along with the use of computer-assisted language learning.

Journalism

Newspaper companies all over the world are implementing multimedia in their work. To keep up with the changing world of multimedia, journalistic practices are adopting and utilizing different multimedia functions through the inclusion of visuals such as varying audio, video, text, etc. in their writings.^[25]

News reporting is not limited to traditional media outlets. Freelance journalists can use different new media to produce multimedia pieces for their news stories. It engages global audiences and tells stories with technology, which develops new communication techniques for both media producers and consumers. The Common Language Project, later renamed The Seattle Globalist, is an example of this type of multimedia journalism production.

Multimedia reporters who are mobile (usually driving around a community with cameras, audio and video recorders, and laptop computers) are often referred to as mojos, or mobile journalists.

Multimedia engineering

Software engineers may use multimedia in computer simulations for anything from entertainment to training, such as military or industrial training. Multimedia for software interfaces is often done as a collaboration between creative professionals and software engineers. Multimedia helps expand the teaching practices that can be found in engineering to allow for more innovative methods to not only educate future engineers but to help evolve the scope of understanding of where multimedia can be used in specialized engineer careers like software engineers.^[26]

Multimedia is also allowing major car manufacturers, such as Ford and General Motors, to expand the design and safety standards of their cars. By using a game engine and virtual reality glasses, these companies are able to test the safety features and the design of the car before a prototype is even made. Building a car virtually reduces the time it takes to produce new vehicles, cutting down on the time needed to test designs and allowing the designers to make changes in real time. It also reduces expenses since, with a virtual car, making real-world prototypes is no longer needed.^[27]

Mathematical and scientific research

In mathematical and scientific research, multimedia is mainly used for modeling and simulation with binary code. For example, a scientist can look at a molecular model of a particular substance and manipulate it to arrive at a new substance. Representative research can be found in journals such as the Journal of Multimedia. One well-known example of this being applied would be in the movie Interstellar, where Executive Director Kip Thorne helped create one of the most realistic depictions of a black hole in film. The visual effects team under Paul Franklin took Kip Thorne's mathematical data and applied it into their own visual effects engine called "Double Negative Gravitational Renderer," a.k.a. "Gargantua," to create a "real" black hole used in the final cut. Later on, the visual effects team went on to publish a black hole study.

Medicine

Medical professionals and students have a wide variety of ways to learn new techniques and procedures through interactive media, online courses, and lectures. The methods of conveying information to students have drastically evolved with the help of multimedia. From the 1800s to today, lessons are commonly taught using chalkboards. Projected aids, such as the epidiascope and slide projectors, were introduced into classrooms around the 1960s.^[28] With the growing use of computers, the medical field has begun to incorporate new devices and procedures to assist in teaching students, performing procedures, and analyzing patient data. As well as providing that data in a meaningful way to the patients.^[29]

Virtual reality

Virtual reality is a technology that creates a simulated environment, often using computer-generated imagery or a combination of real and virtual content, to immerse users in an interactive and lifelike experience. The aim of virtual reality is to make users feel as if they are physically present in a different environment, even though they are typically still physically located in the real world. Virtual reality finds applications across various fields, including gaming, education, healthcare, training, and entertainment. In gaming, users can be transported to fantastical worlds, experiencing games in a more immersive way. In education, VR can provide realistic simulations for training purposes, allowing users to practice skills in a risk-free environment. Healthcare professionals use VR for therapeutic purposes and medical training. The U.S. Air Force has shown using VR for training programs for their new pilots to simulate piloting an aircraft.^[30] This allows new pilots to learn in a safe environment and get comfortable before getting in a real aircraft.

Head-mounted display (HMD): Users wear a headset that covers their eyes and ears, providing visual and auditory stimuli. These headsets are equipped with screens that display the virtual environment, and some may also have built-in speakers or headphones for audio.

Motion tracking: Sensors track the user's movements, allowing them to interact with the virtual world. This can include head movements, hand gestures, and sometimes even full-body movements, enhancing the sense of immersion.

Input devices: Controllers or other input devices are used to interact with the virtual environment. These devices can simulate hands or tools, enabling users to manipulate objects or navigate within the virtual space.

Computer processing: Powerful computers or gaming consoles are often required to generate and render the complex graphics and simulations needed for a convincing virtual experience.

Augmented reality

Augmented reality overlays digital content or output onto the real world using media such as audio, animation, and text. A modern example of augmented reality is Pokémon GO, a mobile game released on July 6, 2016, which allows users to see a Pokémon in a real-world environment.