e-Learning flash in the pan Pt 3

The biggest pitfall that is encountered with the e-learning process is media abuse. In the effort to make the lesson interesting, the developer often incorporates things that really do not add much, if any, to the learning experience. Often this actually becomes a distraction that can even impede the learning process.

An example of this is adding graphics and sound files that are unnecessary; this is fluff and frills. Some developers add pizzazz to “show off” their “talent” but in the end the pizzazz just becomes a flash-in-the-pan. When adding graphics and sound it should have a direct correlation to the point that is being put forth at that time. Including audio, music, narration, animated graphics, and still graphics take time to develop into the presentation; adding these wastes time and resources.

On the other hand, some developers swing the other way and do not use any graphics or sound. Basically it is all text. I do not encounter many text books that do not include at least a few charts or pictures. Not including graphics and sound is also a form of media abuse and can have just as negative an impact on the learning process as a lesion filled with unneeded graphic and sound.

One of the first places to look for media abuse is in the background. Because of the very nature of this media of being in the background shows that it is not needed and therefore probably distractive. Remember that if the media is not relevant to the point being presented, it probably is not really needed.

If an e-lesson is flashy, about the only thing the student will remember is the flash.