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Multimedia in Organisations

BUSS 213

Lecture 1Defining Media, Multiple Media, and Organisational Multimedia

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Agenda

Overview of the Subject Defining Media Multiple Media Organisational Multimedia

Describe the Subject Outline Aim and Objectives Content and Method of Presentation Assessment Texts and Resources Schedules

Safety Procedures

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Overview of the Subject

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Defining Media (1)

Just what is a media?- the answer to this simple question is surprisingly complexif we can answer this question we may

be able to understand the relationship between the so-called new digital media and traditional media

we may also be able to build better or more appropriate multimedia systems

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Defining Media (2)Failure of Technical Classification of Media

most IS/CS researchers simply classify types of media (see Lectures 3-5) according to the type of data structures that are used- not an adequate or complete explanation because: it cannot explain the different kinds of effects

that audiences have when encountering new media

these technical definitions ignore how users actually ‘read’ or interact with new and traditional forms of media (described in Lectures 9-10)

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Defining Media (3) Media Classification Failure: Time Slice

an example of this is Time Slice Imaging (described in detail in Lecture 6) interestingly this media is incorrectly named (better

called space slicing as multiple images are taken at the same instant from different spatial positions)- lets not confuse it with time-lapse imaging

Technical Classification considers it to be the same as Digital Video- like Digital Video Time Slice media does not involve any user interaction (Lecture 9)

yet, Time Slice media provides a completely different experience for users- they ‘read’ it differently

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Defining Media (4) Media Classification Failure: Time Slice

Example of Time Slice Imaging:Entertainment Example: The Matrix

(Chapter 30: ‘Dodge This’ Sequence)So startling is this kind of media and yet so

adept are audiences as reading (interpreting) it, that this kind of media is now being parodied in films like Shrek, only several years after its invention

Organisational and Educational Examples are also available- for example the BBC series The Body

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Defining Media (5)‘New’ Media from ‘Old’ Media

the major reason new forms of media can be created is that traditional digital media can be transformed from data to processes

we therefore need to understand the role of and opportunites provided by computation in creating new media (Lecture 6) achieved by adding: Selection- on event do this Repetition- repeat this until that to a specific State for static media or Sequence for

Time-ordered media

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Defining Media (6)Creating ‘New’ Media

if we can understand and define media we may be able to create entirely new kinds of passive and interactive experience for users!

but a better definition will require IS :to go beyond technical considerations of

data and process, andto also consider how users ‘read’ media- the

realm of semiotics (the study of meanings)!

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Multiple Media (1)Hypertext

Major advances have been made in media types and modes of access- we distinguish between different types of multiple media- Hypertext, Multimedia & Hypermedia

Hypertext- generally consist of one or more text oriented media

at the nodesuni- or bi-directional links between nodesasynchronous accessing of nodes

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Multiple Media (2)Hypertext

Components of various media types Anchor

Link

Source: Hardman, Bulterman & van Rossum (1994)

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Multiple Media (3) Multimedia

generally consist of many types of media at the nodes (video, sound, text and images)

uni- or bi-directional links between nodes

synchronous accessing of individual nodes but asynchronous accessing between nodes

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Multiple Media (4) Multimedia

Time

Components of various media types Anchor

Link

Source: Hardman, Bulterman & van Rossum (1994)

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Multiple Media (5) Hypermedia

combination of hypertext and multimedianodes consist of many types of media

(video, sound, text and images)uni- or bi-directional links between nodesasynchronous or synchronous accessing of

individual nodes depending on media type but asynchronous accessing between

nodes

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Multiple Media (6) Hypermedia

Components of various media types Anchor

Link

Source: Hardman, Bulterman & van Rossum (1994)

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Organisational Multimedia Relevance (1)

some new digital media are being used to solve organisational problems

for example QTVR is being used by:Real Estate Agents use it to describe the

interiors of expensive properties which are to be auctioned,

Queensland Police are using it to create a realistic reconstruction of the crime scene

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Organisational MultimediaRelevance (2)

there are many forms of new digital media which are currently being created- many simply await an application for which they are suited

apart from the usual forms of delivery (CD-ROM etc.), these media are increasingly found on corporate Intranets, as well as on Internet websites

Intranets are common sources of organisational multimedia because they are not subject to the bandwidth restrictions found on the Internet

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Organisational MultimediaSpecial Knowledge Required

To do this kind of work in real organisations we need special subjects like this one, we need to understand: the organisational requirements of this type of

media (Lecture 2) how to build it (design practices) in and for

organisations ( Lecture 7-8), how it operates for users in organisational

contexts (Lecture 9-10) how to deploy and manage the organisational

multimedia development process (Lectures 11-12)

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Subject Outline

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Safety Procedures

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References

Clarke, R. J. and L. Schafe (1997) “Prototyping Multimedia: Experiences from the ‘Information Systems in Context’ CAUT Project” ASCILITE’97 Perth

Clarke, R. J. and L. Schafe (1999) Supply and Warehousing at BHP: Stocked Repairable Items Information Systems in Contexts CD-ROM, University of Wollongong in press

Martin, J. R. (1992) English Text: System and Structure Philadelphia/Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company

Schafe, L. and R. J. Clarke (1995) Information Systems in Context CAUT Proposal, University of Wollongong

Gibbs, S. J. and D. C. Tsichritzis (1995) Multimedia Programming: Objects, Environments and Frameworks Chapter 2: Media Types, ACM Press Books/Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 15-78; Reading #3