Multimedia DevelopmentFlash in the pan?

Martin LynchTeam Leader Multimedia Development

University of Glamorgan

• Quick history of the Multimedia Development Team at Glamorgan in terms of it’s strategic role.

Overview

•Why some people really hate Flash

• Why we really love Flash, and how our current direction supports Learning and Teaching strategy

• Showcase of some work to illustrate this

• Take a look ahead to some of the emerging technology which will shape the future of this work and the forces acting to shape it

2001 – 2005; eCollegeWales

2001 – 2005; eCollegeWales

2001 – 2005; eCollegeWales

• Enhance the learning experience with interactivity, visualisation and explanation, adding variety to the on-line learning experience

• Single project

• Production-line, large amount of interactive ‘page-turners’, diagrams, animations carried out by 5-person team of multimedia developers

• Flash/html only tool could achieve results

2001 2005 2009 2011

• Central Support Team, Faculties bid for projects

• More complex projects with wider impact and integration with existing systems

• Resource scaled back (3-person team)

2005 – 2009; Blended Learning Services

2001 2005 2009 2011

• Multimedia Development absorbed into Development Division.

• Further reduction in resource (now 2), but roles have broadened.

• Enhancing learning experience – Faculty support but leaving behind the page turners and focusing on Learning simulations to complement the teaching programme.

2009 – present;

2001 2005 2009 2011

• Flash has been criticised especially recently;

• Usability – breaks the browsers controls

• Encourages poor implementation skip intro, mystery meat navigation

• Security concerns

• Excessive power drain on mobile devices

• Proprietary (this coming from Apple…)

• Doesn’t fit with the mobile, standards-compliant future.

Flash in the Pan?

We Flash

• Powerful interactivity

• Excellent developer tools - easy to develop -script language ECMA standard (JavaScript syntax) can integrate with popular middleware/backend solutions PHP/MySQL

• One suite of tools to handle animation, interactivity, sound, video

• Learning Simulations

• Engaging

• Immersive

• Visually exciting

With Flash you can make these [relatively] quickly and cheaply

Flash in the Pan?

University Learning, Teaching and Widening Access Strategy 2011-2017;

‘Building the learners own experience into learning and using project-based and simulation-enabled approaches to learning and assessment will ensure the continued relevance of the institution’s programmes to the learners future employment.’

'The institution is committed to enhancing the assessment experience of its students through the use of such simulations to achieve authentic assessment.’

Simulated practice learning

Showcase

Showcase

Showcase

Showcase

https://vward.glam.ac.uk/game/

Showcase

Showcase

Showcase

• HTML5/Canvas/JQuery/CSS3

• SVG

• WebGL

• Mobile apps

Future Technologies

JavaScript/CSS tools - Hype

EaselJS/Canvas

SVG/JQUERY

WEBGL

• Use Flash for what it is best for

• Future of educational interactive multimedia will involve a broader range of tools, technologies and delivery methods.

Showcase