Use of Multimedia Resources in the Teaching of Chemistry - Literature review Example

Literature Review: Use of Multimedia Resources in the Teaching of Chemistry Introduction Over the recent years, the utilisation of multimedia resources in the teaching of chemistry has become increasingly popular (Chiu & Wu 2009, p. 278; Williams, Bird & Davies 2013, p. 19). Multimedia resources are used in the teaching of chemistry in various ways including: (1) multimedia resources as a modelling tool (where multimedia resources are used in discussion of multiple representations as well as mental models in the teaching and learning of chemistry; (2) multimedia resources as learning tools (there multimedia resources are used in the introduction of various tools in chemistry); (3) multimedia resources as assessment tools (for instance presenting computerised two-tier diagnostic instruments); and (4) multimedia resources as an instructional tools (where the resources are used to link results of students’ mental models to the development of teachers’ didactic content knowledge in chemistry) (Chiu & Wu 2009, p. 251). This review of literature will discuss the meaning and significance of using multimedia resources in the teaching of chemistry. The review will also evaluate the various ways in which multimedia resources are used in the teaching of chemistry and discuss the impacts of using such resources. Some of the multimedia resources that are analysed include video clips, web content and computer programmes. Meaning and significance of using multimedia resources in the teaching of chemistry It is generally believed that people have a better grasp of the content that they learn when they are taught using both pictures and words than when the teaching involves words alone (Mayer 2009, p. 4). Many attempts have been made at defining multimedia instruction. For instance, Mayer (2009, p. 5) defines the concept as the presentation of material through the use of both words and images or pictures, with the aim of enhancing learning. Mayer (2009) goes further to explain that words in this context refer to what is presented verbally through the use of spoken or written text. On the other hand, images or pictures refer to materials that are presented in pictorial form. Pictorial forms of materials include static graphics like maps, illustrations, photos, graphs, as well as dynamic graphics like videos or animations. The definition of multimedia instruction leads two other closely related concepts: multimedia learning and multimedia presentation or multimedia message. Multimedia learning means learning from pictures and words (Mayer 2009, p. 5). On the other hand, multimedia presentation or multimedia message means presentations that entail the use of pictures and words (Mayer 2009, p. 5). There is another definition of multimedia instruction that goes beyond instruction that involves the use of words and pictures. Specifically, multimedia can be defined as the combination of several communication media such as graphics, text, animation, video, sound and music effects (Bradley et al. 2005, p. 717). This definition implies that multimedia instruction is not just about using words and pictures in the various forms that have been described above but also encompasses the use of effects such as sounds and music. Additionally, when used in combination with computer technology, multimedia can be referred to as interactive technology (Bradley et al. 2005, p. 717). The case for the use of multimedia resources in the teaching of chemistry is built on the basis of the nature of chemistry as a subject. It has been argued that learning “learning chemistry is a complex activity that requires imagination” in the form of a mental effort of developing and playing around with models and symbols so as to connect different phenomena with abstract ideas (Chiu & Wu 2009, p. 277). It therefore follows that because of the complex nature of the concepts that are learnt in chemistry, different forms of multimedia resources need be used to help in expressing these concepts. The significance of using multimedia resources in teaching chemistry is founded on number of principles. These are the multimedia principle, the contiguity principle, the modality principle, the signalling principle, and the interactivity principle (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410; VandenPlas 2008, pp. 44). The multimedia principle asserts that individuals will achieve higher learning benefits when they get information from several forms of media at the same time (for instance textual narration with animation or audio narration with animation) (VandenPlas 2008, pp. 44-47). The contiguity principle states that individuals achieve deeper learning when related pictures and words are presented close to one another rather than far in the context of both time and space (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). The modality principle asserts that people achieve better learning when narration and animation are used than when on-screen and text animation are employed (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). The signalling principle suggests that people get deeper learning when guidance is offered to direct the attention of the learner (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). Lastly, the interactivity principle stated that people get deeper learning when they can take charge of the order as well as speed of presentation (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). Therefore, ideas in the various principles that have been outlined above suggest that with respect to learning chemistry, better learning can be achieved when pictures and words are used at the same time, when narration is accompanied by animations than text to be read, when guidance is offered to the learner in the process of learning, and when learners are able to interact with the various animations that they are learning and control the pace at which they interact with the animations. In particular, a research that was conducted by Kozma and Russel (2005, p. 424) on the use of multimedia in chemistry instruction to secondary school students suggested that the use of pictures to illustrate molecular systems was a good way of supplementing lectures. As well, Kozma and Russel (2005, p. 424) found out that animations used in combination with narrations were an effective way of teaching concepts relating to equilibrium, electrochemistry, miscibility and reaction chemistry. Kozma and Russel (2005, p. 424) also report that they came across studies which show that the use of molecular models provided good support for students’ understanding of concepts relating to bonding and structure. Further studies on the use multimedia in the teaching of chemistry There are various cases to illustrate how the use of multimedia in the teaching of chemistry has been employed in the teaching of chemistry and or/the impact of the use of multimedia as well as the advantages and disadvantages of using different types of multimedia resources. The first case is a study that was conducted by Williams, Bird and Davies (2013, p. 23). In this study, a series of brief and targeted multimedia resources was created on the basis of areas in the chemistry degree programme that the targeted students often had difficulty. The resources were created using Adobe Connect and Microsoft PowerPoint. However, animations and other interactive elements were not incorporated in the resources since doing so was found to be difficult. The positive outcomes of using the multimedia resources in the delivery of chemistry instruction to students were as follows. To start with, students liked the resources and tended to use the video clips mainly for revising. This can be linked to the contiguity principle in that the use of pictures and words at the same time possibly made it easier for students to revise using the clips (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). The same point can also be linked to one of the advantages of using multimedia, which is that multimedia teaching makes learning more interesting and that is enhances the understanding of the concepts (Ferreira, Baptista & Arroio 2013, p. 305 ; Shang 2014, p. 1738). Secondly, it was found that students were able to access the video clips during early hours of the day. As well, it was noted that the clips were useful for distance learners and dyslexic students. This can be linked to the interactivity principle, which is concerned with the learner being able to control the sequence and speed of the learning materials (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). For distance learners, it is all about the student being able to use the materials at a time that is convenient to them. For dyslexic students it can be said that the video clips were appropriate in that they enabled the students to learn at their own pace by being able to control the speed of using the clips. In regard to the research by Williams, Bird and Davies (2013), the negative outcomes of using video clips as part of the teaching materials for chemistry are as follows. First, the students were of the view that although the video clips were useful, they could not be used as a substitute for teachers or face-to-face teaching. This can be attributed to failure to adhere to the signalling principle, which asserts that it is necessary to offer guidance in order to direct the attention of the learner (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). It can be argued that used on their own, the clips were not very effective in delivering the intended instruction without additional guidance from the teacher. In another study, Burewicz and Miranowicz (2006) evaluated the effectiveness of using computer programmes in the teaching of chemistry. The study involved a comparison of the traditional way of teaching, teaching using video elements as multimedia, and the use of a computer programme to simulate various reactions or equations. Specifically, a computer programme dealing with the oxidation of ethanol by potassium manganate (VII) was used in the simulation exercises. The purpose of the programme was to perform an experiment that illustrates the determination of a chemical reaction’s empirical kinetic equation and to teach users about the role that the experiment plays in explaining the equation. It was found that the utilisation of interactive instruction improves the resultant laboratory skills in students and also makes students take a shorter period to complete a given set of laboratory work. It was also noted in the study by Burewicz and Miranowicz (2006, pp. 11-12) that the use of interactive instruction reduces the number of uncertain or erroneous responses among students, thus suggesting an improvement in students’ knowledge when it comes to carrying out practical experiments. In yet another study, Lancashire (2000) documents how the Internet can be used as a resource for teaching chemistry. Using an example from the web page of Umea University, Lancashire (2000, p. 241) illustrates how content on chemistry topics such as atomic information, liquid chromatography, organic nomenclature, and biomolecular structure can be embedded in web pages for students to access the details from different locations. According to Lancashire (2000, p. 241), the advantages of using the web to teach chemistry are as follows. First is that the materials can be viewed from multiple locations at the same time. Secondly, the content can be made to include multimedia components like video and audio clips, as well as molecular graphics, which cannot be achieved if the same content were to be disseminated using books alone. Also, Lancashire (2000, p. 241) notes that when using web pages to teach chemistry, teachers do not have to do everything by themselves given that they can give links to other sites that students can then access. One downside of using the Internet to teach chemistry is that lack of navigation resources could lead to wastage of time as students search for materials. Another downside of web pages is that they may not be self-explanatory on their own and may also suffer the lack of a signalling mechanism or help from a teacher. Conclusion In conclusion, the information gathered the review of literature suggests that the complex nature of chemistry as a subject warrants the use of multimedia resources to help in modelling and explaining some concepts. It is for this reason that the use of multimedia resources in the teaching of chemistry has become increasingly popular in recent times. To be effective, the use of multimedia resources needs to conform to principles such as the multimedia principle, the contiguity principle, the modality principle, the signalling principle, and the interactivity principle. The results of the review show that inasmuch as various forms of multimedia can be used to enhance the teaching of chemistry, some have limitations such as not being interactive enough and needing the teacher to always offer further guidance regarding their use. References Bradley, RV, Mbarika, V, Sankar, CS & Raju, PK 2005, ‘Multimedia instructional materials in MIS classrooms’, in M Pagani (ed), Encyclopedia of multimedia technology and networking, Idea Group reference, Hershey, PA, p. 717-723. Burewicz, A & Miranowicz, N 2006, ‘Effectiveness of multimedia laboratory instruction’, Chemistry Education Research and Practice, vol. 7, no. 1, 1-12. Chiu, M-H & Wu, H-K 2009, ‘The role of multimedia in the teaching and learning of the triplet relationship in chemistry’, in JK Gilbert & D Treagust (eds), Multiple representations in chemical education, Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, pp. 251-283. Ferreira, C, Baptista, M & Arroio, A 2013, ‘In-service training of chemistry teachers: the use of multimedia in teaching chemistry’, Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 301-310. Kozma, R & Russel, J 2005, ‘Multimedia learning of chemistry’, in RE Mayer (ed), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning, Cambridge University Press, New York, pp. 409-428. Lancashire, RJ 2000, ‘The use of the Internet for teaching Chemistry’, Analytica Chimica Acta vol. 420, pp. 239–244. Mayer, RE 2009, Multimedia learning, 2nd edn, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. Shang, C 2014, ‘The reflection for multimedia technology application in medical chemistry teaching’, Advanced Materials Research, vols 998-999, pp 1737-1740. VandenPlas, JR 2008, Animations in chemistry learning: effect of expertise and other user characteristics (PhD dissertation, the catholic university of America, Washington, D.C.), viewed 12 February 2017, . Williams, DP, Bird T & Davies, DL 2013, ‘Multimedia resources for teaching chemistry’, NDIR, vol. 9, Issue 1, pp. 18-23. Read More

The definition of multimedia instruction leads two other closely related concepts: multimedia learning and multimedia presentation or multimedia message. Multimedia learning means learning from pictures and words (Mayer 2009, p. 5). On the other hand, multimedia presentation or multimedia message means presentations that entail the use of pictures and words (Mayer 2009, p. 5). There is another definition of multimedia instruction that goes beyond instruction that involves the use of words and pictures.

Specifically, multimedia can be defined as the combination of several communication media such as graphics, text, animation, video, sound and music effects (Bradley et al. 2005, p. 717). This definition implies that multimedia instruction is not just about using words and pictures in the various forms that have been described above but also encompasses the use of effects such as sounds and music. Additionally, when used in combination with computer technology, multimedia can be referred to as interactive technology (Bradley et al. 2005, p. 717).

The case for the use of multimedia resources in the teaching of chemistry is built on the basis of the nature of chemistry as a subject. It has been argued that learning “learning chemistry is a complex activity that requires imagination” in the form of a mental effort of developing and playing around with models and symbols so as to connect different phenomena with abstract ideas (Chiu & Wu 2009, p. 277). It therefore follows that because of the complex nature of the concepts that are learnt in chemistry, different forms of multimedia resources need be used to help in expressing these concepts.

The significance of using multimedia resources in teaching chemistry is founded on number of principles. These are the multimedia principle, the contiguity principle, the modality principle, the signalling principle, and the interactivity principle (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410; VandenPlas 2008, pp. 44). The multimedia principle asserts that individuals will achieve higher learning benefits when they get information from several forms of media at the same time (for instance textual narration with animation or audio narration with animation) (VandenPlas 2008, pp. 44-47). The contiguity principle states that individuals achieve deeper learning when related pictures and words are presented close to one another rather than far in the context of both time and space (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). The modality principle asserts that people achieve better learning when narration and animation are used than when on-screen and text animation are employed (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). The signalling principle suggests that people get deeper learning when guidance is offered to direct the attention of the learner (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). Lastly, the interactivity principle stated that people get deeper learning when they can take charge of the order as well as speed of presentation (Kozma & Russel 2005, p. 410). Therefore, ideas in the various principles that have been outlined above suggest that with respect to learning chemistry, better learning can be achieved when pictures and words are used at the same time, when narration is accompanied by animations than text to be read, when guidance is offered to the learner in the process of learning, and when learners are able to interact with the various animations that they are learning and control the pace at which they interact with the animations.

In particular, a research that was conducted by Kozma and Russel (2005, p. 424) on the use of multimedia in chemistry instruction to secondary school students suggested that the use of pictures to illustrate molecular systems was a good way of supplementing lectures. As well, Kozma and Russel (2005, p. 424) found out that animations used in combination with narrations were an effective way of teaching concepts relating to equilibrium, electrochemistry, miscibility and reaction chemistry. Kozma and Russel (2005, p.

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