Classwork 3-28-11

1.)Multimedia- The use of computers to present text, graphics, video, animation, and sound in an integrated way. Long touted as the future revolution in computing, multimedia applications were, until the mid-90s, uncommon due to the expensive hardware required, media and content that uses a combination of different content forms.
2.) Two methods that can be used to reduce the amount of disk space are that the media can be condensed on the disk. With the media that is located on the desk being condensed, there would be a lower bit rate and most importantly there would be fewer pixels that would reduce the amount of disk space. Another method that could be used is to link graphics instead of embedding them because when they are linked all of the information is stored online rather than on the disk. It opens up more disk space and file compression is a method that can be used to reduce the amount of space because the information can be compressed.
3.) Some organisations choose to train their staff using multimedia training packages over face to face instructing with a human instructor because it offers more variety and possibilities than a human could. The multimedia training packages can present and show text, graphics, video and animation that can cause the trainee to learn faster and more efficiently. The multi-media can quickly train the staff because it can use videos of tutorials of how to do certain things, while a human instructor would not be able to do is as quickly and efficiently because they cannot provide step by step instructions as detailed as a video would. The advantages of multimedia training package is that it can cover all the basis, meaning that it can digitally show the trainee how to do the work, as well as have the sound of the work being done. It is advantageous because it saves the company more money because they can constantly reuse the package on new employees and will not have to pay the human instructors a lot of money to do their job. The disadvantages however are that the employee can not have the valued face to face time with an instructor that they can relate to and ask for help or questions when needed, but multimedia they can do it at their own pace and pause or rewind the video or sound when needed.