Introduction Over the years many innovative teaching methods have been considered in an attempt to improve the quality, flexibility and cost effectiveness of teaching and learning. However, as yet none have been successful in replacing traditional instruction on a large scale and the lecture is still the main teaching method used in higher education1. Currently, multimedia is generating fresh excitement amongst many educators with its promise of adding new power to teaching and learning, but to date there is little known about the true potential and the limits of multimedia as a teaching medium. Interactive multimedia software is widely regarded as having the potential to improve the quality of learning by supplementing or even replacing lectures. It forces more rigorous and thorough preparation of the material to be presented and, if there is no interference between the various media, then the availability of more than one type of information means that material can be reinforced and communicated more effectively than is possible through a single medium, with the added attraction that multiple media allow users to further individualise their learning experience.
Multimedia thus supports cognitive constructivism.
This study compared the learning of sixteen second year chemistry undergraduates studying a six week course on molecular spectroscopy. Both groups were assessed quantitatively and qualitatively using questionnaires, informal interviews, tests and monitoring of the learning process. To examine the individual learning patterns of students using multimedia. To assess the attitudes, motivations and criticisms of students towards both conventional and multimedia teaching methods. To directly compare students learning from multimedia and conventional lectures through the examination of academic ability and learning patterns.