ABSTRACT

Suppose we considered writing to be not simply an end product but rather the first step in the production of a larger communicative project which will serve both to show and tell what the writers have learned, but also to teach something new to others? That is where the potential of multimedia lies, we believe - not as a gee whiz reincarnation of the electronic textbook - but as a powerful learning tool with which students discover and then communicate the information they are learning. This use of multimedia has the potential to advance and support the thinking/writing process to the same degree that word processors advanced and supported the principles of process writing.

In other words, the leap from student writer to student author could be huge leap forward, one we believe can change students attitudes about writing -- and learning in general -- from passive to proactive.

The Authors

Irene D. Thomas, Ph.D. has been a proponent of the writing process supported by technology since the very beginnings of the California Writing Project. She has designed children's writing software for Milliken Publishing Company and Humanities Software, and as a teacher trainer has promoted intelligent use of computer applications in the classroom. The explosion of information now accessible to students via the internet coupled with the emergence of media tools to manage that information have led her to the inevitable conclusions put forth in this paper. To this project she brings experience with instructional strategies rooted in the writing process and yet applicable to composing with multimedia tools.

Steve Schatz, M.A., is an educator and writer. His work to apply new technologies for the effective support of education has included student videos, student writing workshops, production of public access television shows, computers in classrooms, multimedia computing and on line services. As consultant and trainer for Humanities Software, he advocates use of technology in the classroom in support of education. As an instructor at San Francisco State, Department of Instructional Technologies as well as Center for Electronic Art, he trains teachers and designers in the effective use of technology. The importance of making computers an active tool for learning has led to the conclusions reached herein. In the quest for getting the students involved in active learning and creation while providing quality check points, this approach represents a solid foundation.

For information 415-334-1493 or 707-824-0304

Introduction

Multimedia is sweeping the world of educational computing. Enthusiasts and proponents of multimedia foresee angels singing and the sun rising on the dawn of a great day in American education. Opponents, on the other hand, bemoan the waste of resources on a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.

These times remind of us of the early days of educational software and affordable microcomputers. Everybody wanted to get on the bandwagon, purchases were made, and then nobody knew what to do with the stuff once they had it. Many teachers abandoned the idea of technology altogether--and cling to that opinion today-- because they were turned off by these first products or considered them regressive.

No matter one's opinions on multimedia computers, they are being purchased by many schools. This trend will continue as both hardware and software tools become more affordable and more friendly. Our interest is to use these powerful tools in support of good instruction by putting them in the hands of students themselves, that is, to transform multimedia computing from a passive viewing of information to an active thinking about, manipulating, and applying of information.

Just as word processing tools put students in charge of their writing product, multimedia tools can put students in charge of the larger product that multimedia makes possible. That product stretches student writing to also include images and sound and non-linear presentations. We call the larger process behind this larger product the authoring process, and we see it as taking the writing process and its tools to the next logical level. Seen this way, the authoring process can forge the link between images, sounds and words without sacrificing quality or by-passing the supremacy of the written word as a tool for developing ideas.

Let's back up for a moment to the principles of process writing. In brief, the stages in the writing process are usually referred to as:

• 1. Prewrite (brainstorm and plan)
• 2. Write
• 3. Rewrite/edit and finally
• 4. Publish

Assumptions Built Upon Process Writing

The writing process assumes that: writing is best taught as a recursive process of planning, drafting, revising ,editing and publishing; knowing the audience and purpose for writing helps direct and sharpen writing; students write better if they become editors of their work and their peers; mechanics should be learned in the context of writing for a purpose; and, finally, that writing should be part of an integrated model.

In the authoring process, we do not eliminate any steps or any writing. Instead, we expand the focus of the publishing phase to include multimedia publishing which is also a recursive process. First , individual students as members of a writing group have to plan, write, edit and complete a written report on some aspect (a subtopic) of a larger topic. Each student becomes a subject matter expert on one area, including media available.

Steps in the Authoring Process

When they are satisfied with their collected reports, group members launch the authoring process in order to show their peers what they learned--in the form of a multimedia presentation. Just as writing stimulates students' thinking, authoring empowers their decision-making as they proceed through these steps:

• 1. Project design -Including selection of student team member’s jobs, Media choices (matching the medium to the message) and initial project design.
• 2. Authoring - Including interface design (A recursive task) and Project development (Discovery, creation, manipulation of media objects- a recursive task)
• 3. Group review and evaluation (guided by a class-generated rubric)
• 4. Presentation - Including in-class evaluation and distribution

There is a direct correlation between the stages of the writing process and the stages of the authoring process.

What is being learned through this process primarily is communication decisions. The ruling consideration should always be, What most effectively communicates the idea? If a word is most effective - use it! If some other media is chosen, it must be for a reason other than ‘It looks cool.’

Curricular Implications of the Authoring Process

The authoring process is timely with respect to a changing curriculum and classroom structure. A project-based approach, which calls for group cooperation in exploring a rich, multidimensional topic is thus a natural ally of cooperative learning, inclusive classrooms, applications for multiple intelligences, and integration of the content areas. We anticipate these benefits:

• Cooperative work The size of projects requires collaborative work.
• Cross-Disciplinary work Project size and presentation lends itself to multiple views.
• Longer , richer projects for the new classroom 4 weeks to semester long projects.
• Motivation Students like multimedia and work harder to create a computer project.
• Greater distribution of final products Sharing will foster student teaching and pride.
• Greater Depth of Research Students will research different media, more views.

However, the writing must come first. The writing provides the means to check quality, review and rewrite ideas and to formulate conclusions.

Why the Authoring Process Now?

The time is ripe for the authoring process for three reasons. The first is the greater availability of hardware that supports multimedia. As the price continues to drop, more of these multimedia computers will become accessible to schools.

The second major change is the greater availability of digital information. CD-ROMs with pictures, movies, text and sound are plentiful. In addition, the Internet and World Wide Web provide access to a plethora of digital material.

The third change is the introduction of new software tools that are easy to use. Authoring programs like Digital Chisel and HyperStudio allow interactivity, branching and features associated with much more expensive products. Presentation programs like Astound also allow effective presentation of information, although with less extensibility. It is quite possible to learn the basics of many of these programs in one or two sittings. So, unlike tools of the past, the focus can nearly immediately be on what information is to be presented, not how to get the information displayed.

Conclusion

The tools of multimedia are becoming ever more available. We have three choices as educators: ignore these tools, accept them as a passive game and television toy, or use them to empower our students to understand and use media.

It has been said, It is important to reinvent the wheel occasionally. Not because we need new wheels, but because we need a good supply of inventors. The Authoring Process may help us build our supply!

Comments welcome - Contact Steve Schatz at 415-334-1493 410 Peru, SF, CA 94112

Send email to Schatz@earthlink.net or to idthomas@aol.com