Reflection on Multimedia Authoring
Multimedia Authoring with Flash....this was a BIG challenge for me. Unlike the other technical assignments in the course, this one involved a technology that was completely new to me. The 4 Saturday morning hands-on sessions were only just about enough time to figure out the basic techniques.
To supplement Gaye's classes (which I found very useful), I found some tutorials online and often used Google to find out how to do specific things. I enjoyed this aspect - getting to grips with a new technology. I reckon that I learn best when I have something to aim towards - which in this case was the artefact I had to produce using Flash.
The brief was to produce an interactive multimedia movie intended for use in an educational setting. I had to submit background documentation along with the actual movie, to show the planning and production processes.
After some deliberation, I settled on creating an interactive diagram that would show how HTTP works. I thought of this because I've taught this in the past and while it is not a large part of a course on Internet, the ideas behind it are important to grasp and as it's quite abstract, it's not easy for all learners to grasp it quickly. I thought a visual representation, that could show requests and responses moving around between client (browser), internet and web server would help to aid understanding.
What I liked
I liked using Action Script to control events and objects in Flash, as opposed to being restricted to what can be done graphically on the stage. Once I had figured out how to do one cycle of the movie I wanted to produce, it became easier to just reuse that and just change the positions and the graphics. My familiarity with Javascript helped with this as the two languages are similar in terms of syntax and structure.
Limitations
It took me about a week's work to produce what would be a very short learning experience - maybe 10-15 minutes. I feel that while Flash can be used to produce very good-looking and interactive experiences, it requires a lot of practice to develop the high level of skill to make a really professional-looking product.
