Terminology

Alignment - the degree to which each part or component supports the objective of the piece.

Alpha Test - The first formal evaluation of a course or product by the client to text for correctness and usability.

Appeal - An entirely subjective measure of appeal …the “thumbs up/thumbs down” approach to criticism. This measure is used in contrast to the other metrics to help students begin to identify correlations between varying degrees of success in delivering functionality, unity, and alignment and the relative “appeal” of a piece.

Asset - any chunk of material which might eventually form a part of a video, web site, multi-media resource.  An asset can be a single picture, a clip of video, pages of text, or an animation.  Since new versions of multimedia will offer better opportunities for alternative presentation of material, it is worth collecting more assets than you currently need and archiving them in uncompressed form for reuse later (http://www.ssc.mhie.ac.uk/VI_Video/N_VIDEO/REFSECT/TERMGLOS/TECGLOS.HTM)

Authoring - programming by non-programmers

AVI is Microsoft's version of an audio visual compression standard

Bandwidth - amount of the electromagnetic spectrum which has to be given over to a particular transmission. Analogue television channels have a very large bandwidth in comparison to, say, an audio telephone line. Compression techniques are used to reduce the size of the signal, and therefore the bandwidth needed to transmit it. Digital systems lend themselves to compression, so that digital broadcasts are much more bandwidth efficient than analogue ones

Beta test - A second and usually final evaluation period for a course or product, ideally done by actual users in real-world situations.  A beta test follows an alpha test and is done on a comparatively larger scale.

Bitmap - A file format for graphics or fonts in which the image is stored as a series of pixels.  Common bitmap file extension include .BMP, .GIF., JPG, .PCX, .TGA, and .TIF.

Capture Video - process of converting video from analogue form (such as that held on a camcorder tape) to digital form. Video capture involves the use of a computer with a specialized interface card, and a large hard disc system able to store the video data before compression

Computer-based training - Training which is delivered by computer. It can deliver lessons, provide practice and work simulations, test learners and manage training administration.

Content - we identify three particular aspects of content including Structure, Granularity, and Quantity.

Structure - identifies the implicit or explicit logical relationships between content.

Granularity - notes the relative “size” of component media; for example, a short piece of prose is more granular than an essay.

Quantity measures the amount of information embedded in the content.

Content Types - Additionally, we identify content types like “animation” or “typography” to help students identify and assess the degree to which the component media supports the piece (for a complete listing of content types see “Interactive Media Critical Analysis Tool”).

Course map - A visual representation of a course in outline form using elements such as menus, units, and lessons. It acts as a skeleton for the storyboard.

Dialogue - is the parent category for three terms that define the nature of interaction: Orientation, Fluency and Engagement.

Orientation - relates the participants’ ability to know “where they are” in the structure of the piece. Answers questions like “where am I”, “what can I do”, and “where can I go”?

Fluency - is a measure of the latency of interaction, the degree to which the interplay between participant input and or direction and the expository nodes of the piece remain fluid.

Engagement - defines the degree to which the piece leads the dialogue. Most web sites and interactive sites suffer from a relatively low level of engagement. They remain participant–driven pieces.

Enabling objective  - an objective that describes something learners must be able to do prior to accomplishing the terminal objective. "The student will be able to create a photo gallery using FrontPage."

Functionality -  measures whether a component or part of the piece literally works. Functionality as a metric is an acknowledgement that interactive media production is at least partly a process of engineering.

GIF - Acronym standards for Graphical Interchange Format - most computer-generated images on Web are saved in GIF format.

Javascript -- Embedded as a small program in a web page that is interpreted and executed by the Web client. The scriptor controls the time and nature of the execution, and JavaScript functions can be called from within a Web document, often executed by mouse functions, buttons, or other actions from the user.

HTML - Hyper Text Markup Language: the basis for data storage and linkage of files over the world wide web

ISD Model -  acronym for Instructional Systems Design, which is the systematic process of designing learning activities.  A model is a standard or pattern.  By following the IS model, designers increase the likelihood that a course design will be appropriate and effective.  The basic ISD model is characterized by the five-step iterative process of analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.

JPEG - An open, nonproprietary compression standard for reducing the size of still images. The term comes from the words Joint Photographic Experts Group who proposed and maintain the standard.

Lossy - Refers to data compression techniques in which some amount of data is lost. Lossy compression technologies attempt to eliminate redundant or unnecessary information. Most video compression technologies, such as MPEG, use a lossy technique.

Learning Object - any digital resource that can be reused to support learning.

Metrics are used to let students measure subjectively the relative merits of a piece on four axes, including functionality, unity, alignment, and appeal.

MPEG is particular form of lossy compression which in its MPEG-2 form is used to compress digital television broadcasts, D-VHS, some multimedia, and dvd. MPEG-2 has the ability to store several concurrent audio tracks, which are useful to designers of video or multimedia products wanting to add supplementary information for visually impaired or blind users.

Multimedia - synergistic uses of text, voice, music, video, graphics, and other forms, to include web development resources, of data to enhance the computer's role as a communications device and used in a meaningful way.

Organizational Goal Analysis  - A needs analysis technique that identifies a gap between what the organization expects and its current performance.  Designers start at the top of the organization, analyzing its business plan, mission, and goals, and then compare this against the goals and objectives of individual workers.  If the organization's workers' goals do not match, sometimes the real need is a simple modification of expectations. other times, there might be a lack of skill on the part of the work that training can solve.

Perceived Need  - A need based on someone's opinion or observation, not supported by quantifiable data.

S-Video - the best way to connect an editing system.  S-Video avoids compromising picture quality which would otherwise occur if the video components were combined for transmission through composite video connections.

Task Analysis  - process of analyzing a task and breaking it down into its subtasks.  the purpose is to get to the basic learning objectives that must accomplished for learners to improve their performance.

Terminal Objective - an objective that describes what learners will be able to do at the end of their training.  The end result of two or more enabling objectives. "The student will be able to populate a CBT using assets developed by the student."

Terminal Performance Objective -  a broad and general objective that describes the cumulative performance required of learners at the end of their training. There is only one terminal performance objective for a course.  All other objectives enable the learner to accomplish the terminal performance objective. "At the end of this course, the student will be able to complete a task analysis."

Unity - measures the degree to which the piece is internally consistent or the degree to which a component or part of the piece is consistent with the larger whole.

World Wide Web - Vastly interlinked collection of files on many different machines all connected to the Internet. Files can be text based, or multimedia. The world wide web is linked using HTML as its formatting language.

UNIT ONE ASSIGNMENT

Choose 10 words from above that you are completely unfamiliar with.  Write the word down, then put the definition in your own words.  IMPORTANT -- do not use the given definition.  Submit to your folder -- worth 20 points.