The Multimedia Builder Software

The Multimedia Builder Software

The Multimedia Builder software (MMB), an open source software appropriate to be used within the educational context. It has been designed in a way to provide to the educators the opportunity to develop multimedia educational material for their students for educational purposes (Raptis & Raptis, 2004).  As reported by Abrazi and Bouras (2007), MMB is an easy to use software that provides the tools to create multimedia applications in a graphic environment, while at the same time it is strengthened by its own program language which it is really easy to use and it does not require high programming knowledge and skills. It also supports the introduction of various types of documents (pictures, sounds, flash and html documents). Supporting the above, Swan and Meskill (1996) mention that “A multimedia environment combines a variety of media such as text, graphics, still photographs, animations, sound and video – in non-linear computer-based environments with which its users can interact” (p. 168).

Along the same lines, Lim and Tay (2003) strongly argue that multimedia authoring and presenting tools, in particular, like PowerPoint, MultiMedia Builder, HyperStudio, MovieMaker and iMovies have proved to be good constructive tools to learn through production, collaboration and project management. The greatest advantage of a multimedia environment is that it activates students’ intellectual thinking. A multimedia environment also functions as a diagnostic educational tool, apart from that it helps in the perception and in the expression of a child. The educators have the flexibility to design by themselves a teaching environment based on the curriculum, the learning objectives and their students needs and demands. Students have the opportunity to interact, participate in group work as well as develop digital educational material. In addition, when a fairy tale is taught the children cannot conceptualize its logic only by listening to the educator. It is important to see the scenes in pictures as well (Ktoridou, et. al., 2005). During the past few years teachers have an array of technology tools to integrate within the teaching and learning process.

Source: Eteokleous, N., Ktoridou, D. & Tsolakidis, S. (2011). E-classical Fairy Tales: Multimedia Builder as a Tool. Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 20(2), 157-172. Chesapeake, VA: AACE.