The University of Brighton (UOB) runs an undergraduate course called Digital Media Development and multimedia represents a notable portion of its content; both vertically and laterally through the course.

The above book identifies many of the topics I would perceive as important in developing a broad understanding of multimedia. Other topics for example ‘usability’ also contribute to the subject. For example, how people interact with multimedia systems or how to design multimedia systems sympathetic to users, both cognitively and physically.

PRINCIPLES

Analysis – e.g. Requirements Analysis
Design – e.g. UML, User Centred Design

TECHNOLOGIES

Java
C#
ASP.Net
XML
Scripting Languages – VBScript, JavaScript, Lingo

DEVELOPMENT TOOLS

Animation \ 3D Development

Digital Media Development modules that reflect multimedia topics are bias towards practical implementation. Lectures and tutorials (practical laboratory sessions) are divided up equally. But there is an emphasis on practical coursework.

This, we believe, is sensitive to what current student cohorts expect but, perhaps, is less sensitive to what the subject needs.

A balance between theoretical and practical might be achieved by providing a ‘meaningful’ context upon which to lay individual topics. For example, the topic pertaining to Audio refers to the authors own work, ‘OO’. It might be more useful, at least for undergraduate students, if systems like ‘Relatable’ whom worked in conjunction with Napster, are sited. Such examples are certainly more meaningful to our current cohort of students

Undergraduates are delivered theoretical content during lectures and practical exercise during tutorials. There vary between 1 and 2 hours in length. Course work is designed so students can demonstrate their understanding of theory by applying it to a practical exercise(s).

Digital Media Development is an undergraduate course. There are currently 60 full-time students enrolled. Multimedia topics are covered from level 1 (4) to level 3 (6). The following modules contain multimedia issues and are core:

Level 1:

Requirements Analysis

Human Computer Interaction

Level 2:

3D Graphics and Animations – Module Leader
Time-based Media – Module Leader

Multimedia Applications

User-Centred Design for Interaction

Web Application Development

Level 3:

Usability Evaluation

3D Dynamic Modelling – Module Leader

Major Project

As indicated earlier, student profiles are changing. They are more interested in developing hands-on practical skills and less interested in understanding the theory underpinning a topic. This has had an impact on the institution and led to the development of the BSc Digital Media Development course. This ran for the first time last year.

The emphasis is on development and has led to a significant investment in development tools, particularly 3D applications. We have yet to update the library to facilitate these new topics.

A good writing style, enjoyable and makes some complicated concepts appear accessible.

It is logical pedagogically and reflects many current issues in multimedia today.

They are well covered only some topics are let down by the relevance of their example and lack of visual illustration. I realise, amongst an authors other motivations, a text book is another vehicle for academics to make further reference to their previous work as well sprinkle some of their views and opinions on a subject. This is welcome, and this book is no exception. However, this book could be improved if, for example, Audio (mentioned earlier) and Feature Extraction identified some systems, or related systems, students might be aware of, e.g. Napster. I am primarily concerned with undergraduates and not all understand the basic properties of a musical note or the dynamics of a score. However, they do appreciate the concept of fingerprinting (the top end of similarity matching) and why it’s been employed by Napster.

No.

Essential and there could be more.

Classification of multimedia systems

E.g. Audio

Music retrieval systems can be classified depending on the type of data stored and their query format. Typically data can be either Symbolic (e.g. MIDI) or Acoustic (e.g. *.wav). Queries can be either symbolic or acoustic irrelevant of the type of data stored. Acoustic data can be broken down into Monophonic and Polyphonic. A matrix can be derived cross referencing both the query type and data type, for example:

The examples are good and could be usefully employed as teaching material. All the sections relating to research domains, that I read, were pertinent.

Did not read. Sorry.

I create all my own web based content and find it easier to generate or derive my own examples.

No. Dedicate any expense this might add to the project to enhance the textual content of the book.

Chris Middleton Digital Audio ILEX

Aaron Marks Game Audio CMP Books

Trish and Chris Meyer Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects CMP Books

Jay Rose Producing Great Sound for DV Miller Freeman

Phil and Mike Gross Director 8.5 Shockwave Studio for 3D Macromedia

Unknown 3D Max 7 Autodesk

Unknown Adobe Premiere Adobe

General

Bruce Wands Digital Creativity Wiley

All of them and more but they were not available while writing this review.

They all provide the students with practical support for my modules either in terms of using an application or supporting the development process.

I would not change any text but I would definitely add this to my list and get the UOB to stock library copies.

All the current texts I use focus on practical use of applications or development processes. This is a reflection of our current student profile and not multimedia as a subject.

Yes. Eliens provides no practical guide to using an application, or even when an application might employ a theory identified by Eliens. Neither does Eliens discuss development, authoring, in practical terms of developing a multimedia application (which is what the majority of our students want to do).

However, it does provide a coherent profile about what multimedia currently is and some of the theories that underpin a topic. Other books have tried this and failed. While it may be narrow in terms of content, it encapsulates the essence of multimedia perfectly for our current crop of undergraduate level 1 students.

Lots but use them rarely.

The above texts support specific practical requirements of the modules. What they do not do, but Eliens’ does, is contextualise multimedia as a subject. This is something I have had to do over the years from an array of different resources as there has not been, at least in my opinion, a text that does this sufficiently well.

It does not identify systems that level 1 students can relate to. We have to bare in mind, for many level 1 students, such texts are their first ever exposure to a subject. If the author fails to identify systems a student can relate to, we can fail to capture a students’ imagination. This is why I have produced my own definition of multimedia and do not use a text.

I feel this text would benefit teachers / lecturers who require a concise, accurate and well written overview of multimedia and its main topics. From here, detailed studies could be derived that might even lead valid research questions.

Some people may criticise a concise text, as by default, it doesn’t cover enough detail. In this instance, I believe it to be an attribute. Level 1 students often struggle with lengthy, verbose texts or the myriad of texts, different in style and perspective, needed to traverse a subject. This book may help them to orientate themselves around the subject of multimedia from one concise and consistent reference.

The ideal profile for a multimedia text would be concise but not too short to be trivial. A cheap cover price as there will not be CD-ROM or on-line support. There is a trend to for multimedia books to provide such things. Just because it’s about multimedia does not mean it has to be a multimedia artefact. The texts must cover key topics within multimedia and the author and publisher be committed to updating content on a regular basis. Perhaps publishers should insist on a contractual clause that the author of such texts makes regular and accurate updates. Not too different to how music publishers contractually obligate artist for songs they write in the future.