Using multimedia as a tool in illustrating abstract concept in Biology

Abstract

Technology transforming the ways we live and work and also re-shaping what it means to have the knowledge and skills necessary to lead successful life now and in the 21st century. Using web for teaching and learning is becoming useful today because of the vast resources it offers. It is also full of excitement and provides an interactive medium for the students. With the rapid progress in technology, it is now becomes feasible to integrate multimedia technology into teaching and learning process. This infusion of multimedia has altered considerably the instructional strategy in our educational institutions and change the way teachers teach and students learn. Learning from the web is one of the strategies that can be used in teaching and learning. Laurillard (1993) states that adapting web for teaching is enhancing the lecture's tools in term of the vast resources it offers; "as an information storage and retrieval system it is very well-design medium". In parallel, the web environment for student is one full of excitement and provides an interactive medium which traditional methods cannot compete (Aril, 2001). When students are using technology as a tool in teaching and learning. they are in the active role rather then passive role of recipient of information transmitted by teacher, textbook or broadcast. The student is actively making choices about how to generate, obtain, manipulate or display information. Therefore, learning can lake place at the learner's own pace and time. This mode of learning is student centric or self directed learning, which will cater the individual needs in learning. The student centered learning environment includes having students develop critical thinking skills, experimenting and construct their own knowledge of the problem (Oliver, 2000). Cook and Cook (1998), also posit that student centered learning involves problem solving, thinking skills and interdisciplinary knowledge with technology being integral to the learning.