Addressing Legal Issues Surrounding the Use of Multimedia
The use of multimedia in classrooms, as well as working places, facilitates knowledge sharing, learning, and motivation of learners. It also provides a myriad of opportunities for trainers and educators who may use a variety of tools and data to facilitate the learning process. At that, legal issues often come into play, and organizations have to make sure that all the rules and regulations (for example, those associated with copyright, royalties and so on) are followed.
There are various examples of legal issues associated with the use of multimedia an organization can encounter. For instance, one of the employees of the organization can use some software or an application with violations of copyright (Dodman, Bird & Hopkins, 2014). Another example can be when a trainer uses some materials or methods developed by another person without any references and without contacting the developer (which may be required in terms of the copyright).
Clearly, the organization is still responsible for all materials used by its employees, and the holder of the copyright can sue the company. To avoid any legal issues, the organization should make sure that all employees are aware of major regulations and laws associated with the use of intellectual property (Agbebaku & Adavbiele, 2016). The company should also protect its intellectual property. To ensure this, various technical measures against the unauthorized use of data should be utilized (Jayakumar, Manimaran & GopiAnand, 2013).
On balance, it is necessary to note that organizations may face numerous legal issues associated with intellectual property. To avoid such issues, companies should make sure their employees are aware of major regulations and comply with them. Numerous technical measures should also be undertaken.
Simulations and Games
Simulations and games have been proved to be efficient elements of learning as they motivate learners and help them acquire new knowledge or skills. Instructional computer games can be defined as interactive multimedia that enables the learner to obtain information, create various elements and interact with the instructor and other learners (Clark & Mayer, 2016). Instructional simulation can be referred to as multimedia that involve an imitation of some situations, trends, processes and so on (Kapp, 2012). Effective simulations and games share certain features in common.
One of the basic grounds for the effectiveness of games and simulations is its coherence or, in other words, having clear aims and the focus on these goals (Clark & Mayer, 2016). Bai, Pan, Hirumi and Kebritchi (2012) evaluated a game aimed at improving students’ performance in mathematics. The game had a set of clear goals, and each part of the game addressed those goals, which ensured the effectiveness of the game. Apart from that, Clark and Mayer (2016) note that games and simulations are effective when certain guidance is provided. The researchers note that there should be an instructor that supervises the process and helps learners to take an active part in the game. Of course, clear instructions should also be available.
To sum up, simulations and games have proved to be efficient tools that can facilitate the learning process. To ensure the effectiveness of these tools, it is essential to make sure that games and simulations are coherent, as well as there are clear instructions, and there is a supervisor who ensures active participation of all players. Of course, it is important to remember that games and simulations should be engaging.
Reference List
Agbebaku, C.A, & Adavbiele, A.J. (2016). The reliability and legality of online education. Journal of Education and Practice, 7(5), 32-41.
Bai, H., Pan, W., Hirumi, A., & Kebritchi, M. (2012). Assessing the effectiveness of a 3-D instructional game on improving mathematics achievement and motivation of middle school students. British Journal of Educational Technology, 43(6), 993-1003.
Clark, R., & Mayer, R. (2016). E-Learning and the science of instruction. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.
Dodman, T., Bird, T., & Hopkins, D. (2014). A case study of developing suitable mobile learning technology for a distance learning Masters programme. In J. Keengwe (Eds.), Advancing higher education with mobile learning technologies: Cases, trends, and inquiry-based methods (pp. 35-60). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Jayakumar, S., Manimaran, S., & GopiAnand, M. (2013). Analysis of e-learning in business: and tools for improving the effectiveness of the educational system. A Monthly Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology, 2(5), 109-113.
Kapp, K. (2012). The gamification of learning and instruction. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.