animation. Animation files can be downloaded from the Internet in the form
of animated GIF files and viewed with QuickTime Pro, HyperStudio, and
MovieWorks. HyperStudio and MovieWorks can also be used to create and
edit both frame and path animation.
The concept of animation is a key component of multimedia. Many eLearning courses and learning programs have utilised animation to convey
information and optimise learner engagement. Animation by definition is the
“optical illusion of motion created by the consecutive display of images of
static elements”.Animation can enhance learning in an e-learning environment by allowing
for greater participant enjoyment in their learning experiences. This will
ultimately result in an increased willingness to participate in the learning,
therefore contributing to greater learner participation.
Animation has advanced dramatically since the original format of hand
written and black and white graphics, which emerged in the early 1990s. In
today‟s “technology era”, animation in all forms including training games, are
3 dimensional and a variety of colours are invariably used. Furthermore,
animations are now mainly computer-generated rather than hand drawn. It
can been seen in different examples of training games, eg Ad workshops
negotiation game, that animation is still cartoon based but aims to be
realistic in its portrayal of people and real-life situations. It is important to
realise that although animation may be an effective multimedia medium it
does require vast amounts of planning and preparation before a finished
product is produced.
When multimedia games are being developed, there needs to be an outline
or storyboard of what will be included before the game can be finished. The
storyboard allows for greater clarification of what the animation will include
and how it will work together as a series of images. This can be completed
using computers or simply through hand drawing.
It is necessary to understand that animation requires the use of programs in
order to function as a multimedia product. Animation can be programmed
using a variety of software products including Flash, Director, C++, Visual
Basic, GIF, all of which allow animation to be “viewed on a computer or over
the Internet”. Flash is software that provides an authoring environment in
which interactive websites can be created (Adobe). From the late 1990s,
Flash has been popularly utilised to add animation and interactivity to web
pages subsequently in creating animation for e-Learning programs. Flash is
a software program that is commonly utilised to create animations, design
web-page elements and to enhance websites through adding video
components.