Multimedia
Overview
Multimedia is a shortening of the two words ‘multiple media’. In the digital era, multimedia is used to communicate, connect and create. Learners can use multimedia to collaborate within and beyond classrooms to present and distribute their work to local and global audiences. Educators can use multimedia to enhance the flexibility, diversity and accessibility of teaching and learning materials.
This curriculum connection provides advice about how multimedia is referenced in the Australian Curriculum, from Foundation to Year 8. It focuses on the learning areas and subjects of English, Media Arts and Technologies and shows potential connections with other learning areas, the general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities. It highlights opportunities to use digital technologies.
Australian Curriculum content can be viewed using the most relevant pathway:
- year level
- learning area/subject.
Communicate, connect and create with multimedia
The Australian Curriculum refers to multimedia as the materials and tools that are developed or presented using digital technologies, with a combination of two or more of the following:
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Media form |
Examples |
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Animation |
3D animation, computer generated image (CGI), animated logo, clay animation, stop motion, lecture capture |
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Audio |
sound recording, music, podcast, spoken text, environmental sound, sound effect (SFX), sample, synthesized sound |
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Image (moving) |
film, 360 film, video, vodcast, vlog, typography, immersive media – augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR), virtual reality VR), extended reality (XR) or animatic |
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Image (still) |
photograph, infographic, hand drawn, illustration, sketch, plan, blog, diagram, screenshot, computer assisted drawing (CAD) |
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Text |
written word, ebook, blog, comment box, message, form, map, symbol, numeral, title, credit, subtitle, caption, playlist |
Multimedia can also refer to digital formats that allow users to incorporate or manipulate media forms (data) and enhance users’ capacity to navigate and interact. For example, data visualisations and representations, websites, apps, games, slide presentations, photomedia or hybridised works.
Australian Curriculum terminology and definitions
Australian Curriculum content for The Arts, Technologies and English highlights ways that multimedia can be used to communicate (through, for example, texts and artworks); connect (drawing together different data types and formats); and create (using different formats to structure new work). The glossaries for these learning areas include the following definitions:
Artworks that incorporate a broad range of media including graphics, text, digital media, audio or video.
The use of digital technologies to present combinations of text, graphics, video, animation and/or sound in an integrated way. Where there is facility for a user to interact with multimedia, the term ‘interactive multimedia’ may be used. Examples include interactive games, immersive multimedia, media-rich websites, electronic books (ebooks) and animated short films.
Spoken, print, graphic or electronic communications with a public audience. They often involve numerous people in their construction and are usually shaped by a technology used in their production. Media texts studied in English can be found in newspapers, magazines and on television, film, radio, computer software and the internet.
A combination of two or more communication modes (for example, print, image and spoken text, as in film or computer presentations).
*The terms multimodal and multimedia have different meanings. Generally, multimodal is used to emphasise design and process, for example, choosing the combination of modes that will be used to represent ideas or messages, whereas multimedia emphasises the use of digital technologies for the production and distribution of multimodal texts.
The Australian Curriculum provides information about multimedia and the ICT capability on the general capabilities webpages.
Multimedia may also be known as interactive media, interactive digital media or creative digital media.
Multimedia can involve the use of:
- devices such as interactive whiteboards, smartphones and tablets
- equipment for creating immersive environments
- apps, games and interactive websites
- presentation and authoring software
- software for capturing and sharing data.
Multimedia can be used in combination with:
- traditional/analogue resources
- live performance/presentation
- devices such as robots, 3D printers, cameras or microphones
- software such as graphic editors or CAD programs.
Communicate, connect and create with multimedia
In education, as in the wider community, multimedia is used to communicate, connect and create. Opportunities to use multimedia are listed in the examples below:
Communicate
- personal stories or stories about other people and events, fiction and documentary
- ideas, analysis, thinking and commentary about contemporary and historical news and events or advertising and marketing or propaganda
- messages that raise awareness about issues of importance relating to cultural, social and political debate as well as personal and public safety.
Connect
- communicate and collaborate in a teacher/student community of practice
- navigate safely with other students, members of the community, and people with expert knowledge and skills, in local and global virtual environments
- learn about cultural perspectives and traditions
- solve problems collaboratively
- design preferred futures or co-create solutions.
Create
Multimedia and traditional practices, design processes such as interaction design (IxD), and production skills can be used to create performances, media arts, visual and audio works, and diverse types of texts, in formats such as:
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Online safety and multimedia
Online safety is an important considerations for schools as they plan and implement learning that involves digital technologies, including multimedia. Online safety includes internet safety, cyber safety, e-safety, internet security, information security and cyber security.
The Australian Curriculum provides five interrelated dimensions of online safety:
- values, rights and responsibilities
- well-being
- respectful relationships
- digital media literacy
- informed and safe use of information and devices.
The Online safety curriculum connection provides more detailed information.
Please contact the appropriate curriculum authority or education department in your state or territory for safety guidelines and advice regarding the use of digital technologies, including immersive technologies.
Classroom ideas
- Foundation to Year 4 - Story place
- Years 5 and 6 - Making time for multimedia
- Years 7 and 8 - Campaign!
Curriculum mapping
- Australian Curriculum: English and Digital Technologies Foundation to Year 8, The Arts Foundation to Year 10