Content is the foremost concern of any educational product, and computer tutorials are no exception. Abstract and difficult to visualize concepts generally work well in tutorials where the visualization capabilities of the computer can be emphasized.

Though content is the basis on which tutorials should be judged, good presentation is vital to convey the content to the user. Interaction between the user and the computer can engage the user more fully and lead the user to an understanding of the ideas being covered rather than merely present the concepts. Finally, because multimedia tutorials present information through graphics, animations, video, and sound, educational multimedia modules may appeal to some users who find textbook learning rather difficult or boring.

The flexibility gained by presenting material in a multimedia tutorial comes at a price. To make full use of the computer's interactive possibilities requires a great deal of programming to accommodate a variety of user responses.

Simulation software and multimedia assets are considered to be the building blocks of a multimedia software package. Simulation software provides user with the ability to simulate and solve a wide variety of problems and to emphasize practical applications of some of the concepts. Multimedia assets, on the other hand, enhance these simulations with video, sounds, and animated discussions. Multimedia assets include computer graphics, computer animations, digital videos, and digital sound, the development of multimedia assets can be broken down into three general areas:

Computer graphics production,
Video production, and
Sound production.


Computer Graphics Production

The development of quality computer graphics is essential to presenting visual ideas clearly. Three-dimensional animated computer graphics are especially useful in simulating real situations in semi-immersive virtual reality. The computer graphics that will be developed for the lessons are either two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or three-dimensional with animation.


Video Production

Video production for use in a multimedia education environment is a multistep process. A video must first be made on tape which involves full-scale movie production. MVS has been successful in producing quality video in-house. The most important issue that must be considered in producing a video for computer playback is the impact of the video versus the play time.


Sound Production

Multimedia sound assets include narration and sound effects. The sound production procedure for narration is to first write the score to be recorded. Next, a sound-proof area must be set up in which to record the narration. Using a good-quality computer microphone, the narration can be recorded directly to the computer hard drive.