Multimedia and the learner's experience of narrative

This paper begins by setting a theoretical framework for analysing educational media in terms of a description of the learning process as consisting essentially of iterative cycles through the activities of discussion, interaction, adaptation and reflection. The framework is used to test the extent to which `interactive multimedia' is capable of supporting all these essential aspects of learning. The argument continues with an exposition of the role of narrative in comprehension of educational material, and reports on research findings which show that the degree of narrative structure of multimedia programs affects learners' comprehension. It also reports on initial findings from our current research which investigates students' responses to a particular interactional design for a multimedia program. The research aims to develop a theoretical understanding of the forms and functions of narrative in interactive media, based on empirical research, and capable of informing instructional design.