Learning Reflection Report
Looking back on this course, I can see how much my understanding of multimedia learning and educational design has expanded. At the beginning, I only expected to learn basic technical tools for creating digital content to use on other courses, but this course encouraged me to think more deeply about how people learn, how design affects understanding, and how multimedia can support learning. Revisiting the course objectives now, I can confidently say that I met them in ways I did not expect.
Revisiting the Plan
One of the most important things I learned was how learning theories actually inform multimedia experiences. Concepts like coherence or segmentation were just abstract terms to me before this course. I also met the course objective of applying multimedia design principles among the three challenges. In Challenge A, I hand-drawn the comics so that I simplify each scene by removing unnecessary details, which applied the Coherence Principle. I also used short labels beside each panel to highlight key ideas, which applied the Signaling Principle. In Challenge B, we used Modality and Temporal Contiguity Principles. My partner and I paired narration with corresponding visuals instead of showing the visuals first and explaining later so that audiences can focus on the key message. Segmenting also became important, which is why each video focused on one clear learning goal within one-minute. Same with Challenge C, every page has a unique learning objective. These principles helped me create videos that were easier to follow and reduced cognitive load and understand how theory guides design choices. On top of that, each challenge required me to use design thinking to identify user needs, create prototypes, gather and write peer feedback, and revise. Challenge C particularly pushed me to think carefully about information building and accessibility when building the OER website based on the weekly readings. Additionally, I also improve my storytelling skill. I used narrative to make abstract ideas feel relatable and easier to remember by creating the cat characters with the friendly tones and simple scenarios in both challenge A and B. Finally, I produced a variety of educational resources in this course and learned to use GenAI responsibly as a supportive tool rather than relying on it to let it think for me. Together, these experiences showed me that I achieved the course objectives and gained an understanding of multimedia learning design.
Identifying the Turbulence
The most challenging part of the course was Challenge B and C. We need to create three short videos using AI-generated visuals. Even though the AI was helpful, it often produced inconsistent or incorrect details. For example, cats may have different colours between scenes or unrealistic and distorted objects. It took many attempts to generate visuals that were usable and aligned with the script. We also took a long time to make sure the visuals matched the narration timing. Challenge C brought a different kind of difficulty. Figma gave us more creative freedom than Google Sites, but that also meant I had to make more decisions. Organizing the site’s information structure to make them align with the multimedia design principles was harder than I expected. I spent a lot of time revising the Protect Yourself section to make sure it’s not too professional for non-technical users and added a small interactive checklist to check learning progress. Peer feedback was very helpful here in pushing me to reorganize content. These challenges taught me not only technical skills, but also how to evaluate and revise design choices.
Evidence of Growth
My perspective has shifted throughout this course. At the beginning, I focused mainly on making content visually appealing and I now pay more attention to cognitive load, user pathways, and accessibility. The Universal Design for Learning framework influenced many decisions in Challenge C, such as using plain language, ensuring colour contrast, and offering information in short sections. Instead of designing “for myself,” I began designing for diverse users with different levels of experience. I also actively applied the theories from the course, such as segmentation in my video scripts, contiguity in my OER page layout, coherence helped me remove distracting or unnecessary information and personalization in my narration tone. Applying these principles helped me understand them at a much deeper level.
Next Destination
As a Health Information Science student, I can clearly see how these skills will be useful in healthcare contexts. For example, patient education materials, EMR training resources, and digital privacy guidance in clinical settings all require clear and accessible designs. I can imagine using what I learned in this course to create visual step-by-step guides, training videos, and relevant medical OERs that could reduce confusion for both patients and healthcare staff. This course has shown me that well-designed multimedia is not just aesthetically pleasing but also can reduce confusion, support better decisions, and ultimately improve people’s health experiences.
Overall, this course has influenced the way I think about learning and design, and I feel more confident bringing these skills into academic and professional environments in the future.