A multimedia learning application for undergraduates in Computer Science: The design, development and usability

The typical undergraduate student of today is accustomed to receiving information on a daily basis in a variety of formats, i.e. multimedia channels. This paper reports on a recent research carried out to design and develop a multimedia earning application in Wide Area Network (WAN) Protocols, a topic from Data Communication & Networking, which is part of a syllabus for undergraduates in Computer Sciences. Learning heories such as cognitive and constructivist approaches were applied in the multimedia application, along with a unique metaphor, animation, games and tutorial. A usability test was conducted on 30 computer science students from the faculty and the results are discussed in the paper.