( IMI Guide )
Developed by the Friendly Folks at the
Air Force Institute
for Advanced Distributed Learning (AFIADL)
(formerly ECI)
Maxwell Air
Force Base, Gunter Annex, Alabama 36118-5643
This guide is designed for
authors of interactive career development courses and specialized courses.
However, the information presented here may be useful to all Air Force
developers of IMI.
This IMI Guide was prepared and published under the authority of:
AF Instruction 36–2201, Developing, Managing, and Conducting Training, Chapter 5.5
Minimum Platform:
Microsoft Windows
100 MHz
16 MB RAM
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or Netscape Navigator 4 browser
800x600, small font size (1024x768 is optimum)
Additional Software Required: If you cannot open all of the links in this IMI Guide, click on Adobe Acrobat Reader to download the Reader free from Adobe's website.
 USAF Photo |
Do you think all or part of your course could be best taught using multimedia? Does your current paper-based course need more interactivity? Is your course material fairly stable? |
If you answered YES to these questions, your course may be a candidate for interactive multimedia instruction (IMI). But before you jump into the frying pan, read unit 1. We guarantee it will save you lots of time and money (not to mention headaches).
The Guide for Authors of Interactive Multimedia Instruction (short title: IMI Guide) is designed to provide basic information about IMI published by AFIADL to authors of—
The subjects covered in this IMI Guide range from what you (a course author) should do if your career field is even thinking about converting some or all of a course to IMI, to how you continue to evaluate your course after it has been distributed to your students. Refer to this IMI Guide before, during, and after development of your IMI.
This IMI Guide offers practical tips and techniques, but it's not comprehensive. It's available only on the World Wide Web so that AFIADL can update the IMI Guide periodically with your suggestions and our continued exploration into electronic media. Please don't be shy about giving us feedback.
Address your comments to:
AFIADL/ECA-5 (BL Team)
afiadl.ait@maxwell.af.mil
DSN 596-2001, 1982, or 3174
Commercial (334) 416-2001, 1982, or 3174
50 S. Turner Blvd.
Maxwell Air Force Base, Gunter Annex AL 36118–5643
Unit 1. Starting Out Right
Unit 1 points you in the right direction
to start your IMI journey. You'll find out how to determine if your
course (or any part of it) is a good candidate for IMI. You'll also
read about your distance learning team and learn which instructions
and requirements apply.
Unit 2. Writing Objectives and Test Items
Unit 2 is about writing objectives and
how to write test items that match those objectives. You'll learn
how to mark proficiency codes, how to select and write interactive
test items and feedback, and how to submit a pool of test items. AFIADL
uses this pool of items to develop review exercises and end-of-course
exams.
Unit 3. Designing a Framework for Your Course
Unit 3 gives you detailed guidance on the
more technical elements of interactive courseware—like how to number/name
all the various components of your course.
Unit 4. Copyright Law
Unit 4 contains a primer on copyright law
as it pertains to distance learning materials. Even if you don't plan
on using any copyrighted material, read this unit anyway.
Unit 5. Interactivity, Storyboarding, and Screen Design
Unit 5 reveals some of the secrets of
good screen design—what works and what drives your students crazy.
Your storyboards, whether digitized or paper-based, are the foundation
of the design phase. They are the basic building blocks of your instruction,
to be reviewed by subject matter experts, instructional specialists,
and editors. The amount and type of interactivity, as well as the
screen design, have a great impact on how well your students comprehend
and recall course material.
Unit 6. Authoring Your Course
Unit 6 covers authoring software and audio-video
considerations.
Unit 7. Evaluating Your Course
Unit 7 tells you how to validate and evaluate your course in order to improve
it.
Unit 8. Course Activation
Unit 8 describes how to complete a master
CD, debug, and prepare the items (like a CD label and insert) you
need to submit to AFIADL in order for us to publish your course.
Unit 9. Resource Guide Unit 9 contains a listing of web sites, search engines, and other resources to help you design and develop your course.
NOTE: The use of a name of any specific manufacturer, commercial product, commodity,
or service in this publication does not imply endorsement by the Air Force.
The following educators contributed to the writing of this IMI Guide: Carole Arbush, Ann Bailey, Dr. Addie Cherry, Roy Kinney, Anna Leavell, Reid Matherne, Steve McCarver, Evelyn Milton, Gordon Morrison, Vangie Walmsley, Emily Rome, Alice Russell, and Lt Col (ret.) Fred Vornbrock; also Mike McKim, Cathi Billings, Gerry Hagberg, Gary Martyn, and Billy Burt.
Original art courtesy of Bill Walmsley
Clip art courtesy of SoftQuad, Inc. and Microsoft Corporation
Unit 2: NASA photo, Apollo
12
Unit 3: NASA photo, Apollo I
Unit 5: NASA Voyager image of Jupiter
"Hangman" graphic from CDC 3H051M
USAF Photos courtesy of Defense LINK and AF News Agency