Multimedia in E-Learnign and Cognitive Overload / Multimedia has infused itself into all aspects of education be it online, distance or in the face-to-face classroom. Its presence has become ubiquitous in education and yet has it really benefitted students to the degree it could? This paper utilizes a review of the literature to define the role of multimedia in e-learning then looks at how multimedia fits into basic pedagogy, learning theory and learning styles. An examination of how multimedia optimally could be incorporated into the curriculum is also conducted. Finally a look at cognitive overload is undertaken to determine if there is such as thing as too much of a good thing; can instructors end up confusing students with poorly designed multimedia presentations? There are many tools to use to present multimedia lessons however, this does not mean they all need to be used in a single lesson, and selecting the right multimedia tool, and content is imperative to ensure learning goals are met. Careful selection and attention to instructional design remains the key determinant in successful learning models and the incorporation of multimedia should be used with basic instructional pedagogy in mind.

The unbundling of the faculty role occurs when e-learning course tasks normally performed by a single faculty member--such as course design, development, delivery, grading, interaction with students, course improvement, and advisement--are segmented or unbundled so that they can be performed by other personnel or with technologies. Using a qualitative methods approach, this study examines the unbundling and restructuring of the faculty professional role in large enrollment e-learning courses. This study was conducted at three community colleges in a large, urban community college district, and presents three models of e-learning course production that affect the unbundling of the faculty role: craft, collegial, and virtual assembly line. This research also examines how e-learning faculty members seek to rebundle tasks associated with their professional role and identity, and the tasks they perceive as meeting student needs and demand. This study contributes to professional and economic theories concerning faculty members in the e-learning context, and advances theories associated with academic labor, managed professionals, Academic Capitalism, and the globalization of the community college.