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This thesis uses the commonly cited concepts surrounding globalization and hybridization to explore the ways in which parasocial interactions and relationships develop between American fans and K-pop groups. A qualitative content analysis of WeVerse, V Live, and YouTube comments has been conducted to get in-depth knowledge of the ways that fans interact with their idols. From various postings on these sites, 50 English-language comments were sampled from each. These public posts showed the varying intensity of fan interactions with idols over social media. Reactions were most present in video livestreams and official K-pop account posts relating to promotional activities and idol birthdays. Many posts show a collection of fan infatuation and longing for some real-world relationship, be it friendly or more intimate. From this, it can be concluded that parasocial relationships are better developed through interactions over social media sites, which has only become a viable option in the last decade. Furthermore, globalization and hybridization are catalysts for new cultural phenomenon like K-pop to emerge in the American mainstream. While globalization has been pushed forward by the expansion of the internet, hybridization has solidified its place as a joining of cultures from different countries. In the area of K-pop, this is seen by the combination of English being mixed in with Korean lyrics to create a catchy chorus or the use of instrumentation reminiscent of American pop and hip-hop and rap. / Media Studies & Production

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Research indicates that music has a unique and powerful ability to affect how listeners react to a story (Schaefer, 1998). Publishing houses are increasingly incorporating music and other multimedia effects into their products, with companies such as Booktrack now including novel-length soundtracks with e-books. The present study aimed to empirically investigate the relationship between music and text by examining whether readers' enjoyment of and distraction from a fiction e-book is affected by the inclusion of music or sound effects. One hundred and twenty undergraduate students at Brigham Young University completed an e-book reading task (either accompanied by sound effects, music, or nothing at all) and completed a post-task survey that measured their enjoyment of and distraction from the task. It was found that multimedia-enhanced e-books were significantly more enjoyable (M = 4.555) than e-books alone (M = 4.035). Both sound effects and music (Ms = 4.512 and 4.594, respectively) led to higher levels of enjoyment than the control condition (M = 4.035), although later analyses indicated this effect was primarily found in females. Only the multimedia e-books incorporating sound effects significantly lowered distraction levels compared with the control (Ms = 1.698 and 3.621, respectively). The amount of time a participant spent engaged in multimedia behaviors (e.g., watching television, playing video games) did not consistently affect the relationships investigated. It was concluded that music and sound effects may be an enjoyable and interesting feature of e-books without detracting from the story. In some cases, the addition of multimedia made e-books as enjoyable for those who typically did not enjoy fiction as it was for those who enjoy fiction. It is recommended that publishers continue investigating this relationship, as multimedia e-books may open access to a new marketable audience for publishers.

Detta examensarbete behandlar möjligheterna att genom projektarbete verklighetsförankra ämnet Multimedia B på gymnasiet. Undersökningen har utgått från aktionsforskningens principer, vilket innebär att jag undersökt och reflekterat kring min egen undervisning i Multimedia B. Litteraturstudier, utvärderingar och intervjuer har kompletterat de egna observationerna. Arbetets syfte är i första hand att undersöka om en viss metod, i det här fallet projektarbete, kan skapa större verklighetsförankring i ett ämne. Samtidigt är också syftet att ta reda på elevernas syn på verklighetsförankring, hur de ser på lärarens roll i ett projektarbete och vilka för- och nackdelarna är med att arbeta i projekt. Resultatet visar bland annat att eleverna i undersökningen ser positivt på att koppla skolämnen till verkligheten och att projektarbete tycks vara en god metod att göra detta på. / This paper discusses the possibilities to link instruction in Multimedia B with reality by working in project.

In multimedia learning environments, research suggests that simultaneous presentation of redundant text (i.e. identical narration and on-screen text) may inhibit learning when presented with animation at the same time. However, related studies are limited to testing with cause-and-effects content information (e.g., Moreno & Mayer, 1999, 2002). This study examined the effects of redundant text on learners' memory achievement and problem solving ability. The study replicated and extended prior research by using descriptive, rather than cause-and-effect content information. The primary research questions were (a) does redundant text improve learning performance if learners are presented with instructional material that addresses subject matter other than cause-and-effect relationship? and (b) does sequential presentation of animation followed by redundant text help learning? To answer the research questions, five hypotheses were tested with a sample of 224 Taiwanese students enrolled in a college level Management Information System (MIS) courses at a management college in southern Taiwan. Statistically significant differences were found in memory achievement and problem solving test scores between simultaneous and sequential groups; while no statistically significant differences were found in memory achievement and problem solving test scores between verbal redundant and non-redundant groups. These results were supported by interviewees expressing difficulty in connecting animation and verbal explanation in the two sequential presentation groups. The interview responses also helped to explain why insignificant results were obtained when redundant and non-redundant verbal explanations with animation were presented simultaneously. In general, the results support previous research on the contiguity principle, suggesting that sequential presentations may lead to lower learning performance when animation and verbal explanation are closely related. The separation of the two types of information may increase cognitive load. In addition, the study found that impairment of redundant text was also affected by various learning characteristics, such as the structure of the instructional content and learners previous learning experiences. Recommendations for future study include: (a) research on various situations such as characteristics of the content, characteristics of learners, and difficulty of the instructional material that influences the effects of redundant text, and (b) research on prior learning experience that influences the effects of simultaneous redundant text presentations.

If not designed in consideration to the workings of the human mind, multimedia learning environments can impose too high a demand on working memory. While such high cognitive load presents challenges for learners of all ages, older learners may be particularly affected as research on cognitive aging has shown the efficiency of working memory declines with age. Research has suggested that cognitive load theory (CLT) and the cognitive theory of multimedia learning (CTML) are likely to accommodate the cognitive needs of older learners; however, few of the principles emerging from these theories have been examined in the context of cognitive aging. The abundance of studies has focused on younger learners, prompting the need for further research of CLT and CTML principles with regard to age. This study contributes to the body of research on the cognitive aging principle by extending research on the modality effect with middle-aged learners. Ninety-two participants ranging in age from 30 to 59 were exposed to multimedia learning treatments presented as animation with concurrent narration and animation with concurrent text, followed by retention, concept, and transfer tests of multimedia learning. Demographic and descriptive statistics were performed along with a multivariate analysis of variance. The findings did not show a modality effect with middle-aged learners; however, results need to be interpreted with care as possible explanations may entail other causes for the lack of a modality effect other than age.

Multimedia training methods have traditionally relied heavily on video based technologies and significant research has shown these to be very effective training tools. However production of video is time and resource intensive. Machinima (pronounced 'muh-sheen-eh-mah') technologies are based on video gaming technology. Machinima technology allows video game technology to be manipulated into unique scenarios based on entertainment or training and practice applications. Machinima is the converting of these unique scenarios into video vignettes that tell a story. These vignettes can be interconnected with branching points in much the same way that education videos are interconnected as vignettes between decision points. This study addressed the effectiveness of machinima based soft-skills education using avatar actors versus the traditional video teaching application using human actors. This research also investigated the difference between presence reactions when using avatar actor produced video vignettes as compared to human actor produced video vignettes. Results indicated that the difference in training and/or practice effectiveness is statistically insignificant for presence, interactivity, quality and the skill of assertiveness. The skill of active listening presented a mixed result indicating the need for careful attention to detail in situations where body language and facial expressions are critical to communication. This study demonstrates that a significant opportunity exists for the exploitation of avatar actors in video based instruction.

Instructional video is a common staple for delivering content in online courses. However, if the included videos are not properly created, many students will skip the video and its content. Improving instructional video has been the topic of many research projects, and we can learn from these studies how to create effective and engaging instructional videos--this is the topic of my dissertation. The first paper is an extended literature review that examines which key instructional design principles are supported in the literature. This helps developers to know which principles to focus on when designing video. The second paper is a practitioner's guide for redesigning instructional video. It details the lessons learned during an evaluation and redesign project completed on an online course. It categorizes the various videos, based on the evaluation data, into three different levels depending on the amount of work required to redesign each. This explains how developers can realize some improvement with a minimum amount of effort and which practices to use when a full reshoot is required. The final paper is a quantitative research paper that looks at the impact of adding bookmarks to the videos of an online course. Analytic data was collected on a semester of students before and after the bookmarks were added and using this data we graphed the number of times each video was watched, re-watched, and abandoned before being completed. We also compared the video usage to how often the reading was done for each lesson. This data will help video designers determine if this improvement helped make the videos more valuable to the students.

Classical music has a troubled history regarding the transformation into new forms of media, and the Internet is no exception. The aim of the present research project is to explore the possibilities of building a virtual, interactive opera house on the Internet, seeking answers to the following research questions:– Is the Internet an ideal platform for a composer of scenic music who, like myself, strives to control all artistic parameters? Or can it turn out the be just the opposite: a creative forum where boundaries between author and audience/users tend to dissolve?– In what way should my music develop to fit into this new arena? And conversely, how will it be possible to develop the Internet to suit my musical and artistic intentions?– Is it possible, in this new public environment, to come through with art and music intended to be an alternative to cultural commercialism and economic speculation and a voice against alienation and intolerance?– How can the increasingly neglected genre of art music find a new audience on the Internet?– How can economic needs be met without losing artistic values?In order to find answers to these questions, iOPERA AB was formed and the production of The Woman of Cain, the first opera exclusively designed for the Internet, began. The idea of a crossover platform for interactive, virtual opera on the Internet started to take shape. Some of my research questions are yet to be answered, but it has become clear that the adaption of the art of music drama to the Internet is possible. The idea of letting opera develop and adjust to the Internet is attractive, and I have not found that the genre would thereby be artistically compromised, especially since most art forms have successfully made the leap into new media and new distribution methods. In the near future, all kinds of creators will be able to develop skills and craftsmanship in various artistic fields, as software and interfaces become more accessible. The idea of a virtual opera house on the internet appears to be within reach and a logical step to take.The text of the thesis is accompanied by a DVD containing material from the opera production, including full score, libretto and media files.