Abstract :
Multimedia technology in principle may help speakers to deliver more effective
presentations. The present study examined what effectiveness might mean in
terms of audience reaction. Understanding that may help educators to use
multimedia more effectively themselves and to help their students to do so.
Descriptors were elicited from audiences in response to a total of 56 live
presentations in which speakers used multimedia as a presentation aid. Fortytwo
rating scales were defined. A total of 20 presentations were rated using the
scales, with the scales presented in one of two different random orders. The
order did not appear to affect the ratings. A factor analysis suggests that three
factors may be most important in describing the audiences’ responses. The first
describes audience assessment of how well researched and informative the
presentation seemed. The second concerns the design of the multimedia,
including how creative and imaginative it was. The third reflects how
entertaining and how much fun the audience felt the experience as a whole
to be. The results suggest a three-factor model that might be useful when
designing multimedia-supported presentations, for providing proactive
guidance and feedback when training speakers, and for assessment purposes
