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Addison-Wesley / Prentice Hall

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Crafting Multimedia Text: Websites and Presentations (NetEffect)
Barbara MoranSan Francisco State University and San Mateo Community College District

ISBN-10: 0130990027
ISBN-13:  9780130990020

Publisher:  Prentice Hall
Copyright:  2005
Format:  Paper; 256 pp
Published:  07/12/2004
Status: Instock



 

An excellent resource for those in Journalism, Business, Education, Multimedia writing, Communications, and Web design.

 

This unique, exciting book introduces “new media writing” strategies and techniques. Understand how to write and how to display content for websites, slide shows, and other visual presentations. Differentiate between viewers (who see words projected on a computer or projector screen) and readers (who read words on paper).

 

  • Flexible presentation—Adaptable to the classroom or to individual use.
    • Gives students a compact yet information-packed text. Enables instructors to use this as convenient supplement to their regular, more traditional texts for their courses in business communications, language arts, journalism, education, or web design.

  • A hands-on, activities-based book.
    • Provides students with opportunity and guidance to actually create high-quality content for a website or a slide show.

  • Professional but not intimidating—Does not require prior knowledge of html, programming, coding, or web design to use this book.
    • Provides students who have good solid word processing skills with a book about a style of writing for a new communications medium that is here to stay.

  • An outline of viewer's physical stressors—Suggests ways to ease the burden for viewers.
    • Helps students and instructors explore the differences between paper-based readers and screen-based viewers.

  • A study of legal issues—Looks at the oft-confusing current state of legal protections for electronic copy.
    • Shows students that the habit of copying and pasting content without attribution can amount to plagiarism. It also begins the process of helping them plan actual content for their own websites or slide presentations.

  • An exploration of grammar, spelling, punctuation, writing styles, composition, contrast, consistency, spacing and layout, hierarchy, and how to display text in a multimedia context.
    • Shows students how much text is too much, what works and what doesn't, and how to use special effects to their best advantage.

  • A PowerPoint overview of the entire subject of multimedia writing—Can either be used by instructors to show to a class or be viewed by a student in a CD-drive. The PowerPoint is entitled “Crafting Multimedia Text: Websites and Presentations.”
    • Acclimates students and instructors to this new subject area.

  • Accompanying CD-ROM—Includes two step-by-step guides—one for preparing website content and one for preparing slide show content; as well as the most up-to-date websites and other resources that pertain to multimedia writing.
    • Offers students and instructors the opportunity to read the first seven chapters, do the initial preparation exercises, then go to the CD-Rom and create actual content.

  • Excellent pedagogy—Includes Review, Key Terms, Chapter Questions, “Now You Try,” and “Explorations” in each chapter.
    • Helps students retain information by providing coverage of key points; as well as provides opportunities to practice the concepts they have learned in class. Challenges students to begin building ideas for content using their own interests and creativity.

  • Comprehensive Appendix—Contains an extensive look at the most popular software programs for multimedia, provides a complete glossary of terms, and gives an additional reading list of books and journals that are helpful to multimedia writers.
    • Provides students with an excellent resource for the future.



 1. What is Multimedia Writing?


 2. Why Are Words Important?


 3. Traditional Writing vs. Multimedia Writing.


 4. Creating Your Content.


 5. Make Your Words Work.


 6. Writing With Style.


 7. Words As Graphic Elements.


 8. Formatting Text in a Multimedia Environment.


 9. Special Considerations for Websites.


10. Special Considerations for Visual Presentations.


Appendix.


Great (Writer-Friendly) Software for Websites and Presentations.


Finding Help Along the Way.


Glossary.


Chapter Answers.

"Many books discuss the larger issues of design, proposals, script writing, and interactive narrative elements. What has been missing is (this, 1 a book that discusses the place, power, and purpose of words in multimedia applications and that discusses the nuts and bolts of word choice, style, tone, editing, ' visual hierarchy, and font selection, size, style, and color. The book's many references to films, television shows, scientists, filmmakers, television writers, actors, information architects, and human factors experts makes it interesting, relevant, and fun." — Diane Chute

Barbara Moran spent 20 years in "mainstream news" (as editor of a city magazine and a weekly newspaper, on-air radio news reporter, and staff writer for San Diego Union and Atlanta Constitution). In 1989, she left traditional media to become part of the new Web-based media. She worked for two search engines as an online editor, and she has freelanced extensively online. She wrote The Internet Directory for Kids & Parents (IDG Books) and contributed a chapter on multimedia writing to English for Careers: Business, Professional, and Technical by Leila Smith (Prentice Hall). Founder/ editor of her own K-12 educational Website (www.specialspecies.com), Ms. Moran serves as a communications consultant and teaches Internet-, computer-, and communications-related subjects at the college level (at San Francisco State University and San Mateo Community College District). She has her B.A. in telecommunications from Kent State University and her master's in instructional technology from the School of Education at San Francisco State University. To contact her consulting service, email msbmoran@yahoo.com.

Here is an excellent resource for those in Journalism, Business, Education, Multimedia writing, Communications, and Web design.

 

     This unique, exciting book introduces “new media writing” strategies and techniques. Understand how to write and how to display content for websites, slide shows, and other visual presentations. Differentiate between viewers (who see words projected on a computer or projector screen) and readers (who read words on paper).

Introduction

      Within the last ten years, the practice of presenting written information on a screen rather than on paper has grown dramatically.  The essence of multimedia communications is its interactivity and the fact that you write in “layers” rather than a linear, traditional way. For those who may be “Trekkies,” I compare it to Mr. Spock’s three-dimensional chess game, which he liked to play on Star Trek. Unlike traditional chess, which is played on a flat, linear, one-dimensional surface, his Tri-D Chess is a three dimensional form of chess that requires its users to consider plays on a multi-dimensional platform. Not only must they consider the linear move in front of them, but they must also ponder the impact of those moves on separate, clear boards located above and below the main board.

 

     Each piece impacts a number of levels. Players have to remain aware of how every piece on every level interrelates. This reminds me of the challenge of multimedia writing. Not only must you ponder the linear story you must write on the main level, but also you must consider upper levels and lower levels accessible by hyperlinks or mouse clicks. You have to think about how each word connects to words on screens not yet visible. It is a form of three-dimensional writing that we are only beginning to comprehend, much less master.

 

     Each piece of information impacts a number of levels. Writers have to remain aware of how every level interrelates. The computer screen — through the development of websites and presentation software such as MS PowerPoint — is now used interchangeably with paper as an output device for information.

  • ·        What types of information are more suited for output to the computer screen vs. paper?
  • ·        How does reading information on paper compare with viewing written information on a computer screen (or projector screen)?
  • ·        Should information be presented in the same way for paper as for the computer screen?
  • ·        Are currently accepted multimedia emphasis techniques (such as moving text) enhancements or distractions?

 

     Research into these areas is new, but certain conventions have emerged. This book will examine the current state-of-the-art implementation of multimedia writing. It will show differences between viewers (those who see information projected on a screen) and readers (those who read information on paper). -  Barbara Moran

 

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©2002 | Prentice Hall | CD-ROM Only | Instock
ISBN-10: 0130096512 | ISBN-13: 9780130096517


Pearson Higher Education offers special pricing when you choose to package your text with other student resources. If you're interested in creating a cost-saving package for your students, browse our available packages below, or contact your Pearson Higher Education representative to create your own package.

Package ISBN-10: 0132232197 | ISBN-13: 9780132232197
©2006 | Out of Stock
Suggested retail price: $190.67  Buy from myPearsonStore

This package contains:

Moran | ©2005 | Prentice Hall | Paper; 256 pp
Laudon & Laudon | ©2006 | Prentice Hall | Kit/Package/ShrinkWrap; 736 pp


Package ISBN-10: 0321597397 | ISBN-13: 9780321597397
©2008 | Out of Stock
Suggested retail price: $48.75  Buy from myPearsonStore

This package contains:

Moran | ©2005 | Peachpit Press | Paper; 256 pp
Carlson | ©2008 | Peachpit Press | Paper; 288 pp
Kirn | ©2006 | Peachpit Press | Paperback with DVD; 632 pp


Package ISBN-10: 0132323664 | ISBN-13: 9780132323666
©2006 | Out of Stock
Suggested retail price: $151.87  Buy from myPearsonStore

This package contains:

Moran | ©2005 | Prentice Hall | Paper; 256 pp
Bell & Smith | ©2004 | Prentice Hall | Paper; 176 pp
Tisdale | ©2005 | Prentice Hall | Paper; 240 pp
Cook, Cook, Yale & Munter | ©2005 | Prentice Hall | Paper; 128 pp
Munter | ©2006 | Prentice Hall | Paper; 208 pp
Munter & Netzley | ©2002 | Prentice Hall | Paper; 93 pp