ENGLISH 5 REVIEWER

Using Visual and Multimedia Elements in Reading

Reading- is more fun when there are colors, graphics, and designs. It contributes to the reader’s
understanding by widening their imagination as they read. These are visual and multimedia elements

Visual elements- help convert a simple reading text to an adventurous

tale where readers can “see” or visualize the story. Pictures, drawings, comics and cartoons, and diagrams are
examples of visual elements.

Examples of visual elements

 Pictures
 Drawings
 Comics and cartoons
 Diagrams

Aside from visual elements, we also have multimedia elements. Multimedia elements help the reader
understand the text in a whole new level since it uses sight, sound, and other senses to experience what
they’re reading first hand. It also uses a variety of combination with its medium. It can be used in a digital
form through computers, audio layers, tablets, smartphones, and other technology.

Multimedia elements- Help the reader understand the text in a whole new level since it uses sight, sound,
and other senses to experience what they’re reading first hand. It also uses a variety of combination with its
medium. It can be used in a digital form through computers, audio layers, tablets, smartphones, and other
technology.

What is Multimedia?

Derived from the word “multi” and “media” Multi – many, multiple.
Media- distribution tool and information presentation-text, graphic, voice, images, music and etc.

It is a woven combination of digitally manipulated text, graphic art sound, video and animation.
Multimedia is great way to introduce new concepts in a lesson.

Multimedia Elements -include video, audio recordings and sound effects, interactive images where readers
may click the images or words to learn more information about them, including how the word sounds, its
definition, and important facts.

Multimedia elements include.

 Video
 Audio recordings
 Sound effects

Interactive Multimedia- When you allow an end user or the viewer of a multimedia project to control what
and when the elements are delivered. It is interactive multimedia.

THE FIVE MAIN ELEMENTS OF MULTIMEDIA

1. TEXT
 Text is the basic element of multimedia. It involves the use of text types, sizes, colors, and background
color.
 In a multimedia application, other media or screen can be linked through the use of text. This is what
you call Hypertext.
 In a multimedia application, other media or screen can be linked through the use of text.

To produce an effective multimedia program there are three things that need to be considered. They are:
 The position of the text on the screen.
 Length of the message;
 And legibility of the text

Three things that need to be considered to produce an effective multimedia program.

 position of the text on the screen.
 length of the message
 legibility of the text
2. GRAPHIC
 Graphics make the multimedia application attractive. They help to illustrate ideas through still pictures.
Two types of graphics used:
1. bitmaps (paint graphics)
2. vector (draw graphics).

3. AUDIO
 A multimedia application may require the use of speech, music, and sound effects. These are called
audio or the sound element.

Two basic types of audio or sound.

1. Analog- Traditional audio devices are analog, because they handle sound waves in an analogous
form.

For example, radios maintain the audio signal as rippling waves from antenna to speaker. Tape cassette
players record sound waves as magnetic waves. In the days of the phonograph record, sound waves
were literally "carved" into the plastic platters.

2. Digital- In the computer, audio is processed by converting the analog signal into a digital code using
PCM (phase change memory

3. VIDEO
 Video provides a powerful impact in a multimedia program.
 In multimedia applications, the digital video is gaining popularity because of the following reasons:
Video clips can be edited easily. The digital video files can be stored like any other files in the computer
and the quality of the video can still be maintained.
 The video files can be transferred within a computer network it allows non-linear editing in any part of
the video. However, these digital video files are large in size. Transferring these files can take a long
time especially when using the internet.

4. ANIMATION
 Animation is a process of making a static image look like it is moving. In multimedia, digital animation
is used.
 Digital animation can be categorized into two broad area:
 2D (2 Dimension) animations
 3D (3 Dimension) animations

Visual and Multimedia elements can help the readers in many ways.

1. Clarifying the Meaning of a text- visual elements can guide the readers in understanding the
vocabulary being used in the text.

One example is the term, “Bakunawa” which we can

hear in the folktales of our grandparents. According to
the text, it is a monstrous dragon which appears during
full moon to eat the moon causing a lunar eclipse. A
picture that supports the text read can help in making
the description more vivid.

A video presentation can also clarify the meaning

of the text by letting us see the facial expressions
and body language of the characters used in the
text. It can also help us understand the sequence
of events in the text and help us properly visualize
what happened in a certain situation.
Audio recordings of characters’ voices in multimedia can clarify the meaning of a character’s words. Just by
hearing how the lines are delivered, you can tell how the character feels.

The tone of voice by the narration also gives off the overall aura or theme of the text read. Horror movies are
often narrated with a deep mysterious voice which is a completer opposite of a perky, high-pitched tone you
can hear when hearing a comedy story.

2. Communicating Tone
 Visual and multimedia elements reflect the writer’s attitude towards the text. The writer’s tone gives a
hint of how the story is all about. The narration of the story varies depending how the writer wants to
portray it. It could be happy, sad, serious, comical, angry, etc.

There are different ways to let the readers know the tone of the text. For visual elements, pictures with light
background often represents comical, happy, and light stories. However, dark background with fuzzy images
gives off the mysterious tone for serious, sad, or horror stories.

Audio recordings also sets the tone of the story. You may have probably experienced having goosebumps while
listening to a narrator’s voice while entering an unknown open gate inside the
forest.

3. Enhancing Imagery
 Writers use narration to effectively describe the scenery of the story. Imagery is the language used by
writers to properly describe a certain scene, appearance, or things which you can imagine based on the
description.
 Visual and multimedia elements are really helpful since it is letting us see and somewhat experience
what the author is describing in his story. It reinforces imagery.

Let us go back to how the Bakunawa is being described. The author describes it to be a giant serpent, with a
big mouth, it has whiskers, and it can eat the moon. This description is enough for us to imagine how
enormous this creature is. Through the help of visual elements such as
drawing, or graphics, we can clearly see Bakunawa coming to life from the text.

 We can also imagine the bapor tabo described by Jose Rizal in hisfamous novel called, “El
Filibusterismo”.
 Three Most Important Purposes of Visual Media

1. To Educate- provides an additional knowledge or information about something educational that can be
used in school or applied in life.

2. To Entertain- it brings out your interest, pleasure and satisfaction mixed with different emotions based on
content and concept of visual media.

3. To Persuade- it makes someone believe to something by convincing or giving him a good reason.

Values Suggested in Visual Media

 Focus on positive intentions or purposes of visual media like to educate, entertain and persuade.
 Some visual media have negative images or content that may influence the behavior and social attitude
of some learners like you. It’s in terms of violence, sexual vulgarity, crimes and bullying. Parental
advice and guidance are required.