Over the past decade there has been a rapid development of multimedia in education. Multimedia is the term used to describe a hypertext system that incorporates a variety of media besides literary text, including graphics, animation, video, sound, and hypertext links. Multimedia has enormous potential in the classroom, especially at elementary level, with a number of advantages for experiencing literary texts, as it calls on all the language skills (listening, reading, speaking, writing) as well as viewing skills. So far, multimedia has largely been used as a supplementary resource, for follow-up activities or as a form of reward in the classroom, but it can also provide a significant basis for literary instruction. For some teachers, multimedia may appear to be a reductive, even a trivializing, tool, compared to the conventional linear, verbal act of reading literature, a view that students do not seem to share. However, the introduction of the computer should force teachers to rethink their practices, while students should be motivated to learn in a new way. The use of multimedia also reflects changes in literature teaching methodology.
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