Developing an interactive multimedia software package to enhance understanding of and learning outcomes in water treatment processes

Teaching and learning environments which use multimedia based resources greatly improve the effectiveness and efficiency of learning by engaging students at a deeper level than may otherwise be possible. This is particularly so in situations where `real world' phenomena and processes are being taught. Using such a multimedia package in teaching pollution control processes is novel. This paper reports on the successful development of a multimedia package dealing with several pollution control processes and its evaluation. The pollution control processes illustrated in the multimedia software are physico-chemical processes which are widely used in both water and wastewater treatment. Teaching the design concepts for these processes in a conventional classroom setting is challenging because students have difficulty in visualizing the techniques and processes involved. This difficulty is compounded by the fact that many of the processes occur naturally over longer time periods and so cannot be easily be integrated into normal teaching environments. The software package incorporates several different media modes including text, drawings, photographs, animation, and simulation. The preliminary pilot evaluation of this package using third year engineering students indicated that it provided greater insight and understanding of the complex treatment processes being taught.