Narrative is fundamental to the ways we make sense of texts of all kinds because it provides structure and coherence, but it is difficult to see how this works in the context of multimedia interactive learning environments (MILES). We tested our hypotheses about the form and function of narrative in MILES by developing three versions of material on CD-ROM which had different narrative structures and analysed the impact of the different versions on learner behaviour. We present a theoretical framework in which we explain the concepts of narrative guidance and narrative construction and their application to the design of MILES.

We explore some of the complex issues surrounding the design and use of multimedia and Internet-based learning resources in distance education courses. We do so by analysing our experiences designing a diverse array of learning media for a large scale, distance learning course in introductory computing. During the project, we had to significantly rethink the design and production of our learning resources as we shifted from a paper-based teaching model to an interactive teaching model. This shift entailed changes to our design products (to promote more effective media use by learners) and changes to our design practices (to foster consistent media use and design across a large and distributed team). Course designers and course students alike needed help in breaking out of paper-based models of learning to obtain maximum benefit from the interactive teaching model.