Review of Multimedia in the College Classroom: Improve Learning and Connect with Students in Online and Hybrid Courses

[1] In Multimedia in the College Classroom, Heidi Skurat Harris and Michael Greer offer practical guidance for instructors interested in humanizing online and hybrid courses to support student learning. Rather than treating multimedia as a course supplement, this text positions it as essential to online instruction, arguing that its use must be grounded in an understanding of how students learn differently in digital environments. The text is organized as a modular, workshop-style resource: Its chapters are designed to be read in any order and are paired with exercises that invite instructors to experiment with multimedia in their own teaching contexts.

[2] Chapter 1 establishes the text’s central claim that instructional content does not, by itself, produce learning, particularly in online courses structured around dense readings. Skurat Harris and Greer describe a recurring disconnect between how instructors assume students engage with materials and how students actually encounter learning in screen-based, fragmented environments. As they note, effective instruction requires attention to how learners encounter, process, and make sense of information rather than assuming linear reading and sustained attention. The chapter works well as a conceptual starting point, reframing how instructors think about student engagement and learning in digital environments and underscoring that the “online classroom needs to provide . . . cues to direct students through instruction, beginning with the very first day of class” (p. 11). The authors demonstrate ways to use multimedia to provide those cues and guide students’ navigation of course content; they suggest, for instance, creating a welcome video and posting illustrated instructions (p. 13).

[3] Chapters 2 and 3 focus on the conditions that enable students to engage meaningfully in online learning, though they approach this work from different angles. Chapter 2 centers the affective dimensions of online learning by examining how students interpret instructional cues, expectations, and instructor presence in digitally mediated environments. Skurat Harris and Greer evidence how multimedia—such as short videos, audio commentary, and visual framing—can reduce uncertainty and help students understand how to approach tasks. Chapter 3 centers accessibility, challenging static models of accommodation and recognizing that “students have a broad spectrum of learning abilities and devices and applications to access and interact with digital learning” (p. 49). Together, these chapters emphasize that when instructors anticipate variability in how students encounter course materials, they can design multimedia content that offers multiple points of access and fosters more inclusive learning environments.

[4] Chapters 4 and 5 turn to instructor presence and communication, illustrating how students’ participation and sense of belonging are shaped by instructional design and delivery. Skurat Harris and Greer offer concrete strategies for using multimedia to establish presence and encourage interaction, addressing seemingly minor points such as camera setup in synchronous spaces. For example, they demonstrate how what appears behind an instructor on videoconferences can communicate approachability and create rapport (p. 74). These chapters are particularly effective in translating abstract ideas about presence and engagement into tactics that remain feasible within real institutional constraints.

[5] Chapter 6 synthesizes the text’s earlier discussions by emphasizing instructional design as an iterative, student-centered process. The chapter encourages instructors to reflect on the ways in which design choices shape student experience and to adjust those choices over time based on feedback and observation. Rather than bombarding students with videos and graphics, the authors explain that we must “identify learning gaps and the resources, assignments, and assessments that can close them [so that] we can identify where students will benefit from multimedia instruction” (p. 114). Chapter 7 concludes the text by curating additional resources for instructors seeking deeper engagement with accessibility, multimedia, and online pedagogy, positioning the text as both a guide and a springboard for further exploration.

[6] One potential limitation of Multimedia in the College Classroom is that it does not address generative AI, despite the rapid integration of AI tools into online classrooms. Because AI tools increasingly influence composing practices, authorship, and instructional decision-making, the text does not fully account for the contemporary conditions under which multimedia and instructional presence now operate. The text also misses an opportunity to examine AI as a resource for instructors to broaden design possibilities and streamline their labor.

[7] Nevertheless, the text thoughtfully addresses the concerns of online literacy instructors. Rather than prioritizing tools or platforms, the authors approach online instruction as pedagogy shaped by design, presence, and learning conditions. This orientation is especially valuable because it helps literacy instructors translate familiar pedagogical goals—such as clarifying expectations and scaffolding tasks—into effective online teaching practices that will help students engage with ideas, interpret complex information, and participate in academic communication across modes. This text is distinguished by its long-term value: It serves as a reference, a reflective tool, and a framework instructors can revisit as their online courses evolve.