Annotation and education

Because our research focuses on developing multimedia technologies for educational settings, we begin this article with an exercise. Throughout this article, you will see a number of screen images from programs we are building. Try to understand what these pictures mean without reading the explanatory captions that appear below them. You will probably find this difficult, as you are still unfamiliar with our work. The important thing to realize is that a well-written caption can provide a context for understanding. Our research explores the types of learning that occur when people collaborate to develop explanations of multimedia content. We develop systems to help learners observe digital photographs and video, pose hypotheses about their meanings, and justify their assertions with evidence.