You would obviously not build a house without blueprints. The same goes for building online courses.

The best thing you could do is to have your faculty meet and talk with an instructional designer and a multimedia producer. This triage will ensure that all angles are covered and that you have a plan for utilizing effective multimedia pieces. Whatever you spend for this expert advice will more than pay for itself because it will facilitate the production of effective multimedia based on the desired learning outcomes, and it will save money by NOT facilitating the production of unnecessary multimedia.

The popular press frequently reports on the greatness of streaming media. However, video streaming is a very costly proposition not only in dollars but also in your client’s (i.e. the learner’s) satisfaction. All you have to do is picture the average learner logging on to your sight to receive streaming video via a busy Internet Service Provider through a dial-up modem at peak time. Enough said.

Unfortunately, streaming video is more hype than proven results. Nonetheless, streaming video has its place and can be very effective. In particular, head shots that are a minute or two in duration can be effective. However, many people conjure up ideas of a 30 to 60-minute streaming video, which is inappropriate for online learning. Basically, for long-duration video, you are better off sending a CD or videotape (see Insider Secret #5).

More often than not the most effective solutions are the simplest solutions. Do you remember back in the mid 1990’s when the web was just coming on board and you had all of these websites that put up the ‘bells and whistles’ of technology just for the sake of doing so?

Do you also remember the market reaction to this? It was a complete turn off, or in web terminology, the marketplace "clicked off."

The multimedia pieces you use do not have to be complicated. In fact, a simple picture in an online course, when done properly, can be just as effective, if not more effective, than more complicated animations.

Macromedia Flash technology has done for online coursers what multimedia CD-ROMs did for computers. Flash allows online learners with dial-up modems to easily view sophisticated multimedia that can bring web pages to life with animation and the opportunity for interaction.

Some great examples of when to use Flash include end-of-chapter reviews, demonstrations of technical information, animated illustrations of difficult-to-grasp concepts, and introductions to new learning modules. An interactive Flash module can be one in which the user matches up columns of information to assess a learning outcome. If you want to go all out, add some audio to the Flash. While narration does take additional time, when properly done, it is well worth the effort.

For example, in one online learning class we enlivened a module that covered the difference in the speed of transmission when on a dial-up modem connection, a DSL/Cable connection or a T-1 connection. Through Flash, an animated module was created that depicted objects moving from one part of the computer screen to another. The speed in which the objects moved across the screen depended upon the type of connection. The end result was that the learners more easily grasped the concept of bandwidth and connection speeds by watching an animated demonstration as opposed to reading a bunch of dull text.

Keep in mind that any Flash module over 90 seconds in length is over kill and may be counter productive.

You may find yourself in a position where you need to show a high quality 40-minute video or a very detailed graphic that is incredibly complex and large. In these instances you will save yourself much time and money by putting the multimedia on CD-ROM.

Many of the course management systems incorporate the use of a CD-ROM directly inside courses. A link such as "Insert your CD into Your Computer" or "Click Here When You are Done" is all that is required to have the learner fully engaged in high quality, high bandwidth multimedia.

I will never forget the words of my high school drama teacher, Ms. Daniels, who said "Life is a showpiece. We are always being measured and judged by our outward appearances." How right she truly is. In today’s competitive marketplace, you better believe that the appearance of your courses will play a factor for a prospective learner deciding to enroll in your course or the competition’s.

By following these five tips, you can enhance the appearance of your online courses without it being a cost prohibitive exercise.