Nonlinear, non sequential multimedia implies that a person will in some way interact with a computer program. By doing so, they control the experience and dictate their unique journey to their final destination.
Interactivity results when there is some kind of interface, or connection between a user and a medium. A range of options or pathways is available to the user by way of menu selections or buttons that will lead to different categories and ultimately provide new information. This results in variable outcomes, which depend on the choices made by the user. The program has predetermined informational hierarchies established by the developer, but the user is free to explore, due to the elimination of path restrictions and time constraints. In this vein, acquiring knowledge by pursuing a random order of routes is encouraged.
An example of interactive multimedia is an educational museum kiosk with a touchscreen that allows visitors to learn more about an exhibit, as shown in this Figure. They can explore historical information by reading text on the subject, viewing images and diagrams, watching videos, and listening to sound recordings.
Such a program supplements other physical displays to allow for further educational opportunities.
Another example of linear vs. nonlinear multimedia is viewing a video. By its very nature, video is a type of single, independent medium that is typically played and viewed from point A to point B. If presented to an audience, such as in a theater, it is linear, sequential, and non-interactive. There is no viewer participation other than sitting back and watching. The content is presented in a straightforward manner, and it is completely in the hands of the video producer and the person who is controlling the display device.
However, if a video is viewed on a DVD player or streamed via the Internet on a computer or TV, as shown in the example in Figure 1-6, there are many ways to interact with it and control the experience. The video can be paused, rewound, or advanced; different scenes can be selected at random; closed-captioning can be displayed; audio can be adjusted; and the list goes on. This is undeniably a much more lively way to view a movie, even though the video medium itself is inherently designed for passive observation.
