Final Portfolio
Introduction
This final portfolio is a summary of what I learned in this course. In this course, I created works in various media formats, including text, dialogue, images, video, data visualization, and multimedia stories. Before taking this course, I thought multimedia simply meant creating combinations of different media. As I completed my daily creations and the final story, I realized that the main idea of multimedia is choice. I needed to think about why I used images, why I added audio, and how to convey what I wanted to express to the audience. In this post, I will discuss how I met the learning outcomes of the course. I will use my own blog posts as documentation, which include my Daily Creates, my data visualization post, my Multimedia Story Draft, and my Multimedia Story Final.
Outcome 1: Understanding how learning is related to multimedia
I believe multimedia must be relevant to the learning process, not just make posts more interesting. People can learn in different ways from images, audio, charts, or maps. For example, I created an audio piece called “Learning Across Spaces.” This made me realize that sound is also a very important form of expression. Previously, I always thought images were more important than sound. But in creating TDCs, I realized that sound can also be part of a story.
I also read about dual coding from the course website. In my opinion, text and images can each serve different purposes and complement each other. In my technology design course “Data Visualization,” I created two charts about my study and sleep times. The information itself was simple, but when I transformed it into charts, the patterns became much clearer. This made me realize that the way information is presented is very important.
Outcome 2: Using multimedia design principles
In my final multimedia story, a walking narrative about Victoria University, I considered the potential confusion viewers might feel visiting UVic for the first time. Moreover, I used the Mayer principle.
Firstly, I use the principle of continuity. During the walk, I only used representative and guiding images which include the Finerty Gardens, campus paths, academic areas, and naturals/
Secondly, proximity is also important. I placed each image near its corresponding caption to help readers receive meaning directly. I also added some sound elements such as footsteps, wind, and birdsong. Instead of describing each sound, I used sound to convey the experience of walking on campus.
In my TDC, the Images also relate to this learning outcome. In the work “Backlighting,” I took a simple photograph with the light source behind a bottle. I believe that sometimes simple images convey more information than complex ones.
Outcome 3: Using design thinking
https://shiqiluo.opened.ca/2026/06/25/tdc-multimedia/
I attempted to make the post feel more personal to UVic by using my Multimedia Story Final. The flow of the story begins at Finerty Gardens, then follows through the campus paths and academic areas, then back to the Student Union Building. This made the project more of an experience than just individual photos of the campus.
My TDC: Multimedia is also a link to storytelling. I selected a little garden close to my flat as I occasionally have to go there at night when I can’t sleep and also when I wish to unwind. I wanted to capture the mood of the location with all three elements of the media: photo, audio and text. This made me realize that a story doesn’t have to involve a big event.
Outcome 4: Using storytelling
Stoeytelling made me understand that multimedia is not just about the media on the page, I placed my attempt to make the post seem like personal story.The story begins at Finerty Gardens, then travels through campus paths and academic areas and ends at the Student Union Building. This gave the project a more of an experience rather than the usual campus pictures.
My TDC Multimedia is also related to the concept of storytelling. I had selected a small garden near my apartment as sometimes, I have to go there during the night, when I cannot sleep or when I want to relax. I used a photograph, a sound recording and a text to attempt to convey the mood of that location. This made me realize that not all stories have to have a major event. A simple place can still have a meaning when working with media.
Outcome 5: Using interactive multimedia design
I found that the most important aspects of interactive multimedia are logic and placement. In my final story, I incorporated route maps, audio links, images, explanatory text, and clear chapter divisions. These elements allow readers to experience the story in multiple ways. The route map indicates the location of walking routes. Audio links allow readers to hear sounds of the surrounding environment. The explanation shows the purpose of each photograph.
After reading the accessibility module, I ensured that each of my filming processes avoided photographing other people. I needed to protect the privacy of both myself and others.
One challenge in this production process was uploading the audio. I couldn’t directly upload the audio files to the blog website, so I used Google Drive links. I added annotations below the audio tracks so that readers could understand the function of each audio segment. This made me realize that technical issues are also part of multimedia design.
Outcome 6: Creating different prototype artifacts
Text
Audio
Image
Video
Multimedia
Data Visualisation
A lot of the small media pieces that I created throughout this course were done. My TDC: Text was a remix poem. I was playing with sound and location in my audio TDC. To achieve the best results, I used backlighting for my image on TDC. In My TDC: Video, the students demonstrated motion and time by flipping a bottle.
It was also a prototype of the data visualization activity. I created two charts using my hand-drawing skills. The bar chart was used for the comparison of hours of study. I chose a line chart, since sleep hours were a graph that demonstrates change over time. The charts were basic, but it was a good way of practicing how to convey information visually.
These little tasks were helpful to my final story. The Daily Creates allowed me to experiment with different media without it becoming too big a project.
Outcome 7: Using GenAI appropriately
In this course, I used GenAI sparingly. I only used it to help with the graph. All media materials were created by me, including content, images, text,audio and video. I believe the best use of AI is for organizing thoughts. For example, because I lacked knowledge of data visualization and didn’t want to use AI to generate it, in my TDC data visualization, I determined the framework through a browser and an AI search. Finally, I decided to draw it by hand to reinforce my understanding, which would also help my future learning.
Challenges and future use of the product.
The challenge of this course was connecting the theory from the book with my own content. Concepts like coherence, signalling, modality, segmenting, spatial contiguity and modality were all new to me at first. I applied them to my writing and gradually came to understand them. I realized their practical uses, such as where and how many images should be placed, and whether audio was truly important.
Another challenge is how to make the media logical. Photos are easy to collect, but it is very important to connect these photos into a whole story for a good multimedia project.
I believe this course will be helpful for my future studies and work. The biggest improvement has been in my logic and positioning skills. I am now able to use data visualization to clearly convey information, especially in the business/economic fields. I am also able to apply media principles when creating presentations, reports, and online articles. In this course, I learned to clearly define the positioning of each media element. Whether it’s images, sound, charts, video, maps, or artificial intelligence tools—in all cases, I must consider how to use these elements to help the audience understand the information.
References
Bates, A. W. (2022). Teaching in a Digital Age (3rd ed.). BCcampus Open Publishing. https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev3m/
EDCI 337. (2026). Interactive & Multimedia Learning course modules. University of Victoria. https://edtechuvic.ca/edci337/
Mayer, R. E., & Fiorella, L. (Eds.). (2021). The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/cambridge-handbook-of-multimedia-learning/C1C0B00FE70DC11AFDC1F9E1782B5B77
The DS106 Daily Create. (2026). The DS106 Daily Create. https://daily.ds106.us/
Google Maps. (2026). Route map used in my Multimedia Story Final. https://www.google.com/maps