to a situated learning environment

Interactive multimedia and situated learning Interactive multimedia is a relatively new educational innovation in primary, secondary and tertiary level classrooms. While the educational community has enthusiastically embraced its potential, relatively little is known about how students learn from multimedia, and the design features of the software itself that promote effective learning. This article describes results associated with a qualitative study into how students use an interactive multimedia program designed according to a situated learning model. Situated learning first came to prominence with the publication of several articles in the late 1980s (e.g., Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1989; Collins, Brown, & Newman, 1989). The theory captured educators ’ imagination with its foundations in the apprenticeship system, and its emphasis on the importance of learning within the context of real-world applications. The practical application of the theory to the design of interactive multimedi