Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to disseminate information on the tasks performed by a multimedia specialist in a team-based distance course design group in higher education. The multimedia specialist gives creative input, suggests various forms of interactivity, and recommends specific media for online course development. The multimedia specialist is part of a team that collaboratively develops efficient and effective online courses. This team adheres to the instructional systems design process in developing online course instruction. The main focus is to describe the use of free and open source software, in lieu of costly development tools, to develop online courses. This paper will highlight the tasks of a multimedia specialist, examples of free and open source software used, the challenges and successes of using free and open source software, and the successes of the Distance Course Design and Consulting group.