more comfortable to learn with graphics rather than lengthy descriptions. They also added that
graphics help them to retain and recall the microbial descriptions easily than studying with text.
One student mentioned this aspect:
‘Some concepts explained in length in course material can be understood easily with visuals.
Therefore, this IMM makes one to study easily with a shorter period of time. Sometimes the
printing quality of our course material is not so good and therefore the pictures are not so
clear. But here, they are in colour pictures and the resolution gives good colour contrast so
that it is easier to grasp. (S25/M)
Most of the students were requesting to add actual natural photographs or electron
micrographs of bacteria rather than drawn diagrams. Few students also requested to
incorporate motion into bacteria rather than static, to give them a live appearance.
Animations
Students have acquired animations as one of the most helpful features in learning the abstract
concepts in this IMM. They were of the view that the animations are clear and pleasing to their
eyes. As the ‘play’ and ‘stop’ buttons were built into animations, students have visualised the
animations several times as they wish, until they properly understand the process.
Observational studies also provided evidence on the students’ repeated engagement with
animations using the ‘stop’ and ‘play’ buttons.
Students’ feedback also revealed that they have grasped the abstract concepts of bacterial
genetic processes well with the incorporation of these animations. They expressed that
animations visualised the processes as live processes, which cannot even be explained in
face-to-face situations. Questionnaire results also verified this fact having 81% strongly
agreeing and 19% agreeing (a cumulative of 100% agreeing) on the helpfulness of animations
in learning genetic processes in microbiology. Further during the interviews, students highly
valued the importance of having background narration to the animations. Students have felt
that, they were studying in a classroom situation, having an audio narration in the animations,
and accepted it an excellent facility in ODL Students explaining their views on learning with
animations:
‘Since the animations are with narrations, I felt it like somebody explaining the process like we
are in a face-to-face situation. (S2/F).
‘Hfr conjugation’ and ‘specialized transduction’, were very clearly explained in this, which was
very difficult to study from the course book. All the doubts that I had with ‘excisions’ and in
‘conjugation’ were clearly clarified with once watching this IMM. (S11/F).
Audio
Commenting on the audio narration that is used in the IMM, almost every student said that
audio narration is simple, clear and understandable. They also said that it is at a moderate
speed, which is understandable to them. As a whole, students were happy with the existing
male voice that is in the audio narration. However, when they were asked how they would like