Individual group members chose concepts from geography, math, and literature as their major topics of study for an interactive website. Stephanie’s focus is the five themes of geography. Christa’s focus is quadrilaterals, while Rachel’s focus is plot development. Each member identified several key concepts that would need to be addressed by the interactive website. Stephanie’s website would help students understand how landforms, climate, vegetation, and resources contribute to movement and human-environment interaction. Christa’s website would enable students to identify and make conjectures about the distinguishing properties of the polygons that make up the quadrilateral family. Rachel’s website will explore the relationship between elements of fiction: plot, theme, setting, characterization, conflict, mood, style, tone, point of view. Group members plan to use various technology tools. Interactive online maps, podcasts, video clips, mind-mapping software, and programming software like Scratch and Alice were all ways that team members plan to use multimedia in their interactive websites.
Research
The group proposed using various types of multimedia so I wanted to look for research supporting the use of multimedia to increase learning. I was surprised to find that not all research supports the use of multimedia to increase learning.
1. The authors of Creating Interactive Multimedia-Based Educational Courseware: Cognition in Learning propose that there are several principles that should be considered when developing educational multimedia to ensure that is pedagogically sound and will meet the needs of various learners. Some of the major principles include:
· Multimedia principle- make use of 2 modes of representation
· Split-attention principle- make us of text and graphics together rather than separately
· Modality principle- verbal information should be presented as auditory speech not on-screen text
· Redundancy principle- learners learn best from animation and narration without added text
· Coherence principle- eliminate extraneous information
The authors believe that applying these research based principles will facilitate the design of multimedia that fosters active learning.
L., M. S. (2005). Creating interactive multimedia-based educational courseware: cognition in learning. Cognition, Technology & Work, 7(1), 46-50. doi:10.1007/s10111-004-0171-1
2. Kimberley Ketterer explains the difference between technology infusion and technology integration in simple terms with examples. She suggests that it is possible to have technology infusion without technology integration but once technology infusion is reached professional development for technology integration is a must.
Ketterer, K. (2007). Infusion or Integration. Learning & Leading with Technology, 35(2), 17. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
3. Hastings and Tracey’s Does Media Affect Learning: Where Are We Now? focuses on an old debate about the use of media in the classroom. In 1983 Richard E. Clark stated that “media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievement any more than the truck that delivers our groceries causes changes in our nutrition” (p.445). Other researchers responded that media does in fact influence learning. The authors summarize both sides of the argument and suggest that developments in media and computer use in education warrant a revisit to this debate.
Clark, R. (1983). Reconsidering research on learning from media. Review of Educational Research.53 (4), 445-449. Retrieved from http://www.uky.edu/~gmswan3/609/Clark_1983.pdf
Hastings, N. B., & Tracey, M. W. (2005). Does media affect learning: where are we now?. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 49(2), 28-30.
This article can be found at http://wist206.coe.hawaii.edu/601/quant_research/ETEC601_hastings.pdf
4. In Media Will Never Influence Learning Richard Clark attempts to summarize his earlier viewpoint that media does not influence learning and respond to criticism for this viewpoint. His argument is that it is the instructional methods that lead to learning not the medium. He goes on to challenge researchers to prove an instance when a particular medium is shown to have an effect on learning that there is no other medium that would yield a similar result. Clark does acknowledge that media has an effect but believes its effect to be on the cost and speed of learning and then only when used with sound instructional methods.
Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research & Development, 42(2), 21-29. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
Question
It was interesting to read Clark’s article and think about it in terms of Instructional Design Theory which is showing us the principles of learning and teaching in any domain. If we are not using sound pedagogy when attempting to teach content it really does not matter which multimedia tools we choose to employ. Read Hastings and Tracey’s Does Media Affect Learning: Where Are We Now?. Where do you fall in this debate? Do you believe that media is more than the truck delivering goods? Can engaging multimedia planned by experts with sound pedagogy overcome teacher deficits?
I actually do believe with Clark in that media is just a way to deliver the information. It's the teacher's job to influence student success. Engaging multimedia can sometimes assist with a teacher's deficits. For example, a fun video or engaging media project might set the mood and attitude for the topic even if the teacher is unenthused. However, it can also harm the instruction. If the teacher relies on technology too heavily, the students might become bored or disengaged. Learning is a social activity. It is difficult for a student to receive all their instruction using videos, podcasts, and other independent media. Even social media like Edmodo or Facebook can be one dimensional. Sometimes for a learner to fully understand a concept, they need face to face old fashioned learning. Therefore, media "has turned the delivery truck into the supersonic jet" (Clark 1994). Yes, modern technology has sped up the delivery of instruction, but does it always enhance understanding?
ReplyDeleteClark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research & Development, 42(2), 21-29. Retrieved from EBSCOhost
You made a great point about media possibly setting a positive mood or making up for an unenthused teacher. I agreed with some of Clark’s assertions but with the push to create learner’s that are prepared for tomorrow’s workforce our student need more practice expressing themselves. I do believe that technology can play a big part in providing opportunities for them to communicate with others.
DeleteI think it greatly depends on the kind of media. We have been asked to critique digital resources this semester precisely because media itself cannot ensure student achievement. If the objectives are not clear and the resource is not accessible for different types of learners, learning is not going to take place.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there are certain types of resources which give immediate and individual feedback in ways that no mere human teacher could accomplish.
To expand on the metaphor - I would propose that media is the packaging, rather than the truck, that delivers the knowledge. The package or truck may do nothing to add to the nutrition (Hastings & Tracey, 2005), BUT if the look of the packaging engages the consumer, it may encourage better nutrition. Essentially, media then becomes the marketing for the knowledge. It reminds me of the debate in the value of "edutainment". That is precisely why we must know how to critically analyze instructional resources. Something can be engaging but not effective and vice versa.
Hastings, N. B., & Tracey, M. W. (2005). Does media affect learning: where are we now?. Techtrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning, 49(2), 28-30.
This article can be found at http://wist206.coe.hawaii.edu/601/quant_research/ETEC601_hastings.pdf
You made some very good points Rachel. I agree that technology resources can offer that immediate and individual feedback and I also like your comparison of media with packaging. There is value in "edutainment" when used corretly.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn today’s growing world technology is used more and more in every day life including the workplace, as teachers we need to make sure students are ready for those demands that the work place is requiring.
ReplyDeleteSandholtz et al (1997) discusses the necessary conditions that technology can be used to improve education. “First, the successful use of technology- or the adoption of any educational innovation-requires teachers to confront their beliefs about learning and the efficacy of different instructional activities. Second, technology should be viewed as one tool among many and will have little influence unless it is successfully integrated into a meaningful curricular and instructional framework. Third, teachers need to work in contexts that support risk taking and experimentation, and that provide opportunities for collegial sharing and ongoing professional growth” (Sandholtz et al, 1997 p170).
Incorporating any kind of technology is not as easy as most would like it to be. Like most major assignments or actually any enrichment activity we as teachers want to be apart of the classroom, we as the teachers need to do a lot of the leg work before we can go forward with it.
The last thing that really struck me with this book is the benefits of technology that they discussed. “The benefits of technology integration are best realized when learning is not just the process of transferring facts from one person to another, but when the teacher’s goal is to empower students as thinkers and problem solvers” (Sandholtz et al, 1997 p.176). When integrating technology into the classroom, teachers should not do it because it is there, but because it can empower and enrich the students’ lives.
To answer the question, media should not be a vehicle to which good are merely delivered. Technology along with media should be placed in the prepared hands of a 21st century educator whose purpose is to empower student 21st century skills.
Works Cited
Sandholtz, J. H., Ringstaff, C., & Dwyer, D. C. (1997). Teaching with Technology: Creating Student-Centered Classrooms. New York: Teachers College Press.