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License: Creative Commons Attribution license (reuse allowed) Attribution: 3 Considerations for Tech in the Classroom educause
Instructional designers have many opportunities to recommend to an instructor appropriate media for implementing the instructional strategies. Selecting the appropriate media mix can be often challenging and is a critical component of the instructional design process. This section will address some guidelines for selecting instructional media.
Learning Objectives
- Select the best media mix for increased learning and maximum cost-effectiveness.
- Know the different media categories: text, audio, visuals, animations, and real objects.
- Determine how each medium relates to learning.
- Describe how different media can affect a learner’s motivation.
- Explain the differences between synchronous and asynchronous technologies.
Many various forms of technology are depicted in this photo. Do you think each of these could be used in the classroom? If so, how? If not, which ones are not appropriate for the classroom and why? Pixabay.com– CC0 license
Media and Technology
What is the difference between media and technology? Philosophers and scientists have argued about the nature of media and technologies over a very long period. The distinction is challenging because in everyday language use, we tend to use these two terms interchangeably. For instance, television is often referred to as both a medium and a technology. Is the Internet a medium or a technology? And does it matter?
There are differences, and it does matter to distinguish between media and technology, especially if we are looking for guidelines on when and how to use them. There is a danger in looking too much at the raw technology, and not enough at the personal, social and cultural contexts in which we use technology, particularly in education. The terms ‘media’ and ‘technology’ represent different ways altogether of thinking about the choice and use of technology in teaching and learning.
Technology
There are many definitions of technology. Essentially definitions of technology range from the basic notion of tools, to systems which employ or exploit technologies. Thus,
- ‘technology refers to tools and machines that may be used to solve real-world problems‘ is a simple definition;
- ‘the current state of humanity’s knowledge of how to combine resources to produce desired products, to solve problems, fulfill needs, or satisfy wants’.
In terms of educational technology we have to consider a broad definition of technology. The technology of the Internet involves more than just a collection of tools, but a system that combines computers, telecommunications, software and rules and procedures or protocols. Beware, that once a definition begins to encompass many different aspects of life it becomes unwieldy and ambiguous.
Educational technology is seen as tools used to support teaching and learning. Thus, computers, software programs such as a learning management syste