Reaction Paper IV

 

Review of articles beginning with Delivery Trucksor Groceries? More Food for Thought on Whether Media (Will, May, Canít)Influence Learning

 

ÝÝÝÝ Clark was adamant when he stated in his original article and the rebuttal that different media attributes accomplished the same learning goals. This implied that there was no unique cognitive effect that could be attributed to any single media attribute. Therefore, there could be nothing in the media attribute that promotes learning.Ý Clark believes that differences in learning goals should be attributed solely to the medium being used (and not how it was delivered). Clark attempted to bring his point home by using a medical analogy.Ý He argued that medication can be administered as a pill, a liquid, or a needle injection.Ý It didnít matter how the person received the medicine.Ý If it worked, it would help them.Ý How the medicine is delivered is irrelevant to the fact that if it can be delivered at all the patient would get better. To talk about media and mediums to Clark was like mixing apples and oranges.Ý His argument is that we should consider learning mediums as being instrumental to meeting learning objectives. However, the issue of the effectiveness of mediums is confounded by including talk about the effects of media in the same breath.

ÝÝÝÝ I disagree with him.Ý Media provide different modes of delivery. Therefore, the differences in the mode of delivery should result in different outcomes. To use Clarkís analogy, we are not talking about one medication (letís use aspirin).Ý We are talking about the difference between aspirin, advil, Tylenol, and motrin.Ý Which works better to relieve a headache, or a toothache, or a bruised knee?Ý Aspirin might upset someoneís stomach whereas another person may be allergic to the ingredients in advil. I believe that variety promotes preference.Ý I also disagree that different media attributes accomplish basically the same thing.Ý Individuals havedifferent learning styles. This should be taken into account when considering appropriate media.Ý I agree with Kozma.Ý He suggests that different media have unique attributes that contribute towards enhancing the cognitive processes involved in learning.Ý Therefore, a student may have difficulty visualizing something presented in a textbook or on television.Ý However, that same student may be able to grasp a concept presented in an interactive way in a computer simulation.Ý This reminds me of the article we reviewed last week, which discussed how businesses and corporations are using the computer to problem solve. They are able to change one variable and observe the changes that occur throughout the system. This enables them to project what changes they want to make and how it will affect present and future operations. They gain an understanding of the interactive nature of the systems they are dealing with because they can see what the expected outcomes would be if they made the decisions.The author made a point of saying that what took months of planning and developing can be done in a matter of days with computers. This is another consideration in favor of Kozmaís argument.

ÝÝÝÝ One of the examples Kozma used related to students in a physics class learning about force and motion. He suggested that the students had a better grasp of how force behaves by watching its affects and trajectory movement of objects as part of an interactive computer simulation

program. Learning by understanding the consequences of their actions helped students mentally process the laws of force and motion at a deeper level than they would have been able to otherwise. Clark may argue that the students would have learned the concepts anyway.Ý One question would be how long would it have taken them to do that?Ý I do not argue that computers are the answer for every kind of learning situation. However, in some situations, the benefits of computer programs may outweigh other media choices that exist.

ÝÝÝÝ I also noted that Clarkís reply still relied on very old information. He reiterated his old statements with the same old information.Ý It was as if the advent of computer technology and computer programs had done little if anything to change his mind in regard to the potential benefits of this new media (with its software and programs) over other media. Kozmaís information was more current to the time in which he was writing. His article also suggested trends for the future growth and potential for different media in instructional design.

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