This short TED Talk (Treasure, 2009) discusses the physiological, psychological, cognitive, and behavioural ways sound affects us.
History of audio as an educational technology (unit 1)
One of the first ways people learned was through oral communication like storytelling, lectures, recitation, and memorization (Bates, 2014). Despite telephones, videos, and computers, “None of these technologies though changes the oral basis of communication for teaching” (para. 10).
Connecting audio to how people learn (unit 2)
Treasure (2009) says most sounds are accidental, but when sound is intentional, we can influence how people think, feel, or act (corresponding to cognitivism, constructivism, and behaviourism respectively).
Sound affects people cognitively. Treasure (2009) says, “We have a very small amount of bandwidth for processing auditory input” (1:52). For example, exposure to background office noise may reduce learning effectiveness and efficiency.
An overabundance of digital content exists for learners (Weller, 2011) not only in written materials but also multimedia, including radio, television, podcasts, video clips, and live streaming; cognitive overload could occur if learners become overwhelmed by too many auditory stimuli.
Addressing the psychological roots of constructivism, Treasure (2009) says “Music … affects our emotional state” (1:14). The implication for instructional designers? Sounds familiar to learners may help motivate learning or activate pre-existing knowledge.
Treasure (2009) says sound can also trigger a behavioural response. In behavourism, learning occurs when learners are observed responding appropriately to stimuli; accordingly, audio stimuli may help strengthen a learner’s response (Ertmer & Newby, 2013, p.29).
Audio and its influence on learning (unit 3)
Different perspectives exist on how media affect learning. Clark (1994) argues media has no impact on learning outcomes; the underlying instructional design principles drive learning. Kozma (1994) believes researchers have not yet found the link between media and learning; he is optimistic a causal link exists. Treasure (2009) supports Kozma’s (1994) belief. He says conducting a “soundscape” analysis and creating intentional soundscapes can predict physiological, psychological, cognitive, and behavioral outcomes.
References
Bates, T. (2014). A short history of educational technology. Retrieved Sept. 21, 2017.
Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 21-29.
Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. (2013). Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71.
Kozma, R. B. (1994). Will media influence learning: Reframing the debate. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 7-19.
Reiser, R. A. (2001). A history of instructional design and technology: Part I: A history of instructional media. Educational Technology Research and Development, 49(1), 53-64.
Treasure, J. (2009, July). The 4 ways sound affects us [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/julian_treasure_the_4_ways_sound_affects_us?language=en&utm_campaign=tedspread–a&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare.
Weller, M. (2011). A pedagogy of abundance. Spanish Journal of Pedagogy, 249, 223–236.