Edward Logan and Heather deLange
In our LRNT 523, we have been reading and discovering about the media debate around learning. We have read two articles with two different viewpoints. In the first article by Clark, Media will never influence learning, Clark goes through the history of media research, the arguments against the study, and concludes with his claim that the media of learning. In the second article by Kozma, Will media influence learning: Reframing the debate, Kozma discusses his take on media and learning and the need for this debate to be framed. Finally, we will look at two articles involving educational technology summarizing the article and providing what Clark and Kozma might think about these articles and technologies.
Google Classroom
Summary
The author discusses Google Classroom on its one-year anniversary in the article titled ” Google Classroom Celebrates One-Year Anniversary With New Features for Teachers. The author states that “70 million assignments have been created on Classroom and Google Apps for Education has amassed more than 40 million teacher and students users” (Madda, 2015) since it started. Google Classroom is a learning management system (LMS) for students in K-12 education. Google states, “One of the things we learned the most is that teachers used it a lot in class, which was not like a lot of learning management systems” (Madda, 2015). By saying this it suggests that Google Classroom is an important medium and the reason that the learners learned better. The author does quote Google “this is definitely a teacher-centric design process” (Madda, 2015). They plan to continue growing their platform in the future.
What would Kozma have thought
Kozma might say Google Classroom is a medium working together the method to help the learning happen. Kozma stated, “a medium’s capabilities enable methods and the methods that are used take advantage of the capabilities” (Kozma, 1994). The teacher uses Google Classroom and has the ability to post content and assignments. The teacher uses it then uses as part of the lecture in the class about the topic. This lends itself to both the media and method working together to help the students learn.
What would Clark have thought
It is fair to assume that Clark only sees Google Classroom as a delivery tool. Google Classroom was one of many methods to deliver learning to the students. Clark stated, “Delivery technology formats and packages essential instructional methods based on available resources and the Cost-effectiveness qualities of media attributes for specific learners and Learning contexts” (Clark, 1994). Google Classroom meets many K-12 school boards because it is free for them to use. This consideration is a cheap delivery method of the teacher content and assignments.
Bring Real-Time 3D
Summary
The article by Hepnar and Oldrin entitled Bring Real-Time 3D Into the Classroom, and Teach for the Future, discusses the 3D real-time technology Unity. This platform creates and operates 3D content. The authors discuss that we need to teach students for the jobs of tomorrow and that Unity is “on a mission to close that education gap” (Hepnar & Oldrin, 2022). The author states, “RT3D development skills also open doors to considerably higher earning potential, regardless of location, and the demand for such skills will continue to grow”(Hepnar & Oldrin, 2022). The authors tell how Unity provides educational resources for educators to help engage their students. The authors state that technology maker has “the goal is to provide students with 21st-century skills that will propel them into rewarding careers”.
What would Kozma have thought
Kozma might look at the real-time 3D as a perfect agreement that the media does influence learning and say, ”will media influence learning” (Kozma, 1994), the real-time 3D brings that influence of allowing the students not real-time but in 3D as well. This would provide something extra to help the students fully engage in their learning content. Seeing how an automobile engine is made in 3D and in real-time would be an example of something that would be enhanced with the media.
What would Clark have thought
Looking at real-time 3D technology as media in learning, Clark would ask us, “We need to ask whether there are other media or another set of media attributes that would yield similar learning gains” (Clark, 2022). Before we had the use of this real-time 3D, we were able to learn and understand everything about the automotive industry. We would have to say yes because we had made it long before this technology was around. Therefore the media is only acting as the vehicle for us to learn these skills.
References
Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 21-29.
Kozma, R. B. (1994). Will media influence learning: Reframing the debate. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 7-19
Madda, M.J. (2015). Google Classroom Celebrates One-Year Anniversary With New Features for Teachers, EdSurge.
Melissa Oldrin and Davis Hepnar (2022). Bring Real-Time 3D Into the Classroom, and Teach for the Future, EdSurge.