Media (is) the message?

When I first read about the media debate between Richard Clark and Robert Kozma from the early 1990s, I wasn't entirely sure that I had a firm grasp on what Clark was trying to convey, and I also did not have a stance on the issue myself. 

I now feel that Clark is incorrect when he states,"..media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievement." I believe that student achievement is affected simply by increasing student engagement in an activity, through the excitement of the chosen medium, even if the student's grade turns out the same had the chosen medium been different. However, Clark does have a point when he points out that you should "ask yourself if another similar set of attributes would lead to the same learning results." When teachers provide technology in the classroom to their students, they just assume that by providing a different and more interesting media for students to use, that it will increase their achievements. However, while media in the form of technology in the classroom may most certainly increase a child's engagement, it can only increase student achievement if teachers teach students how to utilize the technology effectively. According to the chief executive officer of One-to-One Institute,"There's nothing transformative about every kid having an iPad unless you're able to reach higher-order teaching and learning," Ms. Wilson said. "If schools take all this technology, and use it like a textbook, or just have teachers show PowerPoint [presentations] or use drill-and-kill software, they might as well not even have it."

If you want to truly engage your students, the media IS the message. The medium through which students can complete assignments is what can trigger their engagement. Nine times out of ten a student would rather complete a project using some form of technology than not. By modeling good digital teaching, we can effectively share with our students how to increase both their engagement AND increase their learning achievements.

So, does media influence learning? It influences engagement, but the level of learning is only influenced when the teacher properly utilizes the media. If the teacher is simply using technology in the classroom to project a Powerpoint presentation onto the board, this is simply a different way to present the same information to the class. However, if the teacher demonstrates the proper way to use the technology, and then gives the power to the students to control what they do with the technology, THEN you can increase their level of learning achievement. 

Therefore, I agree with Kozma when he concluded that "If we move from "Do media influence learning?" to "In what ways can we use the capabilities of media to influence learning for particular students, tasks, and situations?" we will both advance the development of our field and contribute to the improvement of teaching and learning."

Sources:

Deubel, P. (2007, November 08). The Great Debate: Effectiveness of Technology in Education -- THE Journal. Retrieved July 19, 2016, from https://thejournal.com/articles/2007/11/08/the-great-debate-effectiveness-of-technology-in-education.aspx

Brown, M. J. (n.d.). If Technology is the Medium and Instruction is the Method: Then Do Media Influence Learning? Retrieved July 19, 2016, from http://www.lehigh.edu/~mjbg/portfolio/pdf-pospaper.pdf