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Media Selection from the Teachers’ Point of View

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ABSTRACT

Teachers, trainers and educational designers often face the problem of choosing the most

suitable media for achieving their educational purposes. To solve this problem, they need to

take into account both the variables at play in the educational setting and the characteristics

and potentialities of the media available. This article discusses the criteria for media choice,

with particular attention to the point of view of the individual teacher who makes decisions on

the basis of the educational strategies he/she deems most appropriate and, given that schools

usually have limited resources, must favour techniques for material retrieval and reuse rather

than new development.

KEYWORDS

Educational Technology, Instructional Design, Learning Resources, Technology Enhanced

Learning, Media

INTRODUCTION

Choosing which media to use in a learning process is a crucial phase of educational design.

Teachers, trainers and designers of learning material all face the problem of identifying the

most suitable media for conveying a message, for facilitating understanding of a concept, and

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for acquiring and consolidating skills of various kinds. The problem may be tackled

intuitively or set within a systematic design methodology: in any case, solving it successfully

is vital, as inappropriate choices may undermine the outcome of the learning process.

Consequently, media selection criteria have been the subject of many research studies

conducted over the past fifty years and more (Reiser and Gagné, 1982; Boud and Prosser,

2002; Romiszowski, 1988; Laurillard, 1993; Kirkwood, 1994). During this period, the focus

has shifted towards emerging technologies. In the fifties and sixties audio-visual media

attracted great interest. In subsequent decades numerous studies sought to determine the

potential and limits of the computer in education. Finally, since the nineties, communication

technologies have become the main focus. At the same time, there has been a similar shift in

the approach adopted to tackle the problem of media choice, especially with the changes in

perspective brought about by the evolution of learning theories. For example, Reiser’s and

Gagné’s (1982) review of media selection methods considers learning models mainly pinned

to a behaviourist approach whereby the aim, when choosing the medium, is to make the

imparted stimulus as effective as possible. By contrast, more recent studies (Bates. 1991;

Collins et al, 1998; Boud and Prosser, 2002) have tended towards a framework in which the

educational functions of different media are not limited to optimal message conveying but

embrace the performance of learning activities within a constructivist perspective. In other

words, media are today seen as tools which designers of educational projects can use for

constructing environments that foster and facilitate the learning process.

Most studies of media selection criteria have been carried out from the viewpoint of distance

education because, when geographical distance separates the provider and the beneficiary of

learning, adopting media is almost unavoidable. This paper will instead focus on media

choice by teachers in the school context.

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SELECTING MEDIA: THE VARIABLES AT PLAY

Fig. 1: Variables at play when choosing media in educational design.

In distance education, decision making in instructional design is based on the following

“variables” (Fig. 1):

 aims and contents of the educational process;

 characteristics of the target population (size, age, motivation, prerequisites, etc.);

 limits imposed by the context in which the training is to take place (training times and

settings, tools and resources available, etc);

 constraints of the production context, that is the resources available to solve the

educational problem.

Important as it may be, media selection is only one of the decisions to be made and it goes

hand in hand with the choice of the most suitable strategies for reaching the learning goals.

Considerations about the cost/benefit ratio often influence these decisions. The same applies

in the school setting, though the situation is slightly different. Educational problems tend to be

less content-dependent and more education-oriented because meta-cognitive skills are

considered more important than mere content acquisition or skills development. The school

curriculum sets out the learning goals and the contents to be taught, but teachers have ample

room for manoeuvre to focus on one topic rather than another and to concentrate efforts on

higher level types of objectives, such as problem solving abilities, expressive skills and meta-

cognitive competences. The target population is the class to be taught. It has fairly

homogeneous characteristics but individual features must be taken into consideration to

maintain motivation and interest. The limits of the setting usually consist of classroom

logistics, scarcity of resources and time table constraints. These may place strong limitations

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on teachers' creativity. Finally, the constraints of the production context are very tight too. For

an individual teacher, producing purpose-made learning material is not always a plausible

option: reuse of existing learning resources is often a more realistic possibility. In most cases,

the best option is to buy off-the-shelf products after doing a cost-benefit study.

This points to the need for up-to-date, comprehensive documentation services that provide

reliable and detailed information about commercial and open source materials. These kind of

services already exist in several countries (see, for examples, http://www.u-

learn.it/page.php?ID=Information ). In Italy, since 1985, the Institute for Educational

Technology has run a documentation service about educational software: the BSD (Biblioteca

del Software Didattico - Educational Software Library – website at

http://www.itd.ge.cnr.it/bsd). The BSD collects educational software for all subjects and

school levels (it has almost four thousands titles) that can be tried out by the teachers on the

BSD premises. Alternatively, the online database of the BSD (Servizio Documentazione

Software Didattico - SD2 - website at http://sd2.itd.ge.cnr.it/BSDindex.php ), provides

detailed information about this software and its use. Another example is provided by Mosaico

(website at http://www.mosaico.rai.it), a service established by the Italian National Television

Company, that makes a database of around six-thousand short films freely available to

schools. Some of these services have gradually evolved into something more than mere

sources of information: they have become virtual meeting points for teachers who want to

share ideas, discuss and reflect on experiences in the use of educational material, exchange

software enhancements, etc. Examples can be found at http://www.shatters.net/celestia and

http://mathforum.org/. Such virtual meeting places take advantage of the principles of the so

called communities of practice (Wenger et al, 2002) that have proved to be very promising

for the professional development of several kinds of practitioners, including teachers

(Schlager and Fusco, 2003).

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MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION CODES

If, on the one hand, media selection is influenced by the above-mentioned variables, on the

other hand the potentialities of the various media available must be taken into account. Since

the list of existing educational tools is very long and doomed to become obsolete quite

quickly, the model herein proposed does not address single tools, but rather the three basic

communication codes of text, audio and video, plus computers and communication

technology.

Text

When speaking of text, we refer to language written or printed on some kind of physical

support (paper, slides, boards, but also TV or computer screen).

Text is often accompanied by images that, although using a completely different symbol

system, can be considered an integral part of the text component.

Text is relatively simple to use and is cheap and easy to produce and exploit. It is fairly

flexible in that it can be used in whole or in part, not necessarily in sequence, and it respects

the user's reading pace. However, text reading may induce a rather passive attitude. Teachers

will need to prevent this by making sure that reading is varied with practice and critical

thinking about the key aspects presented.

Text, Educational Aims and Contents

The static and permanent nature of text make it particularly fit for dealing with complex,

abstract contents, like mathematical formulae, that require time and concentration to be

grasped. This code also lends itself to the presentation of intrinsically static concepts (e.g.

description of objects with a complex structure). Images play a specially important role here,

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both by aiding understanding of abstract concepts, through schemes, graphics and diagrams,

and by providing precise descriptions of concrete objects, through photos and illustrations.

If we take as a reference point the taxonomy of learning objectives proposed by Bloom

(Bloom et al, 1965), cognitive objectives are probably those that are best pursued using this

communication code.

Text, Target Population and learning Context

In the school context, the book and blackboard (or its direct descendants) occupy the lion's

share of media used; books in particular play a key role in individual study. The use of print is

so deeply rooted in schooling that it has even influenced the way knowledge is organised and

communicated in education. This is the reason why, according to some (Maragliano, 1994),

the school world strongly resists new technologies, because it senses that taking them onboard

means revising its image and dramatically change its culture.

The use of text does not need any special classroom layout: it can be used anywhere as no

special devices are required.

Using text-based material does require a target population with adequate reading ability and

reasonable learning autonomy.

Text and Production Context

The spread of text processing applications has made it simple to produce, modify, print and

reproduce printed material. Nowadays, virtually anyone can produce a document of near

professional quality with a minimum of effort.

It is worth remembering that texts produced for other than educational purposes can be

profitably used in various subjects. In particular, the use of authentic material is fundamental

to promote constructivist learning: historical sources, real-life problems, social, demographic,

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scientific data can be the starting point for collaborative inquiry learning. The development of

the web has given an enormous boost to the availability of this kind of documents. The

Internet is even influencing the way some school subjects are being studied and learnt: in fact,

one of the most important meta-learning techniques that teachers should aim to develop is that

of retrieving, evaluating and selecting sources of information.

Audio

Audio is fundamental in face-to-face communication but it is also widely employed by many

low-tech and high-tech media, from radio to voice chats over the internet. It is often found in

conjunction with text or video, though there are situations in which it is best used alone, for

example for communicating with listeners that are unable to see or read. This is the case not

only in education for the blind but also in situations where the sense of sight is temporarily

engaged in another activity (e.g. examining specimens under a microscope).

As with text, the use of lengthy audio sequences has a tendency to lead the user towards

passive message reception. It is therefore up to the teacher to set up learning activities where

students will not be tempted to indulge in passive attitudes.

Audio, Educational Aims and Contents

Audio plays a key role in contexts where sound is the main object of study, e.g. in music

education or in teaching a foreign language. The advantages this communication code offers

include its suitability for informal, captivating and motivating communication, which means it

is often used to communicate ideas and feelings. To put it in Bloom's terms, audio is clearly

more suited than text to the pursuit of goals in the affective domain.

Using audio can also help to enliven a presentation and to make the communication process

more immediate and varied. It can be used to present the views of an expert in his/her own

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voice, lending the message greater authority. Some interesting historical documents, such as

political speeches and declarations, are easily accessible in audio format.

The downside of audio is that it is volatile and not well suited to complex, intricate content,

neither is its use appropriate where there is a high risk of misinterpretation.

Audio, Target Population and Learning Context

Audio is easy to use, it imposes no limits on schooling, and reproduction systems are cheap

and widespread. Consequently, the target population that can be reached with this

communication code is potentially enormous. However, it is not recommended if the students

have specific problems in comprehending the oral message (e.g. if they speak a different

language or suffer from hearing difficulties).

Audio and Production Context

Recording sound and storing it on a computer is fairly straightforward, and equipment costs

are within the school’s reach. Furthermore, retrieving audio documents from the Internet or

from the wide range of existing multimedia encyclopaedias, is pretty easy nowadays. Finally,

for those subjects that intrinsically require the use of audio, such as language learning, a

plethora of educational software exist that integrate both recording and reproduction of a

wealth of archived material.

Video

Video is seldom used by itself, being commonly coupled with audio. It places almost no

prerequisites on the part of the viewer and reproduction tools are very widespread and cheap.

Students enjoy watching a video more than studying on paper, but this should not induce

teachers in the belief that video alone can support the achievement of higher order educational

objectives, such the ones that can be reached with experiential learning. Indeed, video, like

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audio, tends to lead the viewer towards passive message reception. Video is particularly

suited to introducing a topic and stimulating curiosity in a given subject, or even to starting up

a discussion on problematic matters but, if the learning objectives include higher level skills

such as developing know-how or favouring critical thinking, watching a video can only be

one phase of a more complex learning itinerary.

Video, Educational Aims and Contents

The dynamic nature of video makes it especially suitable for describing processes that evolve

over time:

 recreating a slice of real life, especially when the setting is difficult to reach (e.g.

showing how Eskimos live);

 investigating phenomena or mechanisms that are intrinsically dynamic (e.g. simulating

a complex mechanism like the workings of a watch);

 reconstructing dynamic models of phenomena that are difficult to see in real life,

possibly at other than natural speed or natural size (e.g. movement of planets or cell

reproduction);

 simulating complex emotive situations (human behaviour in interpersonal

relationships).

In addition, the media-richness of the communication channel (Collins et al,1998) makes

audio/visual communication very involving and therefore particularly suited for pursuing

goals in the affective sphere.

Video, Target Population and Learning Context

For its potential in motivating and involving the viewer, video can be used with a wide target

population; indeed it is a classic means of mass education. Effective use in the school context,

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however, requires a suitable setting: some schools have a special video room with a large-

screen projector and sound system. Individuals can make personalised use of video on small

screens; in this case, however, quality may be lower and therefore unsuitable for long

sequences.

Video and Production Context

It is quite rare for an individual teacher to embark on the production of professional quality

audio-visual material. It would call for professional equipment, skills and costs way beyond

the means of the average school. A wide range of video clips are accessible from multimedia

software and the web, while longer material is easy to obtain from specialist resource centres.

Video is also used in learning processes that do not entail passively watching a video

sequence. An example is when teachers film students while working on a task in order to

record essential phases of a learning process. In this case, professional quality is not essential

because the video serves as a basis for reflection on performance or on cognitive strategies.

Documenting the learning process is also very useful for assessment purposes and to get

parents involved in discussion concerning their children’s progress.

Alternatively, a video may be the outcome of a project carried out collaboratively by a group

of students. For example, a class may study the local environment with the aim of producing a

video that illustrates that environment. In this case, the quality of the video itself is

completely overshadowed by the potential advantages gained from undergoing the learning

process. However, given that learning paths of this kind are demanding both for the teacher

and the students, it is vital to weigh up the benefits against the resources needed to implement

the project.

A third example is when videoconferencing systems are used to put classes in contact with

distant experts or with other groups of learners. In this case, the use of video is usually

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inspired by social-constructivist learning theories and is integrated with textual

communication.

These two last ways to use video are dealt with in more detail in the following chapters,

because the environments that best support these approaches are computer based.

Computers

In the following, we will speak generally about the computer bearing in mind that this is a

terminological simplification: the word computer usually refers solely to the hardware

component of this instrument, but it is the software that determines the way the tool is used.

Computers are multimedia tools, i.e. they are capable of integrating closely the three

communication codes: text, audio and video. For example, if the computer is employed as a

support for a presentation, specific software can be used to combine text, audio and video

according to the above described criteria. But the role the computer plays in education goes

far beyond that of a simple multimedia support for presentations, thanks to two characteristics

of this tool: interactivity and connectivity. For the sake of presentation, in this section we will

refer to the computer chiefly as an interactive, stand-alone educational tool; while the

potential of connectivity will be explored in the next section, entitled “Computer Networks”.

Computers and Interactivity

Interactivity allows the user to play an active role in the learning process.

Early applications, mostly inspired by behavioural learning theories, tended to exploit this

feature through programs (tutorials, drill and practice) that adapted their behaviour to

different users’ inputs by following different pre-programmed learning paths. Later, the

development of constructionists theories of learning (Papert and Harel, 1991) gave rise to the

diffusion of learning environments of a reactive type, where the initiative is in the hands of

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the students who can build their own knowledge through an experiential approach. While the

choice of adaptive software requires the teacher to take on board the teaching strategy

implemented by the software author, using a learning environment with a constructivist

approach is perhaps even more demanding: it entails the assumption that learning is

essentially an active process of knowledge construction and, as a consequence, that the

educator role is that of a coach who facilitates learning by providing suitable environments

and stimuli. Implementing constructivism is very rewarding in terms of the educational

objectives that can be achieved: it allows deep understanding and competence development,

as opposed to acquisition of information or application of procedural skills.

Another effective and perhaps more popular educational application of computers is when

students are engaged in creative activities in which the computer plays the role of “cognitive

amplifier”, supporting several intellectual tasks such as data analysis, graph and diagram

production, written composition, etc. In this case, the software tools employed are not

specifically designed for educational purposes: word processors, spreadsheets, database

management systems, web-page editors, audio and video production tools. These are usually

collaborative projects, inspired by social constructivist models of learning, where the teacher

guides the students and keeps them on track, leaving them free to give shape to the products

of their learning process. Whatever the end-product, learning takes place while designing and

producing it and, as a consequence, it is the process and not the quality of the result that

matters. Facilitating constructivist learning is a difficult and time-consuming task, so teachers

who choose this approach should be fully aware of potential gains versus effort involved.

Computers, Contents and Goals

Learning environments have been developed in several fields: physics, chemistry and science

simulation environments are very popular, as are micro-worlds for learning artificial

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languages and formalisms of various kinds (for example mathematical logic or programming

languages). In the humanities, multimedia applications are available to learn foreign

languages, word-processors and multimedia dictionaries help develop linguistic skills and

there are programs for music production and editing, etc. All of these applications have

proved useful both from the cognitive and affective viewpoints.

Computers, Target Population and Learning Context

As to the classroom setting, computer use tends to induce a shift away from lecture-style

layout to a more “workshop” style one, to allow group work to alternate with individual study

and teacher directed activities. Many schools have set up computer labs and regulate students’

access to them. However, this layout has demonstrated limits, especially when regulations and

time constraints constitute a barrier to use. Ideally, every student and teacher ought to have

computer access whenever needed, free of any restrictions. However, when thinking along

these lines, it becomes clear that the problem is not only the distribution of technology in

schools but the whole logistical set up and organisation of the education system, including the

grouping of students into classes, timetabling, etc. Accordingly, many researchers claim that

the introduction of technology triggers a revolution of the whole education system.

Computers and Production Context

Producing educational software at a professional level calls for a variety of skills and requires

time and resources (Persico, 1997). It is perhaps for this reason that not many teachers take on

this task and prefer to resort to existing resources, especially open source software, learning

environments and content-independent packages.

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Computer Networks

Communication technology offers schools unprecedented opportunities for accessing

information and communicating with the rest of the world, therefore enlarging their social

network to other countries, settings and institutions that would otherwise be far beyond

students’ reach.

The Web as an Information Source

The web is a huge, anarchically developed network hosting a wealth of multimedia resources.

Using it in education may mean a number of different things and entail different strategies.

One possible use sees the web as a source of information, either for the teacher or for the

students, and/or as a tool for publishing and spreading information. In this light, there are no

limits, at least in principle, to the nature of content, educational aims and target population:

suitable web-based resources can be produced and selected for practically any subject. Of

course, mature students will be able to develop more subtle navigation skills and therefore

search or browse the web very effectively on their own. Younger pupils, instead, will need

more guidance, or at least some indication of interesting resources to start with. The use of the

web with young pupils, in particular, requires careful planning to avoid frustration and

demotivation, mainly because of the high risk of their getting stuck with unsuitable material.

These problems should not prevent teachers from using the web in the classroom: information

hunting and retrieval are essential meta-cognitive skills for surviving in a knowledge society

and the ability to identify reliable sources and trustworthy data is important for personal

development (Caviglia, 2002). To this regard, it is important that suitable strategies are

adopted to avoid uncritical use of the information found. Examples of interesting ways to

implement rich and productive web-based learning activities that do not incur in this problem

are the so called WebQuests (Dodge, 1995).

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Considerations about the educational setting are similar to those reported for the use of

computers: schools of the future should allow ubiquitous access to the web. Production

constraints are perhaps less strict: there is now a wealth of tools that allow development of

simple websites or web-logs without specialised competence.

To conclude, the decision to use the web in education is mainly determined by the objectives

and by the choice of a corresponding learning strategy. The added value provided by the

network, though, should inform the decision: the need for up-to-date data, for authentic or

multiple information sources are important factors in this decision.

Computer Networks and Interpersonal Communication

Educational use of tools that support interpersonal communication, including e-mail and

Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) systems, has a great potential for implementing

projects where classes collaborate at a distance, possibly involving external institutions or

individuals that can contribute to the learning process. In applications of this type the nature

of the interaction differs substantially from what we have examined so far: indeed, CMC is

communication among individuals and not between an individual and a computer. The

characteristics of this interaction vary according to learning requirements and the software

used: communication can be synchronous or asynchronous, textual or multimedia.

Synchronous communication lends itself better to quick interactions and decision-making,

while the features of asynchronous communication, in particular message persistence, make it

more suited to in-depth discussions. The choice of textual or audio-video interaction should

be informed by the previously described features of these communication channels, bearing in

mind that video conferencing systems usually manage smaller numbers of interlocutors than

text based ones. The choice to exploit the potential of the net for interpersonal communication

goes hand in hand with teachers’ beliefs about the nature of learning. The theoretical grounds

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for this kind of approach are provided by the already mentioned social-constructivist theories

of learning. In this view the influence of cultural and social contexts in learning is

emphasised, assuming ”that we actively construct meanings socially through language”

(Kanuka & Anderson, 1999, p.9). These projects require an evaluation of the added value

provided by the development of a learning community. Undeniably, some content areas are

ideally suited to this kind of approach: language learning, for example, or any other subject

where confrontation with others with different cultures and ideas may significantly foster

learning. According to Trentin (2004), the learning strategies typical of this approach often

guarantee a return on investment that justifies the heavy commitment required, by both

students and teachers. In order to reduce the time and effort needed to set up and run

interdisciplinary projects involving several institutions and therefore requiring considerable

time and resources, teachers can resort to specialist websites that propose and run activities of

this kind. Examples can be found in the Webscuola and the European Schoolnet portals

(http://www.webscuola.it/ and http://www.eun.org/portal/index-en.cfm ).

CONCLUSIONS

The variables influencing media selection include the educational purpose, the type of

contents, the features of the target population and the constraints imposed by the contexts of

production and use. Face-to-face lessons can be greatly enhanced by the effective use of

images, text and audio/video reproduction, especially if the adopted approach doesn’t entail

passive fruition by the students. The study of the educational potential of computers and

communication technology falls outside the classic scheme of the three communication codes.

These tools are best exploited to create learning environments where students learn through

an experiential approach, by doing things and interacting with peers, teachers and experts,

rather than passively absorbing information. The decision to use this kind of environment is

therefore tied in with the adoption of constructivist learning strategies. As a consequence,

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integrating educational technology in education means exposing schools to the “destabilising”

effect of the new media and being prepared to to rethink spaces, timing and ways of

educating. From the point of view of the teacher, this may appear to be a rather time-

consuming approach, both in the design phase, and in the implementation one.

Nevertheless, the return on investment is guaranteed thanks to added value in terms of the

“acquisition of skills, knowledge, methods and attitudes that go beyond the mere learning of

contents” (Trentin, 2004, p.299).

FUTURE TRENDS

This paper starts from the assumption that there is no reason to favour one educational

medium over another on principle: there is no best medium, rather each different situation

calls for evaluation of the cost-benefit ratio related to the various choices available.

Paradoxically, even the decision to eschew all educational mediating tools is now a

methodological choice to be made in full awareness: technology can simplify or accelerate

many teaching tasks, can reduce learning effort and enable the construction of learning

environments that would otherwise not be possible. However, the competence needed to make

decisions on media choice is quite complex and can only be built up through experience and a

good amount of reflection on the advantages and disadvantages of the different tools available

and the approaches to be implemented through them.

Research into the adoption of educational technology shows that in spite of the wide

penetration of infrastructures and a reasonable average level of competence in its use, at least

among young teachers, use of technology in schools still encounters several problems (MIUR,

2004; EURYDICE, 2004). The reasons for this may lie with both logistical and cultural

factors. On both aspects much work can still be done. Logistical issues must be tackled by re-

thinking aspects of school organisation in such a way that resource based learning is more

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straightforward and is not hindered by the time and place constraints imposed by school

regulations. Several countries are experimenting with new types of school organisation that

may favour experiential learning in general, not only easy access to technology when and

where needed. Research in the field of ubiquitous computing should also inform these

developments.

Cultural resistance is even harder to tackle. Teacher training is an effective way to make

teachers more confident about the potential of educational technology. In addition, many

efforts are devoted to make information easily available to teachers about educational audio-

visual and software tools, as well as learning initiatives of interest for their students.

However, documentation services such as those mentioned earlier in this paper are only a

starting point for the continuous professional development of teachers, which is a necessary

condition for a wider uptake of educational technology in schools. Indeed, more should be

done to combat resistance and lack of interest and increase trust towards technology

enhanced learning. Theories about innovation spreading and uptake suggest that the key

actors in dissemination of innovation in education are pioneer teachers (Midoro and

Admiraal, 2003), whose action and success may encourage others to adopt educational

technology. To foster the process of innovation, we need collaboration among teachers and

sharing of good practice more than formal training. For this reason, the birth and the

development of teachers’ communities of practice is a very promising direction to go in,

especially for the development of higher order abilities such as instructional design and media

selection, where a collaborative and experiential approach appears to be the ideal way to deal

with the complexity of the decision making criteria. Some of these virtual meeting places for

teachers, such as Tapped in (website at http://tappedin.org/tappedin/) and webheads (Almeida

d’Eca, 2004), have already achieved worldwide impact.

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 Production
context
constraints
Aims and
Communication
contents
codes
Educational Target
problem ANALYSIS population CHOICE OF… Media

Learning Educational
context strategies
Cost/benefit
ratio

Fig.1 Variables at play when choosing media in educational design

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