Chapter 10: Choosing and using media in education
Purpose of the chapter
The main purpose of this chapter is to provide a framework for making effective decisions about the choice and use of media for teaching and learning. The framework used is the SECTIONS model, which stands for:
- S tudents
- E ase of use
- C osts
- T eaching functions
- I nteraction
- O rganisational issues
- N etworking
- S ecurity and privacy
Another model, SAMR, will also be introduced, as a possible way of evaluating the eventual choice and design of teaching adopted.
On completion of this chapter, you should be able to choose appropriate media and technology for any subject that you may be teaching, and be able to justify your decision.
What is covered in this chapter
- 10.1 Models for media selection
- 10.2 Students
- 10.3 Ease of Use
- 10.4 Cost
- 10.5 Teaching and media selection
- 10.6 Interaction
- 10.7 Organisational issues
- 10.8 Networking (and novelty)
- 10.9 Security and privacy
- 10.10 Deciding
- 10.11 The SAMR model
Also in this chapter you will find the following activities:
- Activity 10.1 Making a preliminary decision
- Activity 10.2 Knowing your students
- Activity 10.3 Ease of use
- Activity 10.4 How will cost affect your decision about what media to use?
- Activity 10.5 Multimedia design principles
- Activity 10.6 Using media to promote student activity.
- Activity 10.7 Organisational issues (no activity)
- Activity 10.8 Networking (and novelty)
- Activity 10.9 Security and privacy
- Activity 10.10 Choosing media and technologies
- Activity 10.11 Assessing the SAMR model
Chapter 10 Key Takeaways
1. Selecting media and technologies is a complex process, involving a very wide range of interacting variables.
2. There is currently no generally accepted theory or process for media selection. The SECTIONS model however provides a set of criteria or questions the result of which can help inform an instructor when making decisions about which media or technologies to use. The SAMR model offers one possible way to assess the power of your media selection decision-making.
3. Because of the wide range of factors influencing media selection and use, an inductive or intuitive approach to decision-making, informed by a careful analysis of all the criteria in the SECTIONS framework, is one practical way to approach decision-making about media and technologies for teaching and learning.
4. However, media selection needs to be integrated within the broader framework of course design.
