Created by:

Michele McFarlane

Instructional Media

Instructional Media?
Instructional media is any physical or material means that is used by an instructor to facilitate teaching and by which students learn. The aim of instructional media is to use a variety of channels to communicate instructional content in a way that effectively meet learning objectives and the needs of the learner at the same time. Instructional media is therefore a significant contributor to educational technology as it is the channel used to facilitate the learning experience. It utilizes and manages the appropriate technological processes and resources and so educational technology, e-learning and instructional design are influenced by the type of media used to communicate instruction. The message or content that is being conveyed is transported in a vehicle or medium that uses technology such as audiovisual equipment, computers and multimedia presentations. Instructional media also include charts, overheads, real objects, videotapes, television, DVD, interactive video conferencing as well as use of the internet.
Selection of instructional media requires careful consideration as it accomplishes both implicit and explicit instructional goals (Scanlon, 2009). The selection of instructional media will determine the extent to which the learner’s attention and interest is captured, as well as the attention that is given to the message or the content. The process of determining suitable media will be impacted by factors such as an understanding of the learner and his characteristics, the learning objectives, the time available for delivery as well as the resources available and the reliability of such resources. Other factors that will determine the selection of instructional media are cost and interactivity. The interactivity of the media selected will determine the extent to which it is successfully used by the instructor and the learner.
The success of using instructional media is only guaranteed when it is carefully chosen and skillfully used to provide instruction. The use of instructional media requires that careful attention is given to the planning and execution of the content in order to increase understanding and guarantee learning takes place. Such planning and development is best determined by factors such as an appreciation for the developmental and experiential levels of the learner as well as the practicability and suitability of the media to the learner. The instructor’s experience and knowledge of the instructional media must be considered when selecting for successful use.

While it is possible that an instructor can capture the attention of his student by using only verbal symbols, he will have a better chance of increasing the length of time he holds the attention of that student by incorporating a visual representation of the content under consideration. It may even be more interesting when he adds an interactive video element that requires the student to participate in the learning experience. The type of interest that evolves from cursory to intense can be determined by the type of media that is included in the instructional experience.

References
.www.umdnj.edu/idsweb/idst5330/instructional_media.htm