Selecting social media depends on the room and technology that I have available. But if I have the right equipment, I like to show youtube videos to the class. However, before I show the youtube video, I see it and it should not be more than 2 minutes long. I find that if it is more than that, students are not interested,
Kisha,
Variety adds so much, it can create a wonderful learning experience, or transforn an ordinary lesson into a lively burst of information and knowledge through creative selection of exciting media selections.
Barry Westling
by introducing new things through visual and hands on gives students a variety of ways to intake info as well as how they can process what they have learned...
Novella,
Right, there is so much good media to choose from these days we have to be selective in what we choose to make sure what we give hits the mark every time. Some material may be OK, but if something better exists, we should be looking for that. I feel ouir time (and the students) is so valuable, using something that is "just OK" may have impact on successful student learning outcomes.
Barry Westling
I have a very large spectrum of tasks that I teach, and I find power point combined with lecture very useful. Also having students utilize our computer lab and research topics while writing APA reports I have found has a big impact on learning skills. When I am Looking at my class, I need to take into consideration how new some of my students might be (recieve students every week or two)before I decide on the content of my media.
Andrea,
Yes, the selection of appropriate media varies from term to term, and needs to chosen with care, as there is so much available these days. The best media selections need to found among all thats available, and that takes time, effort, thought and planning to arrive at what works best for the current term.
Barry Westling
I think it depends on the class. Depending on what you are teaching, you have to consider the overall goals for the quarter; after you have determined that, you can determine how you can best convey your message(s) to accomplish your goals.
Eddy,
With so much media choices out there these days, it's important to be very selective so that we are choosing the best among just OK media.
Barry Westling
By Eddy mojena
Adding media to the instructional part of class helps break up the learning and keep the students interested.
Daniel,
There is a lot out there, so instructors really have to be selective. There's satisfactory, good, and perfect...for the current class at this time, for this time, and these students. Perhaps it will vary the next time. Meeting cuurent needs is the objective.
Barry Westling
In selecting media for content delivery, it thoroughly depends upon the course of study and the student body. Methods of learning may vary widely and include distance learning, group study, on-the-job training, and/or standard lecture based classrooms. Depending on the audience and what the instructor is trying to accomplish, this drives whaich content delivery method is best suited for the students' most effective way of learning.
Robert,
Great. A lot of variety makes for more interesting classes, as well as better retention of essential information. Students learn different ways, and when mutiple senses are used and teaching methods vary, we are more apt to transfer the short term memory information into the long-term recall category.
Barry Westling
I mainly teach audio classes. Modern recording requires critical listening but also technical skills including computer graphics as well as traditional recording gear. It actually makes mixing media for my classes rather easy. I might play a piece of music followed by a graphic of the recording setup and then have a hands on demonstration. Making the connection through various media not only drives home the lesson but shows relevance to the subject.
Deanna,
Yes, there is a lot of "satisfactory media", but we want to choose the best that will meet the needs of the student. This really takes a bit of time, review, and planning to choose the better over the "just OK".
Barry Westling
The most important thing is to select instructional media that the instructor is most familiar with. It is important to master the media in order to be effective with the delivery method.
Kyle,
Balancing the time element against need to know material can be a challenge. Taking time to work this out and developing a plan will yeild dividends in meeting both the instructor and student needs.
Barry Westling
Being in a clock hour program, one of the first things I think about is How much Time do I Have? This helps me select media that will be most beneficial in a short period of time. That is closely followed by what I think will appeal to students and how it will relate to my goals/objectives.
Tim,
Great example of effective media. With so many choices, we have to be selective in choosing what we use to teach material. There is satisfactor, then good, then excellent categories, which of course choosing the best for the material being taught would be desired.
Barry Westling
I try to choose media that will reinforce the point being made. Some media types lend themselves well to certain presentations, while others do not or may even detract from the presentation. An example would be to use a white board to show students how to diagnose a noise problem in an engine. An actual hands-on (or ears-on) live demonstration would prove much more effective.
Daniel,
Interesting. I once read a study where the authors asked students to "select the book you want to use - your choice". There were three, and each one had a basic title that was the same. One was 3-inch's thick, one was 1-inch thick, and one was 1/2-inch thick. Since the students got to choose, most selected the smallest one. Results of their findings was that people will gravitate to the least amount of work necessary to get the job done. Something to think about.
Barry Westling
