Kozma wins by a nose? | Wk 2: Discussion Synthesis - Instructor | Forum

Clark’s central points about the impact of media and media attributes on learning, motivation and instruction are that media does not — and will never — influence learning: “most current summaries and meta-analyses of media comparison studies clearly suggest that media do not influence learning under any conditions” (p. 445). As one Clark explained: “To claim a causal relationship, everything except the media should be identical in control and treatment groups. However, this is not the case in many of the studies. Therefore, we should carefully question what causes learning. Is it because of the instructor, content, method, or the media?” The main influence on learning is the instructional method. Another Clark explained: “Media, I argue, is simply a carrier of information [like a delivery truck], and hence the curricular content ends up being superior to it, in that it is the key element that brings about learning. What actually does affect learning is some media attributes, or elements of a carrier that piques a learner’s attention, thereby aiding learner.” Critiques of Clark that surfaced were that his views of learning were based on out-dated views of media and quantitative research designs.

Kozma’s central points are that we as educational researchers should be focusing our attention on the conditions under which media influence learning and the complex processes (cognitive, affective, social) of learning with different media. As our Kozma put it: “media do influence learning…media and method should be considered as [having] an integral relationship and with the cognitive and social processes by which knowledge is constructed.” Kozma reframed the question. Rather than asking, “Do media influence learning?” the more appropriate question is “Will media influence learning?” This reframing is necessary as technological and media innovation will inevitably make its way into classrooms and other social settings. As such, education technologists must seek to establish a relationship between learning and media.

Critics of Kozma push to know: Technology is expensive. How is our use of technology helping learning? Technology gives us access to knowledge, but are we actually learning from our interactions with it?

Questions:
– Reactions: what surprised or shocked or angered, etc. you in reading the Clark & Kozma articles?
— What points of agreement do you see between Clark and Kozma?
– What ideas in these debates struck you as accurate (or false) in thinking about learning with media today?
– What important aspects of media and learning — however you define this relationship — do the readings leave unanswered or unaddressed?