CECS 5110 Week 4

Week 4 – Blog

Write a blog entry reflecting on what you have come to understand about the design of instruction that primarily or exclusively employs a single media such as graphics to teach. What did you learn about designing instruction from a single media perspective? What are its limitations? How is it beneficial? How can/will you use it for teaching and learning in the future?

What are the limits to the use of media in general for learning and teaching? If Clark is correct, why do we bother? How did this perspective change the way you think about learning and teaching?

I found it hard to teach using single media such as graphic only. It made me think of the different ways of teaching other than using words or sentences. I was afraid that the information would not be conveyed properly. Often times I wanted to use numbers, alphabets or words to direct the instructions. I had to be creative to express the instructions. I used pictures for instructions, and color and symbol for giving directions. Designing instruction from a single media is useful when there is language barrier. When we visit a country that do not speak the same language as we do, but we still manage to find a place to eat, drink or stay. The picture of the food outside the board, the glowing beer bottle sign on the windows or door helps us find restaurant or bar.

Teaching and learning becomes fun when we use media in it. In the future I would try not to use only media for teaching but if I have to then I will use it to teach only simple instructions that can be understood looking at pictures such as how to wash your hand, how to fold a t-shirt.

Clark’s perspective did not change the way I think about learning and teaching using media. I still believe that media contributes in learning. Media is helpful to all kind of learners: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. There are audios, podcasts for auditory learners, videos, slides for visual learners and experiments, models for kinesthetic learners.