"The phenomenal developments in the technologies of instruction have given instructional designers unprecedented opportunities to access, manipulate, and structure a wide range of stimulus materials and information sources across a variety of media."
Barbara B. Seels, Instructional Design Fundamentals: A Reconsideration

"The best current evidence is that media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievement any more than the truck that delivers our groceries causes changes in our nutrition."
Richard E. Clark, Reconsidering Research on Learning from Media

Goals:

• Identify factors in media selection
• Identify characteristics of commonly used media
• Select appropriate media for delivery of instruction
• Recognize technical considerations of new media

At some point during the instructional design process decisions must be made regarding which media are best suited to deliver the content. Media selection, as the name implies, is the process whereby the appropriate vehicle for content delivery is decided. Media has been defined as " the carriers of messages, from some transmitting source, to the receiver of messages, from some transmitting device" (Romiszowski, 1988).

At what point in the design process does media selection occur? The KMR model recommends that media selection occur after sequencing and strategies. However, the design process is complex and interdependent. Therefore it is recommended that some consideration be given to media selection earlier in the design process as your decision will likely affect sequencing, strategies and message design. Preliminary thought as to media selection should occur after the instructional objectives have been written. Remember that the design process is reiterative therefore decisions made about media at this point can be revisited and reconsidered later in the process.

Presumably you have decided to use media either to supplement or substitute the teacher as presenter. Ideally the instructional delivery should engage as many of the sensory modalities as possible. According to Romiszowski "messages are received by a combination of senses in order to render the desired communication complete." With that in mind, the idea of multi-media —using a variety of media to provide the most appropriate presentation of the content and/or engage the senses, is an appealing choice for the instructional designer. Media can be classified in different ways, for example: physical characteristics, and sensory channel.

Print – text

Still Visual – photos, drawings

Motion Visual – film, video (including digital video)

Audio – tapes, recordings (including digital audio)

Real object – display, demonstration

Audio – teacher’s voice

Visual – chalkboard, drawings

Audio/visual – video tape

Tactile, kinesthetic – working models

Media selection, like many of the phases of instructional design, can be systematically approached using guidelines such as media categories, attributes and factors in media selection.

Much of the literature on media selection is not current; therefore it does not address considerations for new media such as CD-ROM and the Web. Like all media, they too can be problematic. One must address the issue of minimum system requirements such as Internet access, modem speed, bandwidth, monitor size, and CD-ROM when selecting these media. Not everyone has the fastest cpu and the largest monitor with a cable modem.

You will also need to map the critical attributes of a medium to the lesson content. For example, an introductory lesson on circulation should include a simplified diagram (visual) of the circulatory system (content). All extraneous information should be eliminated to reduce distraction. Therefore a complex illustration of the human anatomy would be inappropriate. Whether the diagram is in a book, on a CD, web-site or video it is the simplified features of the visual that is the critical attribute. Another example would be the use of visual stills for demonstrating procedural tasks such as performing the breaststroke. In this example the step by step representation of the task is the critical attribute of the medium. Be careful to match the nature of the task with the critical features of the medium. Kozma’s views on media attributes discuss this idea in greater depth than is afforded here. (Kozma,1994).

There are many media selection models and approaches. Authors such as Reiser, Gagné, Briggs, Durham et al., Romiszowski and Kemp are but a few who have created models for media selection. The basis of media selection models are the factors affecting media choice. These factors include:

• the instructional method
• type of learning task (subject matter)
• learner characteristics
• practical constraints
• teacher preference
• physical attributes of media (sensory channels)
• physical environment

Common media selection model formats are flowcharts, worksheets or matrixes. Decisions are made based on the information about the media selection factors. A familiarity with the various media selection models should help the instructional designer make an informed decision about which media to use.

One caveat: history shows that education has a habit of jumping on the bandwagon of new technology before taking a critical look at the real benefits and costs. Typically educators will find ways to make the content and method fit the technology without asking if an existing technology is actually better suited to the task. Take the time to consider if a new medium such as the WWW or multimedia CD-ROM is really the best choice. Does one need an interactive CD-ROM to teach the plot structure of a short story or will a good quality textbook suffice? Avoid letting the medium determine the method.

In this module you are asked to read chapter 2 and 3 in Reiser & Gagné and participate in the threads in the online conference.

Reiser, Robert, A. & Gagné, Robert, M. (1983) Chapter 2 in Selecting Media for Instruction. New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications, Inc.       [part 1]   [part 2]

Reiser, Robert, A. & Gagné, Robert, M. (1983) Chapter 3 in Selecting Media for Instruction. New Jersey: Educational Technology Publications, Inc.       [part 1]  

Activities:

1. If, as Clark states, the medium does not influence achievement then explain why you, as an instructor, might select a CD-ROM over a textbook (even if both text and still visuals were identical) when delivering conventional classroom instruction?
   
2. The Gagné & Reiser flowchart overlooks new media in the selection process. Create a media selection flowchart that includes new media. Consider which factors would either encourage or discourage the use of new media in your instruction. In other words, under what circumstances would you choose or choose not to use new media?
   

3. While media selection is an important part of an instructional design process, almost all media selection guidelines and flowcharts do not deal with new digital and computer media in any way at all, let alone a satisfactory way.  Your assignment for this module is to create a new flow chart for selecting media of instruction which will leave open the possibility of using any traditional media which are commonly used and relevant but also include new media.  These new media should include all of the new media which involve the physical characteristics and sensory channels discussed in this module, for example, digital images, digital sound, digital video, and differentiate the delivery of material from CD-ROM, LANs, or the Internet.  The flowchart you submit should include a short description (not to exceed 500 words) of any aspects of the flowchart which are not self-explanatory.  Marks:  25 points

    

Romiszowski, A. J. (1988). The Selection and Use of Instructional Media. New York: Nichols Publishing.

Kozma, R. L. (1994). Will media influence learning? Reframing the debate. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42 (2), 7-19. Online. 20-Nov-98 Available http://www.quasar.ualberta.ca/edit573/readings/article_media_influence_learning.htm

Suggested Readings:

Romiszowski, A. J. (1988). The Selection and Use of Instructional Media. New York: Nichols Publishing.

On-Line Distance Education: Chapter 1: WWW And Its Potential for Self-Guided Learning http://www.to.utwente.nl/ism/online95/campus/library/online95/chap1/chap1.htm