In 1983, a gentleman by the name of Richard Clark shared his views on “the range of educational media, from textbooks to computer-based instruction” (Mellon 1999), and made the comparison between media and delivery trucks, thus beginning what is now known as the delivery truck debate. Clark’s basic contention seems to be that media happens to be nothing more than a delivery method for education, and one that can be typically duplicated by other, less expensive means.
In 1994, Robert Kozma chose to revisit the debate, hoping to reframe the question as “Do media influence learning?” (Media 2012). Kozma’s direction in this debate assumes “that learning with media is a complementary process,” and we need to change the way we look at media if our ultimate goal is to improve teaching and learning.
Reading their views, I found myself in an interesting place. I happen to love using technology in my classroom, and I fully intend to take advantage of it as often as possible in my future library. But I also believe that in education we sometimes use technology for the sake of technology, assuming that its use will be better than not using it, even when the alternative is cheaper and easier to deploy. As stated in the article “Technology and the Great Pendulum of Education,” “There seems to be an assumption in many educational settings that the mere presence of technology–or more specifically, computers–implies learning” (Mellon 1999). Mellon goes on to remind us that there are two other sides of this equation that seem to be left out of the delivery truck debate—the teacher and the student. Students have different learning modalities, and teachers have their own, individual approach to this in the classroom. We can hand one piece of technology to a teacher, and they will run with it; their class will show immediate benefits, and everyone is thrilled. If we hand that same piece of technology to a different teacher, one who either isn’t fully trained, or isn’t comfortable with the technology, the results could be drastically different. The same goes for students; different learning styles require different educational methods. As Mellon (1999) states, “[I]t is this interplay of learning style, motivation, and prior experience that will determine learning.”
I find myself definitely preferring Kozma’s argument because I firmly believe that technology can and should improve teaching and learning, but without training and guidance for implementation, that same technology is truly the equivalent of Clark’s delivery truck—if a student happens to have learned from it, the media itself is less responsible for the learning outcome than the independently learning student.
Resources:
The media debate. (2012, August 30). Retrieved April 15, 2016, from http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/The_media_debate
Mellon, C. A. (1999). Technology and the great pendulum of education. Journal Of Research On Computing In Education, 32(1), 28.
I appreciate the inclusion of your take on successful use of technology depending on the person employing it. I have one teacher right now who basically “hogs” our computer carts because she thinks that because they are using the computers, she is an innovative educator. Nevermind the fact that she won’t allow me to walk them through how to research appropriately, how to determine valid sources, or even how to treat the tools they are using. The students are more educated in technology than she is and they know it and therefore, her literature lessons are actually delivering less than if she were to not use technology at all. Great point!!
As an elementary teacher I side with Clarks debate , but if I were a high school teacher, Kozma’s theory would make sense since most lessons could be reviews from prior knowledge. Such a hard debate to side with.
I think you made a good point that sometimes we use technology for the sake of technology. We cannot always assume it is the best method. Also I strongly agree with your point that technology cannot be its most effective without training. Teachers need to be well trained in order for students to fully reaps its benefits.
Technology can be very useful . Great Post
Technology is a medium that a good teacher will benefit from. Today’s students need that wow factor that technology bring to the lesson. I see it all the time in my students when I add media to my lessons. It takes my lesson to a different level of learning. My teaching is not the same to them if I didn’t use technology in my day. They feel something was missing.
This was a thoughtful essay and encapsulates the real debate, in my opinion. I think teachers should us whatever it is that works best for the students. If that means computers, then that’s great. However, if it means you need to do a socratic circle, say, technology won’t necessarily give students the experience we are going for. Technology is “just” a tool. Many times it enhances learning, but not always.