Does the Use of Multimedia in the Classroom Enhance Student Learning - Literature review Example

Does the use of multimedia in the classroom enhance student learning? With the advent of technology and with development, the strategies and methodologies adopted for students’ learning have changed and there have also been developments in terms of employment of latest technological resources in a classroom setting. Teachers prefer to make use of technologically efficient tools in the class to enable students to learn with the pace of the age. Multimedia is very important for a classroom setting and helps the students to learn much more easily. With the use of multimedia in the classroom, the students’ learning is enhanced. The use of multimedia means that a student is able to learn not with the support of one medium but many media such as audio-visual aids and much more due to which, the students show much interest in learning as compared to old models of learning. Multimedia also means that a person is allowed to make use of many media in one place such as computers and laptops that have many software programs related to drawing, listening, writing, reading, visualizing and much more. When one software program makes use of many media such as pictorial representation, written words and audio that is also called multimedia (Kingsley and Boone, 2008). Teaching and let students learn with the help of their own technological tools cannot be considered as an easy task. According to Barone and Wright, if the students are facilitated with laptops in classroom setting, they will be encouraged to learn and this encouragement will result in achievements by the students (Barone and Wright, 2008). Students who are allowed to make use of their own laptops with internet connections in their classrooms are able to get some background knowledge on the topic that they will study in the class (Barone and Wright, 2008). With the help of background knowledge, the students will be able to comprehend the topic in an easier manner due to which, their learning skills will be enhanced. In the article, “Literacy Instruction with Digital and Media Technologies” (2008), Barone and Wright sketch a whole scenario in which, the students of grade four are given laptops for their learning (Barone and Wright, 2008). The students are allowed to send and check their emails; they can use many software programs such as MS Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint, MS Paint, Graphics software programs and much more, which they employ for learning. The students are also allowed to make use of instant messaging service to share their ideas with one another and with their teacher (Barone and Wright, 2008). With the help of learning environment created for the students with the employment of laptops and usage of internet, the students are shown to take interest in their learning due to which, the students’ learning is enhanced. According to Barone and Wright, students are encouraged by the allowance to make use of laptops (multimedia). “Implementation of new literacies” is crucial for students’ successful learning (Barone and Wright, 2008). The use of laptops for learning in the lieu of multimedia in classrooms is supported by many researchers because they feel that learning with the help of laptops is much easier and the students who do not access to computers or internet at their homes are able to make use of laptops and are also able to equip themselves with the new technology (Barone and Wright, 2008; Mouza, 2008). With this the students are not left behind from other students who have access to technology. Mouza informs in the article, “Learning with Laptops: Implementation and Outcomes in an Urban, Under-Privileged School” that with the employment of laptops in a classroom setting, the students are enabled to create “responsibility, competence and autonomy in relation to technology and learning” (2008, 450). After comparing the students with access to laptops and technology with students with no access, it was concluded that technology plays an effective role in learning of students (Mouza, 2008). The usage on internet in class also appeared to be very productive because the students were facilitated with an information database, which they can access for gaining knowledge related to the topic of their interest or that is taught in their class. Students are not only able to collect information available on internet but they can also comprehend the lectures much easily. With the obtainment of relevant information, the students are able to ask raise questions related to the topic and can participate actively in the class (Mouza, 2008). They can discuss about the topic in the light of their attained knowledge. It is seen that students show interest towards technology and its tools and they are interested to make use of these tools (Mouza, 2008). When the students are facilitated with these tools for their learning, they show deeper interest in the learning due to which, they learn much actively. It is seen that with the usage of multimedia in the class, students show motivation and encouragement towards completion of their tasks (Mouza, 2008). With the help of multimedia in the classrooms, the students depict enhanced interaction with their classmates and their teacher due to which, they are able to learn and share their learnt knowledge (Mouza, 2008). With the employment of multimedia technology in classrooms, the student centered instruction is promoted, which means that the teachers are made to teach the students in the way that students require (Kingsley and Boone, 2008). Due to the student based instruction, the students are motivated to learn actively. Kingsley and Boone in their study, “Effects of Multimedia Software on Achievement of Middle School Students in an American History Class” (2008) made use of software that contained multimedia programs that were helpful for student learning. The multimedia software programs that are employed in terms of classroom setting allow the students to make use of text, video, audio, animation and other media that are supportive in assisting students to be creative in their learning (Kingsley and Boone, 2008). The results from the study conducted by the researchers, Kingsley and Boone, show positivity towards the employment of multimedia in classroom setting. The students of the middle level were tested before using the software and after using the software and the results indicated that multimedia technology is very supportive in assisting students in their learning (Kingsley and Boone, 2008). A technology driven classroom environment provides encouragement and motivation to the students for working and completing their tasks (Kingsley and Boone, 2008). With multimedia technology, the students are able to comprehend and learn much easily as compared to understand only the written printed content. The learning ability of students is made better. Due to the usage of multimedia, the attention of students is somewhat split due to which, they are able to learn faster psychologically (Kingsley and Boone, 2008). Dora DiGiacinto informs about Dual coding theory in her article, “Using Multimedia Effectively in the Teaching-Learning Process” in which she explains about how a learner gains from visual as well as verbal information (2007). According to the theory, a learner makes use of two systems that enable a learner to recall and remember better as compared to only one mode of learning (DiGiacinto, 2007). The learners are able to learn better and quicker when they are accommodated with multimedia technology because by the study conducted by Dora DiGiacinto (2007) indicate that those students who were taught by means of animations along with text appeared better than those who were taught by means of either animation or only text. The use of multimedia in such a successful ratio indicates that multimedia cannot be considered disadvantageous in any manner. Dora DiGiacinto quotes writers in her study and inform that many people think that because of multimedia, the attention of students is diverted but it is not true (DiGiacinto, 2007). The students are able to give more attention because of multimedia. According to her, novice learners appear somewhat different as compared to experienced learners in terms of usage of multimedia (DiGiacinto, 2007). For novice learners multimedia plays a very crucial role and should be employed in order to facilitate them with the needed knowledge and information. The educators and teachers should be able to make use of multimedia for the learners. According to Dora DiGiacinto, the educators should be able to judge the level of the learners after which, they can make use of the needed materials for teaching the students (DiGiacinto, 2007). In another study, “Avoiding the Digital Abyss: Getting Started in the Classroom with YouTube, Digital Stories, and Blogs” (2008) by Mullen and Wedwick, the researchers have discussed the use of YouTube, Digital Stories and blogs for teaching in a class. “The education community has a responsibility to properly prepare students for the technological world” (Mullen and Wedwick, 2008, 66). The educators have a grand responsibility to accommodate students with technological knowledge and for that purpose, the use of multimedia technology in the classroom is a must but for that purpose, the teachers should also equip themselves fully with new technology. There is a presence of digital divide between teachers and students that needs to be removed (Mullen and Wedwick, 2008). With the help of internet, we are able to access information which is available in great detail. The learners are able to access information in just one click due to which, they consider internet as a good source of information. According to Mullen and Wedwick, the digital divide that is there between teachers and students is between them because students are not allowed to make use of multimedia and technology in their classroom (Mullen and Wedwick, 2008). This digital divide can be ended if teachers accommodate the students with technological knowledge in their classrooms. With available resources of information on internet such as YouTube, Digital stories and many more, the students can access to information in terms of multimedia, which can help them in their learning (Mullen and Wedwick, 2008). There are many videos on YouTube that are educational and facilitate students with illustrative knowledge within no time. Similarly, there are many more multimedia resources that can be employed in classrooms to make the students learn actively and to enhance their learning skill. The learners are required to move with the world and when the technology is so common nowadays, the students should be fully allowed to make use of technology for learning. Multimedia in the classroom whether it is in the form of laptops, computer, internet access or other audio-visual aids, it is very crucial for the students. With attainment of knowledge with the help of multimedia, the students will be able to fit in this technologically developed world. When information is available on one click, the students should be allowed and taught to make use of it for their learning. Multimedia is supportive in a classroom setting and the students are able to get enhanced learning by means of multimedia. This fact cannot be negated that multimedia plays a crucial role in a classroom setting. The studies and researches done by the researchers indicate towards a positive outcome by the usage of multimedia in the classrooms due to which, it is quite clear that multimedia is accommodating for the students in terms of their learning. The use of multimedia enhances students’ learning and teachers should make use of multimedia in order to make the students capable to comprehend the technology and to get the required knowledge with ease and expertise. References Barone, Diane and Wright, Todd E. (2008). Literacy Instruction with Digital and Media Technologies. The Reading Teacher, 62 (4), pp. 292–302. DiGiacinto, Dora. (2007). Using Multimedia Effectively in the Teaching-Learning Process. Journal of Allied Health 36 (3), pp. 176-179. Kingsley, Karla V. and Boone, Randall. (2008). Effects of Multimedia Software on Achievement of Middle School Students in an American History Class. Journal of Research on Technology in Education 41 (2), pp. 203-221. Mouza, Chrystalla. (2008). Learning with Laptops: Implementation and Outcomes in an Urban, Under-Privileged School. Journal of Research on Technology in Education 40 (4), pp. 447-472. Mullen, Rebecca and Wedwick, Linda. (2008). Avoiding the Digital Abyss: Getting Started in the Classroom with YouTube, Digital Stories, and Blogs. The Clearing House 82 (2), pp. 66-70. Read More