Multimedia and a Mishap
Media is everywhere. As educators, we incorporate media into our teaching because it increases student engagement and learning, but it is our responsibility to make sure we are choosing the best possible media for our unique learning situations and learners. It is important to include multimedia for student learning because combining both words and images allows the learner to connect two different brain channels to make long-term connections (UNMC E-Learning, 2015). Universal Design for Learning, UDL, also points to a need for multimedia in education. UDL proclaims that learners have unique needs, and educators must minimize barriers to maximize learning. The goal is to make learning accessible for all learners through representation, action/expression, and engagement, which plays into each individual student’s strengths, needs, and interests (CAST, 2010). Multimedia is a core component of this as it helps to provide multiple ways to learn something. Educators should carefully select the media they choose to include, and the SECTIONS method developed by Tony Bates is one way to go about this. Although this method is not based on research evidence, it proves to be a way to carefully look at media selection by considering students, teaching style, pedagogical/presentational requirements, and available resources (Bates, 2016). It takes time to select the best media, but it is worth it.
Funny story (although not mine) – ALWAYS preview your multimedia. A colleague of mine was discussing starting fires using an old tool, as it came up in the novel they were reading. She decided to show a video of a person using the tool. Great idea, right? As the video played, the individual in the video shouted an expletive. My colleague was mortified. She paused the video and had a discussion with the class about the mistake. She then decided they could watch the video without sound to watch the fire get started. Another minute or so into the video, another expletive in huge bold lettering pops up on the screen. Mortified again, she had another discussion with the class and emailed parents an apology. This may sound like a rookie mistake, but this woman has been teaching for over thirty years. Moral of the story: carefully select your multimedia!
References
Bates, T. (2016). Teaching in a digital age: Guidelines for designing teaching and learning. Vancouver, BC: Tony Bates Associates. Retrieved from https://teachonline.ca/sites/default/files/pdfs/teaching-in-a-digital-age_2016.pdf
CAST. (2010, January 6). UDL at a glance [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDvKnY0g6e4
UNMC E-Learning. (2015, August 10). 2 minute teacher multimedia principle [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP98_CTjXNo
