Media Will Never Influence Learning - Ya Right!

Shawn Atwood

Foundations of Instructional Design

“Media Will Never Influence Learning – Ya Right!”

This past week I recently studied an article entitled: "Media Will Never Influence Learning," written by Richard E. Clarke (1994). It Clark’s article he makes the argument that media makes no difference in a student's learning or motivation, but rather that instructional methods are responsible for achievement gains.

He states that "media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievement" (p.22). He likened media to a truck that delivers groceries. Sure, the truck delivers the groceries, but it doesn't change a person's nutrition, just like media does not change a person’s motivation or learning.

Clarke also agrees with the arguments of Gavriel Solomon (1979) that it was certain attributes of media that can be models by the learner that influences a person’s learning, and not media itself. Therefore, Clark concluded that we need to continually ask the question as to whether or not there are other media or other sets of media attributes that yield strong and efficient learning gains, because media in general in the classroom just does not cut it.

As I studied this article I didn’t buy into it because I believe that an instructional designer should use media in the classroom to enhance the learning experience. I don’t think that a teacher should ever just put in a movie and walk away, but I do think that media USED EFFECTIVELY is a great instructional tool and indeed does motivate the learning to learn, especially if the media is used as an instructional tool, and not the instructional tool.