DebateDoesMediaInfluenceLearning?

Theadventoftechnologyisbeingassociatedwiththetermdisruptivetechnologyor
disruptiveinnovation.Disruptiveinnovationisdefinedasinnovationthatcreatesanewmarket
andvaluenetworkandeventuallydisruptsanexistingmarket(Wikipedia:Disruptiveinnovation,
n.d).Howwelearneitherformally(classroom)orinformally(selftaught)isbeingimpactedby
technology,fromhowcoursesaredesignedanddeliveredtotheoreticalchallengesbeing
presentedagainstexistingmethodologiesandtheories.Thequestionthatseemstobeatthe
centerofdebatebetweenClarkandKozmais,Shouldmediabeincludedwithinstructional
methodasaninfluenceonlearning?
ClarkandKozmaseemtoagreeonthedefinitionofmediaandinstructionalmethod,just
notontheirinfluenceonlearning.Mediaisconsideredthedeliverymechanismormodesuchas
televisionorcomputer.Kozmaextendsthedebatebyidentifyingthatmediaofferattributeslike
zoomandunwrapthatmakenecessarycontributionstolearning(Kozma,1994).WhereasClark
argues,whenastudydemonstratesthatmediaattributesaresufficienttocauselearning,the
studyhasfailedtocontrolforinstructionalmethodandisthereforeconfounded.Clark
continuestoemphasizethatIfaneffectusedinlearninganbeaccomplishedbyothermeans,
thennoonemediaattributehasauniquecognitiveeffect(Clark,1994).
ThetwostudiesusedbyKozmatosupporthisargumentweretheThinkerToolsand
Jasperprojects.Hispaperconcludesbyidentifyingthatseveralfactorsinfluencedlearninglike
postingmotivationalquestions,theuseofstudentgroups,andparticularstrategiesusedtosolve
problems(Kozma,1994).Also,itseemsthatKozmaistryingtomakeacaseforwhatcouldbe
(future)withoutscientificallyresearchingwhatis(present).Furtheridentifyingthatweneedto

challenge,ordisrupt,ourthinkingbeforepossiblylosingvaluetohistorybeforerealizing
potential.
AlthoughtheTedtalk(Bavelier,2012)wasinterestingandvalidatesthroughsciencehow
technologycanimprovecognitiveresponse,Idontbelievethatitfullyvalidatesthatmedia
influenceslearning.Thescientificvalidationfocusedondeterioratingeyesightandattention,
bothofwhichhavebeenassumedforsometimewithoutproof.Thecognitiveresearch
conductedvalidatedthattheseassumptionswereincorrect.
IstandwithClarkwhenhesaysthat,evenifsuchattributesareconsideredtobemedia
attributesandevenifresearchshowstheseattributesareassociatedwithlearning,theydonot
playaroleininstructionaltheoryunlesstherelationshipbetweenthemisanecessaryone(Clark,
1994).

Rebuttaltoopposingview:
ClarkandKozmaagreeonmanyaspectswithintheirdebate,buttheessenceofthe
debateiswhetherornotmediainfluenceslearningandifmediashouldbeincludewith
instructionaltheorytodetermineitsinfluence,notseparatedfromit.KozmaandBavelierpresent
researchassociatedpossibleinfluencestolearning,butneitheraresolidfindingsandmore
hopefulindicatorsofwhatispossibleinthefuture.Thestatement,Willmediainfluence
learning?isaquestionaboutthefuturenotscientificproofofthepresent.Clarksdebateisvery
specifictoinstructionaltheoryanditsvalidatedscientificresearch.Clarkmakesthestatement
regardingmediaattributesthat,evenifsuchattributesareconsideredtobemediaattributesand
evenifresearchshowstheseattributesareassociatedwithlearning,theydonotplayarolein

instructionaltheoryunlesstherelationshipbetweenthemisanecessaryone.Clarkspositionis
thatIfaneffectusedinlearninganbeaccomplishedbyothermeans,thennoonemedia
attributehasauniquecognitiveeffect.Basically,ifmediadoesntholdamonopolyhowthe
learningandthesamelearningcanbeobtainedbyothermeans,thenmediaisnttheinfluence.
Kozmaalsoacknowledgethathisstudieswereinfluencedbyseveralfactorslikeposting
motivationalquestions,theuseofstudentgroups,andparticularstrategiesusedtosolve
problems.

References
Clark,R.(1994).Mediawillneverinfluencelearning.EducationalTechnology,
ResearchandDevelopment,42(2),2129.
Kozma,R.(1994).Willmediainfluencelearning?Reframingthedebate.Educational
Technology,ResearchandDevelopment,42(2),719.
Wikipedia:Disruptiveinnovation.(n.d.).RetrievedNovember21,2016,from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disruptive_innovation
Bavelier,D.(Host).(2012,June).Yourbrainonvideogames[Videopodcast].Retrieved
fromhttp://www.ted.com/talks/daphne_bavelier_your_brain_on_video_games?language=en#t
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