Running Head: MEDIA AND INSTRUCTION: DEBATE POSITION 1

Media and Instruction: Position Paper

Rolanda Farmer

University of West Georgia

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Media and Instruction: Position Paper

The long time debate between Richard Clark and Robert Kozma is a topic that can be

argued without a clear winner. Clark and Kozma has each exerted efforts in disputing the other’s

claims for the most effective instructional strategies. Clark argues that the method of instruction

is more critical to learning, while Kozma argues that instruction using media leads to greater

learning outcomes. While there are credible points in each of their cases, I tend to lean more

toward Clark’s point of view. During my research, the evidence and ideas that were presented

were more convincing that the method of instruction is more important than the vehicle that

carries the instruction.

Position on the Debate

Kozma presented limited evidence that supported his claim of media being a superior

form of instruction over traditional text and talk. Using media to deliver instruction has

significantly changed over the years, and many older types of media failed to be adopted for

instruction. Motion pictures were predicted to make a revolutionary change to the classroom,

however, they are used sparingly.

The case study Kozma performed with the computer-based learning environment,

ThinkerTools, involved a very limited number of classes and students. As I was reading the

material, I was hoping to learn about a years-long, wide-reaching study with compelling

evidence. The study, instead, left me siding with Clark, who provided the example that airplane

simulators are not necessary to learn to fly, as they were not available in early aviation.
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In contrast to Kozma, Clark describes the necessary and sufficient conditions in which

learning occurs, and that the active ingredients in learning are those which supplant, compensate,

and activate the cognitive process. Clark goes on to state that learning only occurs through media

if instruction methods are embedded within the media. Additionally, Clark claims that material

can be delivered in a variety of methods with similar learning outcomes. I agree with Clark’s

statements and views that media is not the single most effective method.

A study by Arias, Swinton, and Anderson (2018) revealed that students performed better

in a face-to-face environment vs. online. In their study, students who were taking ECON 2105 –

Macroeconomics were randomly enrolled in either a face-to-face class or an online class taught

by the same professor during the same semester. Students in the face-to-face class scored higher

on tests. Several factors could have affected the results, including attendance. The researchers

encourage others to conduct similar studies to gather additional data. The results suggest that

Clark’s campaign for traditional talk and text could have merit well into the 21st Century. In

other research, Rufa (2016) sheds light on Clark and Kozma as not really having a valid debate,

as they are arguing different points. As Rufa states, Clark focuses on media’s impact on

information retention, while Kozma focuses on the impact of media in terms of the when, where,

how, and what of learning.

When we consider the basis of learning processes, theories suggest how the role of media

could impact learning outcomes. Richard Mayer’s Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning

assumes that there are two separate channels for learning (visual and auditory), that each channel

has limited capacity, and that learning is an active process. Mayer theorizes that verbal
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information and visual information are cognitively processed and organized. The learner then

builds connections between these pieces of information to complete the learning process.

John Sweller’s Cognitive Load Theory has also received attention relating to the Clark

and Kozma debate. Sweller’s theory coincides with Clark’s views that media can overload

cognitive processes, and therefore, media should be limited in order to decrease the load.

Fundamentally, the theory gives more consideration to short term working memory. Working

memory processes information, however it has limitations, and can be easily overloaded by

media. Information presented in reasonable chunks allows working memory to effectively

process the information and develop schemas, which are structures necessary for long term

memory and the development of problem solving skills.

Conclusion

As a multimedia specialist working in higher education information technology, I have a

great appreciation for media of all types. Media is an invaluable resource for learning. With

varied learning styles, including, visual, auditory, verbal, physical, logical, social, and solitary,

media certainly has its uses in instruction. However, based on the six styles of learning, media

could be included as a supplement to instruction for all learners.

As technology continues to overtake traditional methods of information dissemination,

more schools are adopting media for instruction. At some point media could become the norm

for teaching. Current and future students will always have known technology and their learning

processes could be shaped by computing. There are many options for instruction delivery,
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however at least for the near future, traditional talk and text could remain an important and

effective teaching strategy as it has for centuries.

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References

Arias, J. J., Swinton, J., & Anderson, K. (2018). Online vs. Face-to-Face: A comparison of

student outcomes with random assignment. E-Journal of Business Education and

Scholarship of Teaching, 12(2), 1–23.Retrieved from http://articles.westga.edu:2048/

login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eft&AN=132335755&

site=eds-live&scope=site

Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research and

Development, 42(2), 21–29.

Kozma R. B. (1994). Will media influence learning: Reframing the debate. Educational

Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 7–19.

Mayer, R. E., & Moreno, R. (2003). Nine ways to reduce cognitive load in multimedia

learning. Educational Psychologist, 38(1), 43. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15326985

EP3801_6

Rufa, A. (2016). The impact of media on learning. Distance Learning, 13(3), 49–52. Retrieved

from http://articles.westga.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx

?direct=true&db=eft&AN=121624486&site=eds-live&scope=site
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Tamara van Gog, Fred Paas, & John Sweller. (2010). Cognitive Load Theory: Advances in

Research on Worked Examples, Animations, and Cognitive Load

Measurement. Educational Psychology Review, 22(4), 375. Retrieved from

http://articles.westga.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=t

rue&db=edsjsr&AN=edsjsr.23364108&site=eds-live&scope=site