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Abstract

Media has opened new dimensions in learning. Now education is no longer a constraint for anyone. Media has brought education to the doorstep of each and every individual. All forms of media- the newspaper, radio, television and the internet are equally important in imparting education. As the technology is progressing, the different educational modules are being channeled through certain community access centers like community radio system, televisions, internet, community multi-media centers etc. Media literacy or education does not only mean to be entertained by media but to learn something from it. As a major part of the learning process is concentrated on children, media plays a significant role to satisfy their intellectual curiosity. Children often learn important things through the media, which change their perspective to life. Moreover, radio has now started to enter into the educational sector commonly known as Community Radio System, which indirectly forms the part of e-learning process. Computer-based education has transformed the traditional offerings of distance learning. This medium of education converts the traditional static resources into interactive and interesting online modules for the learners. The primary motive of the Interactive Learning Modules is to create modular interactive learning materials for the development of education and to demonstrate their effectiveness in university curricula as well as industrial training programs. Interactive Learning Modules, which is another form of media, serves the purpose of both the technical and management corporate trainee people along with the people with learning disabilities. The main aim of this article is to focus on the positive effects of media on learning and how different forms of media have contributed to the development of mankind.

Media and learning: New dimensions

Author: Bipasha Chowdhury

Introduction:

Media is everywhere; it has become a part of our daily life. The media plays a dominant role in the learning process. Its impact is vast in shaping the life of an individual. Media has the potential to shape personalities, change the way we perceive and understand the world and our immediate reality. Though we know that all good things have both good and bad effects, likewise, media too have some positive and negative effects. Moreover, we have seen that a large number of people depend on the internet to collect information, read news, listen to music and download movies, play games and also for work. Newspaper, Radio, Television and the internet- all form part of the media and are important in imparting education. Media offers culture, sports, information, entertainment, current affairs and education. Sometimes the impact of media is very high. For example, children love to watch the superheroes and sometimes try to copy their actions while playing. On the other hand, the impact may not be so vast or immediate. It happens gradually as children see and hear certain messages repeatedly. Some of the devastating advertisements include: Fighting and unnecessary quarrel, cigarettes and alcohol being shown as the symbol of heroism, style and attractive, but not deadly and unhealthy. Moreover, violation of laws is shown as a means to gain justice and sexual action with no negative results, such as disease or unintended pregnancy. In recent years, the impact of media on teaching and learning has increased tremendously. New opportunities are being provided to give a techno-touch to the traditional educational process and system. As the society is becoming media-savvy day by day, the educational modules are being channeled through certain community access centers like community radio system, televisions, internet, community multi-media centers etc.

Media and Children:

Media Literacy: “the ability to access, analyze, evaluate and communicate information in a variety of formats.” —David Considine

The role of media in imparting education is increasingly on the rise. Media surrounds us and is present in everything. This phenomenon has made learning easier and interesting for children. Television, radio, and computers are gradually entering classrooms and changing the way of learning. With the onset of new technologies and the emerging trends in the global economy, the present day education is changing. Therefore, there is a need to educate ourselves with the emerging wave of technology. It is well known that by learning to read and write, we can be called literate. Similarly, in the 21st century, by gaining knowledge about the different aspects of media, we can also be called media literate, although there are both positive and negative sides of it. Therefore, as we are adopting the good from it, the bad should be avoided. The negative messages could be avoided by developing the skills of questioning, evaluating and analyzing them. This can be called media literacy or media education.

Media literacy or education does not mean to know about media but to learn something from it. Moreover, we find the subjects that we learn in our curricula are also found in media. They may be related to arts, science, different languages, social sciences and health. It also helps to develop critical thinking skills. The students can get a vast exposure to the pop-cultural references. They can get statistics and data from the news, which can be the basis for math and science learning. The teachers can also incorporate media analysis whenever the Internet, television or video are used in the classroom.

The impact of media is vast on children and even on the adults. The intellectual curiosity of a child is satisfied by media literacy. At present, in order to exist in the competitive market, there is always a need to equip oneself with better knowledge and analytical skill. Apart from books, television also helps to improve the Intelligent Quotient and General Knowledge of every section of the society, particularly the children. Media education skills develop the children’s thinking and analyzing power, which in turn, inspires them to make queries and think about the media messages they watch, hear and read. As a child tries to critically analyze the things he reads, likewise he tries to do the same with sounds, actions, moving pictures etc. There are numerous benefits of media on children. The first and foremost effect of media is definitely the accumulation of General knowledge, different dialects and cultures. Television boosts the social awareness of a child to a great extent. Sports channels develop the logical mindset of a child. Cartoon channels keep the children happy. News channels increase the vocabulary of the children and inform them about the positive and negative impacts on the society. It increases the concentration and retention power of a child, which benefits their studies to a great extent.

There are also negative effects of media on children. Children often learn certain things, which change their perspective towards life. For example, if they watch violent scenes on TV, their nature tends to be the same. There are many incidents where children try to imitate the super heroes and it results in death. Studies often get hampered and lapse of concentration occurs due to excessive watching of television. The advertisements shown in the media often captures the mood of the individuals. Generally, girls are very vulnerable and sensitive about their physical image. When an adolescent girl watches the ads that show unless we buy a product or carry the style statement or wash our hair with a specific shampoo and look smart like a slim model, we don’t get respect in the society or get a job. These messages attack our self-esteem and create a negative impact on a child. Two Studies conducted by the South Australia’s Flinders University have revealed that “television advertising featuring idealised thinness negatively affected both the mood and the body image of adolescent girls, with those in the 13 – 15 year age group being more affected”.

On the whole, media has made a tremendous impact on children. Compared to the positive impact, the negative impact is too negligible. The craze of media is such that no one can escape its vibe-be it the adult or youth.

Effect of Community Radio on Education:

Radio has now started to enter into the education sector with the name of Community Radio System. The term Community Radio signifies radio broadcasting with the objective of serving the community by involving members of the community in the broadcast of their programmes. It will help the students to hone their public speaking skills. Though the concept of teaching through radio or television is quite new, but some media or production companies have come forward with such kind of proposals.

Certain questions may crop up about the validity of the relation between radio and learning. The readers may also ask whether the community radio is performing any tasks of e-Learning. If learning is universal and ‘e’ is used for ‘electronic’, then why can’t the verbal knowledge spread through electronic media like community radio as a part of ‘e-Learning’? The advantage of a community radio is that any listener within the range of five to ten kilometers can tune in the radio channel. Community radio is helpful enough for people of the poor and developing countries and even for people living in rural areas without basic amenities like electricity, satellite television, internet etc.

In India, the non-commercial organizations were not allowed to run radio stations. The private organizations with good financial background like Radio Mirchi, Red FM, Big FM, Radio city and