Teaching and Learning with Technological Media

Designing instruction using multiple media is a little more cumbersome that what I initially thought it was going to be, however, I believe that the end product will be a better instructional tool, than using single mode instruction. The visual/text instruction mode will benefit teaching and learning, because both modalities work and complement each other to the point of facilitating instruction by making it easier to explain and see what the learning goals, objectives and steps are. Potential Issues I see arising from this multi-modal instruction is that it can be very time consuming for the instructor to piece together. It would be ideal if one were to create an instructional document, to use for years to come, but if one’s instruction is ever-changing, then this mode of instruction would take too much time to keep replicating, when instruction by video would be more efficient. Learning on the other hand, would be enhanced by using visual images and text, than either modality, by it...

According to Dual Coding Theory, individuals tend to learn significantly better when using a combination of instructional medium including text, visuals and audio. As a student and instructor it has been my experience that when learning about a particular matter, the acquisition of knowledge, skills and behaviors is facilitated by using a combination of learning media to enhance instruction. I also believe that when incorrectly implemented, single modality instruction quickly becomes a bore and as a result, makes it harder to instruct and learn from.  It is without question that instructional design based on a single medium modality, compared to multi medium modality falls short of being the most efficient way to instruct a particular set of knowledge, skills and desired behaviors. In spite of this fact, there are variances (text vs visual), when it comes to instructional design efficacy that employs a single modality and there are ways of enhancing that modality (visual design an...

The use of color theory and visual design, when properly used in instructing can act as a powerful aid and enhancer in learning. When properly used, the use of color can elicit and excite learners from the get go and can induce powerful associations in learning. When looking at text alone, for example, the learner might immediately be turned off by its dullness and lack of interest, thus making it harder for that student to learn—right from the start. However, the use of visual aids, perhaps a large, and guiding picture, with the use of the correct colors, that that will elicit the desired physical, mental and emotional response wanted by the designer will enhance the way in which the learner approaches, examines, processes and ultimately understands the information presented. Visual design and color theory can most certainly detract from the learning processes, by distracting the learner (too much noise) or sending the learner the wrong priming message (pleasant and calming colors us...

In teaching and learning, I must say, that upon completing project 1, I had really taken audio and visual aids for granted.  Trying to instruct solely using text and hypertext is a lot harder that what I initially thought it was going to be. In my teaching and learning experiences there have almost always been visual and audio aids present to supplement the text. In fact, in recent years it seems as though text is used only as a supplemental to visual and audio aids for instructional purposes. In some cases, no text is even used when instructing a process. After completing project 1 I understand why it is so difficult to instruct using text only and why some companies use less text and primarily use audio and visuals to teach a process. Just the other day I was assembling a wagon I got from my son and the instructions were primarily in picture format. The only text used was the numbering of the steps. The rest of the instruction were just pictures of the assembly process. When I...