Skip to main content
Log in

Will media influence learning? Reframing the debate

  • Research
  • Published:
Educational Technology Research and Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This article addresses the position taken by Clark (1983) that media do not influence learning under any conditions. The article reframes the questions raised by Clark to explore the conditions under which media will influence learning. Specifically, it posits the need to consider the capabilities of media, and the methods that employ them, as they interact with the cognitive and social processes by which knowledge is constructed. This approach is examined within the context of two major media-based projects, one which uses computers and the other, video. The article discusses the implications of this approach for media theory, research and practice.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baggett, P. (1989). Understanding visual and verbal messages. In H. Mandl & J. Levin (Eds.),Knowledge acquisition from text and pictures (pp. 101–124). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  • Beagles-Roos, J., & Gat, I. (1983). Specific impact of radio and television on children's story comprehension.Journal of Educational Psychology, 75(1), 128–137.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bransford, J., Sharp, D., Vye, N., Goldman, S., Hasselbring, T., Goin, L, O'Banion, K., Livernois, J., Saul, E. and the Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1992).MOST environments for accelerating literacy development. Presentation at the NATO Advanced Study Institute on Psychological and Educational Foundations of Technology-Based Learning Environments, Kolymbari, Crete.

  • Brown, A. (1992). Design experiments: Theoretical and methodological challenges in creating complex interventions in classroom settings.Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2(2), 141–178.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Buchanan, R. (1989). Declaration by design: Rhetoric, argument, and demonstration in design practice. In V. Margolin (Eds.),Design discourse (pp. 91–109).

  • Chi, M., Feltovich, P., & Glaser, R. (1981). Categorization and representation of physics problems by experts and novices.Cognitive Science, 5, 121–152.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R. (1985). Confounding in educational computing research.Journal of Educational Computing Research, 1(2), 137–148.

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R. E. (1983). Reconsidering research on learning from media.Review of Educational Research, 53(4), 445–459.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt. (1992). An anchored instruction approach to cognitive skills acquisition and intelligent tutoring. In J. W. Regian & V. Shute (Eds.),Cognitive approaches to automated instruction (pp. 135–170). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, M. &. Nagel, E. (1934).An introduction to logic and scientific method. New York: Harcourt Brace.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuban, L. (1986).Teachers and machines. New York: Teachers College Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Corte, E. (1993).Psychological aspects of changes in learning supported by informatics. Paper presented at the meeting on Informatics and Changes in Learning, Gmunden, Austria.

  • Dick, W. & Carey, L. (1990).The systematic design of instruction (3rd ed.). Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman and Co.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dole, J., Niederhauser, D., & Hayes, M. (1991).The role of reading in conceptual change in science. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Association, Chicago.

  • Dubin, R. (1969).Theory building. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duffy, T. & Jonassen, D. (1992).Constructivism and the technology of instruction: A conversation. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ericsson, K. A., & Simon, H. (1993).Protocol analysis: Verbal reports as data (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glaser, R. (1976). Components of a psychology of instruction: Toward a science of design.Review of Educational Research, 46(1), 29–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, N. (1976).Languages of art. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett.

    Google Scholar 

  • Greeno, J. (1988). Situations, mental models, and generative knowledge. In D. Klahr & K. Kotovsky (Eds.),Complex information processing (pp. 285–318). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guttman, L. (1969). A general nonmetric technique for finding the smallest coordinate space for a configuration of points.Psychometrics, 33, 465–506.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hlynka, D. & Belland, J. (1991).Paradigms regained: The uses of illuminative, semiotic and post-modern criticism as modes of inquiry in educational technology. Englwood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • House, E. (1991). Realism in research.Educational Researcher, 20(6), 2–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Information Infrastructure Task Force. (1993).The National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for action. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Commerce.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kerr, S. (1989). Technology, teachers, and the search for school reform.Educational Technology Research and Development, 37(4), 5–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozma, R. (1991). Learning with media.Review of Educational Research, 61(2), 179–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozma, R. &. Croninger, R. (1992). Technology and the fate of at-risk students.Education and Urban Society, 24(4), 440–453.

    Google Scholar 

  • Larkin, J. (1983). The role of problem representation in physics. In D. Gentner & A. Stevens (Eds.),Mental models (pp. 75–98). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Meringoff, L. (1982).What pictures can and can't do for children's story understanding. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York.

  • Neuman, D. (1989). Naturalistic inquiry and computer-based instruction: rationale, procedures, and potential.Educational Technology Research and Development, 37(3), 39–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newman, D., Griffin, P., & Cole, M. (1989).The construction zone: Working for cognitive change in school. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pea, R. (1992). Augmenting the discourse of learning with computer-based learning environments. In M. L. E. De Corte & L. Verschaffel (Eds.),Computer-based learning environments and problem solving (pp. 313–344). New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pea. R. (1993). Practices of distributed intelligence and designs for education. In G. Salomon (Ed.),Distributed cognitions. New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Perkins, D. (1993). Person plus: a distributed view of thinking and learning. In G. Salomon (Ed.),Distributed cognitions (pp. 88–110). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polya, G. (1957).How to solve it. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reigeluth, C. (1989). Educational technology at the crossroads: New mindsets and new directions.Educational Technology Research and Development, 37(1), 67–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Resnick, L. (1987). Learning in school and out.Educational Researcher, 16(9), 13–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Richey, R. (1992).Designing instruction for the adult learner. London: Kogan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ross, S. & Morrison, G. (1989), In search of a happy medium in instructional technology research: Issues concerning external validity, media replications, and learner control.Educational Technology Research and Development, 37(1), 19–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salomon, G. (1978).Interaction of media, cognition, and learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salomon, G. (1991). Transcending the qualitative-quantitative debate: The analytic and systemic approaches to educational research.Educational Researcher, 20(6), 10–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salomon, G. (1993). No distribution without individuals' cognition. In G. Salomon (Ed.),Distributed cognitions (pp. 111–138). New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salomon, G., Perkins, D., & Globerson, T. (1991). Partners in cognition: Extending human intelligence with intelligent technologies.Educational Researcher, 20(3), 2–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schön, D. (1987).Educating the reflective practitioner. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shuell, T. (1988). The role of the student in learning from instruction.Contemporary Educational Psychology, 13, 276–295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Siegler, R. & Crowley, K. (1991). The microgenetic method.American Psychologist, 46(6), 606–620.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Simon, H. (1981).The sciences of the artificial (2nd ed.). Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Snow, R. (1992). Aptitude theory: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.Educational Psychologist, 27(1), 5–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spiro, R. & Jehng, J. (1990). Cognitive flexibility and hypertext: Theory and technology for the nonlinear and multidimensional traversal of complex subject matter. In D. N. Spiro & R. Spiro (Eds.),Cognition, education, and multimedia (pp. 163–206). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stix, G. (1993). Domesticating cyberspace.Scientific American, 269(2), 100–110.

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Haneghan, J., Barron, L., Young, M., Williams, S., Vye, N., & Bransford, J. (1992). The Jasper Series: An experiment with new ways to enhance mathematical thinking. In D. Halpern (Eds.),Enhancing thinking skills in the sciences and mathematics (pp. 15–38). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, B. (1984). Designing computer activities to help physics students understand Newton's laws of motion.Cognition and Instruction, 1(1), 69–108.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White, B. (1993). ThinkerTools: Causal models, conceptual change, and science education.Cognition and Instruction, 10(1), 1–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehead, A. N. (1929).The aims of education. New York: Macmillan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Winn, W. (1989). Toward a rationale and theoretical basis for educational technology.Educational Technology Research and Development, 37(1), 35–46.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Winn, W. (1990). Some implications of cognitive theory for instructional design.Instructional Science, 19(1), 53–69.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kozma, R.B. Will media influence learning? Reframing the debate. ETR&D 42, 7–19 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02299087

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02299087

Keywords

Navigation