What is “Media Selection”? and Why it is important in Classroom Teaching?

Selection of Media: There are five steps in the selection of media.

These are:

1. Write an objective.

2. Determine the domain in which the objective can be classified: Cognitive, : Affective, Psychomotor.

3. Consider various factors affecting media selection.

4. Consider various methods/techniques to be adopted.

5. Select appropriate media.

(1) Write an Instructional Objective: The first step in the selection of media is to write an instructional objective. A good instructional objective has four distinguishing characteristics. These are:

1. It describes something which the learner performs or produces.

2. It stales an observable behaviour of a product of the learner’s behaviour.

3. It states the conditions under which the behaviour is to occur.

4. It states the standard which defines whether or not the objective has bee, attained.

(2) Determine the Domain in which the Objective can be Classified Cognitive, Affective, Psychomotor:

Once you have specified or written the objective, you determine the domain in which the objective can be classified The example of instructional objective which we have given earlier belongs psychomotor domain as the trainee is expected to type out 40 words per minute which is a psychomotor skill.

(3) Consider various Factors Affecting Media Selection:

At this step, you are expected to consider the various factors of media selection in terms of the written objective. Looking at the earlier example, you can think of various media. Out of the available media, a video programme depicting a typing skill is more appropriate. A learner can get command over the video programme. He/she can learn the typing skill on his/her own by switching on and switching off the video programme and then actually practicing on a typewriter.

(4) Consider various Methods/Techniques to be Adopted:

At this step, you are required to consider various methods/techniques to be adopted. For example, you are following the lecture method to discuss a new concept. In this case, you can think of using OHP transparencies to support your main points in the lecture; even summarizing whatever you have discussed in your lectured, in the illustration of typing which we gave earlier, you can think of demonstration as method. For that, you may choose a video programme which demonstrates the typing skill. Hence, decisions of methods/techniques also determine the process of media selection.

(5) Selecting the Media:

After comparing the appropriate need of different media, you can select the media. In this case, the video programme depicting typing skill is selected to help practice the methods on a typewriter.

Media Integration:

We see that the use of a single medium fulfill the requirement of any instructional activity. Various media have to be used in combination. Although one of the media could be the ‘Master Medium’, other media should be used so that the quality of presentation becomes maximally effective. Media also can be combined with appropriate methods so that instructional activity becomes Effective. Let us take an example of a class on geography wherein the teacher Caches about ”Environmental Pollution”. The class period is 40 minutes. He divides the class of 40 minutes as in Table below.

Teacher’s Activities	Media to be used	Time
Introduction to the Topic	Uses chalkboard and shows transparency. Uses lecture -cum- discussion method.	10 minutes
Teaching the main Content	Uses lecture -cum- discussion method writing on chalkboard or showing 4 -5 transparencies.	13 minutes
Citing Examples	Showing a 10 minutes video sequence on “Environmental Pollution” or showing a set of 10 slides on “Environmental Pollution”, or showing 10 pictures on the topic.	10 minutes
Summary	Explaining verbally or by showing a transparency or by writing on a chart.	5 minutes

Need of Media Selection:

We see that media have an important role in the instructional process. But, all media are not suitable or appropriate for all types of instructional tasks. Each medium has its own capabilities or attributes. Attributes are pictorial (representation.

Size enlarged, reduced or real), Colour (black and white, limited colours, full colours), Movement (still, semi-motion, full motion), Language (print or oral sounds) and Sound-picture relationship (silent or with sound).

Each instructional task also requires media with specified characteristics or attributes. It is, therefore, considered that media selection is an important part of instructional design and delivery.

But it is very difficult on the part of a teacher to judge which medium out of the available media is the best for a given instructional task. A teacher, therefore, takes into considerate various factors which affect media selection for the transaction of learns experiences.