Clark vs. Kozma Debate

There is no doubt that schools today use media to both teach and reinforce lessons in all subject areas. After acknowledging this, the question becomes does media actually influence learning (Kozma 1994) or is using media simply another method to teach a lesson (Clark 1994). Richard Clark believes that if you can teach a lesson using different methods, one of which could be the media, it is the method, rather than the media that influences the learning. While I can see his point, I don’t believe that this is always the case. If the media provides faster, cheaper and more thorough information, and in effect, this is the chosen method, it seems like the media is the driving force, not the method.

Another factor to take into consideration in the present day, as opposed to when this debate first came out in 1994, is the enormous increase in the use of the personal computer and the Internet (Hastings, Tracey 2005). This change has led to communication tools which far surpass previous methods–like e-mail, instant messaging and Blogs, to name a few. This instant access to information and experts can make a huge difference if used to its full potential. Clark believes that if there is more than one way to manipulate media to present a lesson, it is the method that you choose to present the lesson rather than the media, that will influence the learning (Clark 1994). But if the only way to present certain information is using media, e.g. a real-time interaction with an expert, then media is at least as important as the method, if not more so. Furthermore, if one is choosing between two different methods to present a lesson but both involve the media, then again, the media is equally as important as the chosen method.

I believe that Clark is right to stress the importance of method when discerning the most effective way to teach a lesson, but I believe that he is selling the importance of media short when he states that it will never influence learning. As media continues to develop and have a real presence in everyday life, I believe that it will increasingly influence learning. The challenge will be in finding the best method with which this will occur.

Clark, R. E. (1994). Media will never influence learning. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 21-29.

Hastings, N. B., Tracey, M. W. (2005). Does Media Effect Learning: Where Are We Now? TechTrends; 49(2), 28.

Kozma, R. B. (1994). Will media influence learning? Reframing the debate. Educational Technology Research and Development, 42(2), 7-19.