Using Media to Build Assessments

Media Resources. Research suggests that people learn abstract, new, and novel concepts more easily when they are presented in both verbal and visual form (Salomon, 1979 (Links to an external site.)). Other empirical research shows that visual media make concepts more accessible to a person than text media and help with later recall (Cowen, 1984 (Links to an external site.)). In Willingham's (2009 (Links to an external site.)) research he asks a simple question to make his point: "Why do students remember everything that's on television and forget what we lecture?" – Because visual media helps students retain concepts and ideas. Bransford, Browning, and Cocking (Links to an external site.) (1999, p 194) also note the crucial role that technology plays for creating learning environments that extend the possibilities of one-way communication media, such as movies, documentaries, television shows and music into new areas that require interactive learning like visualizations and student-created content.

The Advantages of Using Media:

  • Many media sources (feature films, music videos, visualizations, news stories) have very high production quality capable of showcasing complex ideas in a short period of time.
  • Media offers both cognitive and affective experiences. It can provoke discussion, an assessment of one's values, and an assessment of self if the scenes have strong emotional content.
  • The use of media sources help connect learners with events that are culturally relevant. As a result, a positive consequence of using media is that instructors must keep their materials and examples up-to-date. 

There are a number of cautions that faculty should keep in mind in using media.

  • Using media requires an understanding of copyright law and intellectual property. Pierce College librarians should be your first resource if you have questions about copyright of materials you intend to use. They can also make suggestions for materials the college has in its collections for instructional use.
  • An appreciation of the workload involved in curating media content, and some skill in recognizing content that will enhance learning, instead of becoming a distraction. Talk to our instructional designer or an edtech assistant if you are wondering about appropriate use of multimedia in your teaching. Review the section in this module about using multimedia and Mayer's recommendations for selection and presentation of visual content. 
  • Multimedia content such as video and audio should contain closed captioning or have an accompanying transcript provided for students to access. This includes screencasts or videos you create yourself. This recommendation comes as a way to meet ADA standards as well as following Universal Design principles that enhance learning for all students. Contact the Pierce eLearning department or the ADS department for more information on how to get your course videos or audio closed captioned. 

Adapted from Carleton College's Pedagogy in Action (Links to an external site.) site.