Video and visual media in classroom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Video and visual media in classroom - Essay Example Because most visual media are temporal and active, rather than static, they can be used to show change and dynamic qualities. It is very much useful in teaching the sciences, technology and even performing arts. With the new technological advancements they are now more accessible, cheaper and flexible to use. Most important, the new generation students have grown up watching television and are highly oriented to visual learning. Slides, overhead transparencies, filmstrips, and movies are important aid to their learning. The Edgar Dale Cone of Experience summarizes how learners retain information. A person remembers 10% of what they read, 20% of what they heard, 30% of what they seen and 50% of what is seen and heard. Learning experiences at the bottom of the 'Dale's Cone of Experience' tend to hold student attention longer and involve active student participation. Media at the top of the cone are said to be more passive but are suitable for transmitting large amounts of information q uickly. The first visual media for learning was the blackboard itself and has become inseparable part of any classroom. Besides the overhead projector, VCR had the biggest impact on the pedagogical practices as the "introduction to film course" became common in most American universities (Lovell, 1987). Slightly newer technology was the interactive videodisc (IVD).