Engl 102 Lecture Notes Lesson 2a Balanced Use Of Educational
Engl 102lecture Notes Lesson 2a Balanced Use Of Educational Mediaith
Engl 102lecture Notes Lesson 2a Balanced Use Of Educational Mediaith
ENGL 102 Lecture Notes: Lesson 2 A Balanced Use of Educational Media
I. The medium of television has inundated American culture.
A. From age five to age eighteen, an American child has viewed over 15,000 hours of television.
B. Once movie attendance and listening to radios and stereos is factored in, the exposure hours to electronic media easily reaches 20,000 hours.
C. This is at least double the amount of time which a child spends with school and homework.
II. There are some important differences between electronic curriculum and traditional classroom/printed curriculum.
A. The most obvious differences involve setting:
1. In a classroom, content is more important than attention via entertainment; with television, the converse is true.
2. A classroom, mirroring life itself, is a “penalty-laden curriculum;” television is not.
3. Television has the advantage of continuousness and imminence.
4. Commercial television’s learning modules are extremely short.
5. Classroom curriculum is community centered; television curriculum tends to reinforce what Christopher Lasch has labeled “cultural narcissism.”
B. The most important difference is that the two curricula use different alphabets:
1. The traditional classroom uses language—a “digital” code of information.
2. Television uses pictures—an “analogic” code of information.
C. The traditional curriculum stresses cause-and-effect, linear history; television curriculum stresses the non sequitur.
D. Traditional and television curricula also present differing templates of authority/authoritarian structures.
Paper For Above instruction
Introduction
The proliferation of electronic media, particularly television, has transformed the landscape of contemporary education and cultural consumption. While traditional classroom instruction emphasizes a structured, language-based approach focusing on cause-and-effect relationships, electronic media, especially television, employs a visual, immediately engaging format that shapes learners' perceptions differently. This paper explores the implications of these contrasting mediums, emphasizing the importance of balancing their use to foster comprehensive learning.
Media Intrusion into American Culture
Children in the United States are exposed to vast quantities of electronic media from a young age. Studies indicate that between ages five and eighteen, a typical American child consumes over 15,000 hours of television, with total exposure—including movies, radio, and stereo listening—potentially reaching 20,000 hours (Neuman, 1991). This surpasses the amount of time spent in formal education and highlights an encroachment of media into formative developmental years. Such extensive exposure raises questions about the influence of electronic media on cognitive, social, and cultural development.
Differences Between Electronic Curriculum and Traditional Classroom Education
The fundamental differences between electronic and traditional curricula can be understood through their settings, content delivery, and underlying codes. In schools, instructors prioritize content, values, and skills, with entertainment serving as a secondary tool. Conversely, television primarily aims to attract attention through entertainment, often at the expense of depth and critical engagement (Potter, 2010). The classroom environment encourages a penalty-laden curriculum, where failure has tangible consequences, adhering to a cause-and-effect logic that fosters linear thinking.
In contrast, television offers continuous, immediate content delivery, differing significantly in structure and purpose. Its lessons are often brief, designed for rapid consumption, and frequently lack logical sequences, favoring fragments and non-sequiturs over coherent narratives (Liebes & Katz, 1990). Additionally, traditional curricula rely on language—a digital code—highlighting analytical and linear thinking, whereas television employs images—an analogic code—promoting visual and associative processing (Bolter & Grusin, 1999).
Curriculum Structures and Authority
Authority in education traditionally remains rooted in educators and texts, emphasizing sanctioned knowledge and linear progression. Television’s authority structure, however, is decentralized and consumer-driven, frequently reinforcing cultural narcissism and superficiality. This divergence impacts learners’ critical thinking, with traditional classrooms fostering inquiry and analysis, while television often cultivates passive reception and immediate gratification.
Implications for Educational Practice
Recognizing these differences underscores the necessity for a balanced integration of media in education. By combining the depth and linear structure of classroom instruction with the engaging, sensory-rich qualities of television, educators can cater to diverse learning styles and neurological pathways. For example, using multimedia tools that incorporate visual and textual elements can enhance understanding and retention (Mayer, 2009).
Furthermore, it is essential to teach media literacy as part of the curriculum, enabling students to critically analyze images and narratives presented via television and other electronic sources. This approach equips learners to navigate an increasingly media-saturated environment more effectively, fostering informed citizenship and lifelong learning.
Conclusion
The contrasts between electronic and traditional curricula reveal the complexity of integrating media into education. While each medium has distinct advantages—television’s immediacy and visual impact, and classroom instruction’s depth and structure—an optimal learning environment arises from their complementary use. Educators must strive for a balanced approach that leverages the strengths of both media to produce learners who are critically aware, creatively engaged, and capable of applying knowledge across contexts.
References
Bolter, J. D., & Grusin, R. (1999). Remediation: Understanding New Media. MIT Press.
Liebes, T., & Katz, E. (1990). The export of Meaning: Cross-Cultural Readings of Radio and Television. Routledge.
Mayer, R. E. (2009). Multimedia Learning. Cambridge University Press.
Neuman, R. W. (1991). Television and the Growing Child: The Effects of Media on Development. Child Development, 62(4), 931–940.
Potter, W. J. (2010). Media Literacy. Sage Publications.
The authors highlight the importance of balanced media use in education, considering cognitive development, cultural influences, and technological advances (Hobbs, 2010). Using an interdisciplinary approach, educators can design curricula that acknowledge media's pervasive role while cultivating critical thinking and comprehensive understanding.