Students learn best when they are ‘active’ participants in their education. When studying, students can interact in three distinct ways. Each requires a somewhat different combination of media and technology. Learners’ contact with learning resources may be considerably aided by technology. However, it has limits in terms of developing higher order learning abilities like analysis.
Technology-based education, with proper design and resources, may deliver high levels of student involvement with the learning materials. Intense student involvement with learning materials extends the amount of time students spend learning. When structured properly, such an activity can minimize the amount of time the teacher needs to spend interacting with each student. Some technologies permit or promote distant communication or debate between students and educators. The biggest disadvantage of student-teacher contact is that it might be time consuming for the instructor. Quality is determined by good design, which takes into account the time available to both students and instructors.
Each of the three forms of interaction described above may be enhanced or inhibited by different media and technology. Some media are ‘active,’ in the sense that they ‘force’ learners to respond, and others are intended to stimulate engagement with learners through choices and choices made by users. Some media may not have explicit interaction built in, yet end users may still interact with the medium willingly. For example, someone in an art museum may have a cognitive or emotional reaction to a certain picture (while others may just glance at it or pass it by). Students may opt to draw or sketch from the picture.
In contrast, once a student has replied to a multiple-choice question, the computer may mark the question and provide practically rapid response. From a teaching standpoint, it is critical to understand what type of feedback is most likely to be beneficial. To ensure high-quality engagement, teachers and students are likely to employ a variety of media and technology. When it comes to interaction, media and technology can be difficult to categorize because instructors and learners frequently have a say in how the medium is used.
Reference:
Bates, A. W. (Tony). (n.d.). 9.6 Interaction – Teaching in a Digital Age – Second Edition. 9.6 Interaction – Teaching in a Digital Age – Second Edition; pressbooks.bccampus.ca. Retrieved June 26, 2022, from https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/teachinginadigitalagev2/chapter/pedagogical-roles-for-text-audio-and-video/