The Use of Multimedia in the Classroom

Martin, F., & Carr, M. L. (2015). An Exploratory Study on K-12 Teachers' Use of Technology and Multimedia in the Classroom. Journal Of Educational Technology, 12(1), 7-14.

We have spent time discussing the use of technology in the classroom, but once the use of technology is implemented into a lesson, teachers should start focusing more on the use of multimedia in the classroom. The study I read is titled, “An Exploratory Study on K-12 Teachers’ Use of Technology and Multimedia in the Classroom,” by Florence Martin and Marsha L. Carr, and it begins by explaining the difference between technology and multimedia. The term “technology” specifically refers to the hardware that a teacher is using. Technology tools include computers, laptops, smartboards, tablets, and more. The term “multimedia” refers to applications that utilize text, images, audio, and video that can be incorporated into a lesson. Multimedia tools include PowerPoint, Vimeo, YouTube, Prezi, and more.

The purpose of the study conducted for this paper was to provide a survey asking questions regarding technology and multimedia use in the classroom today. The overall intent of the study was to view a representation of 21^st century schools in urban and rural settings with different enrolment numbers. The survey was given to school districts in two counties in the southeastern United States. Overall, 701 K-12 teachers participated in the survey. Through demographic, inquiry-based, open-ended, and close-ended questions, the following five questions were answered;

1.     What technology do teachers use in the classroom?

2.     How often do teachers use technology/multimedia in the classroom?

3.     How do teachers integrate technology/multimedia in their lessons?

4.     What are some of the tools teachers use to create multimedia?

5.     Where do teachers learn to use and to create multimedia?

After all the surveys were completed, the following data was collected. The answer to question one, technology tools in the classroom, 97.6% of teachers reported using desktop computers and 45.5% use laptops regularly. For question two, 57.5% of teachers reported to using technology and multimedia on a daily basis. In the study, Martin and Carr suggested that this number is low in their opinion, which might be the case because writing lesson plans that include technology and multimedia will take more time. Martin and Carr believe that over time more teachers will use technology and multimedia on a daily basis.

For question three, 94.9% of teachers integrate technology and multimedia into their lessons in order to enhance the lesson. 81.3% of teachers use it to introduce a topic, and 77.4% of teachers use these tools to demonstrate a concept. For question four, the number one multimedia tool used in the classroom is PowerPoint, used by 93.3% of teachers who took the survey. The second most used multimedia tool is YouTube, at 48.8%. For question five, 84.0% of teachers reported that they learned how to use and create multimedia from their colleagues, and 74.8% of teachers learned from classes or workshops.

Overall the study was very promising in terms of using technology and multimedia in the classroom. Martin and Carr described a few benefits to using technology and multimedia in the classroom, which include the ease of use, the ability for a ‘wide audience,’ keeping up-to-date with content, and being able to teach and learn at your own pace. The study explained that 75% of learners do not just see or hear to learn, but they need to see and hear simultaneously.

I believe that the usage of multimedia in the classroom is very beneficial to help advance student learning. With the accessibility of technology and multimedia tools nowadays, teachers have an easier time implementing these tools into the classroom. Students will be able to understand concepts more clearly and can therefore have an easier time relating to concepts learned.

Integrating technology into the classroom: Eight Keys to Success

Bitner, N., & Bitner, J. (2002). Integrating Technology into the Classroom: Eight Keys to Success. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 10(1), 95-100.

Technology implication in the classroom is increasing yearly, and with it comes questions of overall student success. Is technology helping our schools? Are our students benefitting from the change? To support this idea, I read an article titled “Integrating Technology into the Classroom: Eight Keys to Success,” by Noel Bitner and Joe Bitner. To my surprise, the article did not focus on the success of the students with technology, but rather how teachers determine the success or failure of ed tech in the classroom.

The article begins with the sentence, “There are many issues related to the successful use of technology in the classroom” (Bitner), which made me curious. It goes on to mention that teachers determine the success of ed tech in the classroom based on their skill and attitude. If a teacher does not have a positive outlook for using technology in their classroom, then not only the success of the students, but also the success of the teacher could be at risk.

The following are eight key points that teachers should consider when implementing technology into the classroom:

      1.     FEAR of change

      2.     TRAINING in basics

      3.     PERSONAL use

      4.     TEACHING models

      5.     LEARNING based

      6.     CLIMATE

      7.     MOTIVATION

      8.     SUPPORT

First and foremost; FEAR. The article stresses how many teachers, especially those who have been teaching for quite some time, are afraid to try something new and different in the classroom. If a teacher is unfamiliar with the technology tools that schools want to start applying to classroom lessons, then the teacher might begin to develop concerns and become anxious in their teaching.

Second mentioned is TRAINING in basics. If a district hopes to have successful teachers and students using ed tech in the classroom, then some training needs to be provided. This could include training through professional development, institute days, or one-to-one training with specific teachers who need additional support.

The third key point mentioned is PERSONAL use. The article mentioned that in order for a teacher to become confident teaching using technology tools, then they must themselves become comfortable using these tools through personal use. Once a teacher is confident using a tool, they will not fear the potential questions that students or other teachers have, and they will thrive on continuing to use these new tools in the classroom.

Fourth is TEACHING models. Often teachers will use technology as a way to model something they would like students to understand in multiple ways. The article states that teaching models are a good way for students to use programs that will promote problem solving, provide additional information, inspire student collaboration, and allow for review.

The fifth key point is LEARNING based. The article mentions that learning is what drives motivation in students, and having technology tools available is a great way to drive that motivation. Students will have access to additional learning and discovery by using technology in the classroom.

Sixth is CLIMATE. The article mentions climate in the sense that the climate in the classroom as well as the entire school needs to provide a feeling that failure is acceptable; especially when technology is newly being integrated into lessons. This leads back to teachers having fear about bringing a new tech tool into their classroom. If teachers have a sense that failure at first is okay and support is provided, then they are more likely to try these new tools in their lessons.

The seventh key point mentioned in the article is MOTIVATION. Other articles I have read recently mention that using technology in the classroom might provide additional motivation for more students to participate and therefore become more successful overall. This article directs the need for motivation to the teachers. The article mentions that one way the district can motivate teachers is to provide extra pay or early release time, but I highly doubt either of these ideas would be offered these days. However, there are other motivations that schools or districts could provide to teachers instead.

Lastly, the eighth key point is SUPPORT. In order for teachers to feel the “want” to use technology in the classroom, they must receive support from their school and district. Teachers will need time to plan and communicate about the new tools being used in their classroom, therefore support and provided time to plan would be appreciated by teachers. Other support includes IT availability. The article brings up the fact that if a teacher is instructing a class of 30 students, he or she cannot spend an ample amount of time trying to fix one problem on one student’s device and not be present to attend to the other students during that time.

It is important to see student success in the classroom, and I believe that using ed tech is a great way to do so. I appreciated how this article mentions that in order to reach student success, a teacher must first achieve their own success and become comfortable with technology tools on their own.