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.