The Role of Media in Promoting Education

BYDr. Jagannath K.DangeP.G. Department of EducationKuvempu University

Background• The rapid developments that have taken place in recent years in the

field of information technology, have paved the way for revolutionary changes in education, in terms of both methodologies and concept.

• Media has immense potentialities for augmenting education facilities and improving the qualities of education. It includes the Internet based, various modern and traditional media radio, television, video recorder, audio recorder, films, printing materials and graphics etc. With a view to make education available to various learner groups of vast diversities and entering to the requirements of different curricular courses, media support is essential.

• These media need to be used in seminars, symposia, conferences, meetings, workshops, demonstration and so on, besides classroom teaching.

• "Media" refers to various means of communication. • For example, television, radio, and the newspaper are

different types of media.

• Radio, Television, Print and Cinema are the mediums of media which play important roles in enhancing the progress of education and bringing in innovative means of learning.

• The mediums which the media utilises include internet resources, blog, newspaper, documentaries, magazines and social media.

Functions of the MediaTechnological media enable the adaptability of the educational

process to the individual student’s differences – in pace, temperament, background, and style of learning.

The functions involved in the educational process:

• They can store information until it is needed or wanted.• They can distribute it over distances to reach the

student wherever he happens to be, instead of bringing him to the teacher.

• They can present the information to the student through various senses and in many modes.

• They can give the student the opportunity to reach the material and respond in many ways.

Socialization AgentThere goes an old adage in Kannada saying - for a child,

school in infancy is home. But now a new adage is coined substituting the old by saying - for a child Media is the first school. Indeed! Media is influencing the process of socialization. Whether we like it or not, we have been encircled by its influence.

Global village• Marshall McLuhan's phrase 'the global village' suggests

that people of the world can be brought closer together by the globalization of communication.

• The globalization of communication enables us to share in each other's lives.

The different medias used in Education1. Print Media• Media provides education in two ways – • Formal: In formal type, it directly imparts syllabus based

education to students.• Informal: Distance education- Work books and study materials are

various formats.

• Print media, an uncrowned king which is in existence for over a century and half is a major partner in Mass Media. In recent times, it is facing stiff competition from the electronic media and technology supported channels. Even then it is moving forward with full strength by keeping its ground intact.

• In print media, newspapers and magazines have a lion share. Newspapers and magazines educate the people on political, social, economical, educational and cultural developments.

Educational supplements:• English and Kannada dailies are bringing out

Educational supplements on weekly basis. In-depth articles on challenges of education, innovation in educational sector, experiments in teaching-learning process find a place in the supplements.

• Text book based articles for a few degree courses are also published.

• Publication on career guidance and employment opportunities are helping the unemployed youth.

2. Television

• Among all, television is the most powerful medium in the electronic media. It almost succeeded in quickening the pace of development and education.

• It has enormous strength to attract both literates and illiterates.

• In India also, television has been used for educational purpose to a great extent. For this, a separate exclusive channel named DD Gyanadarshan has been made operational Based on Syllabus.

• Now, Doordarshan is presenting syllabus based programmes for primary to post-graduation level.

• Educational Programmes• Two types of educational programmes are telecast-formal

education and developmental education-currently.

• Indira Gandhi National Open University is moving towards certain other uses of television-complementary and integrated programmes. Nowadays, Doordarshan telecasts the following types of formal education programmes:

• i. Educational Television (ETV): These programmes cater to primary school children of 5-11 year age group. ETV enrichment programmes are planned, produced and evaluated by the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) and its counterparts in (SIETs). The programmes are telecast by Doordarshan through satellite in the children's instructional languages. Primary school children view these programmes on community sets. An ETV capsule of 45 minutes duration.

ii. School Television (STV):meant for students of the secondary and the higher secondary schools. Produced and telecast by Doordarshan. Kendras-Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Srinagar, are engaged in the production of

STV programmes for the students of their respective coverage areas. strictly syllabus based and are telecast during school hours.

iii. Higher Education Television (HETV):to bring a qualitative change in higher education, (UGC) has started Higher

Education Television (HTV) programmes through Doordarshan. DD took a revolutionary step on 15th August, 1 9 8 4 by introducing countrywide

class room programme based upon the syllabus formulated by EMRCs established by various states including Karnataka (Mysore) for higher studies/courses.

These programmes are telecast all over India on regular basis. UGC programmes are produced for telecast focusing completely on the prescribed topics from Languages, Science, Social Science, Mathematics, Engineering & Technology, Medicine etc.

iv. Indira Gandhi National Open University(IGNOU): Lakhs of students from all over country are pursuing their

education through distance education from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). To enrich the knowledge base of its students, IGNOU is supplying printed material, audio-video CDs containing syllabus based lessons to the students. On screen lectures delivered by subject experts provides the feel of class room. Moreover, in addition to the TV coaching, print material is also provided to strengthen and expand the knowledge base of students. In this way educational programmes of Doordarshan have become boon for the students.

v. Teachers' Programmes:In order to make the primary school teachers aware of the

innovations in teaching-learning processes, management of televised instruction, child psychology, etc., the Central Institute of Educational Technology (CIET) produces programmes for teachers, known as ‘Hints for Teachers'.

3. Radio - a senior component of electronic media has maintained a very good influence. By and large it covered almost all parts of our country reaching public everywhere.

Programmes:

Jnanavani - an exclusive channel for educational broadcast has been started in recent years. This channel is broadcasting various programmes on education.

"Chukki Chinna" (Star Gold),"Chinnara chukki" (Child Star) etc., syllabus based programmes in Kannada language have been conceived, produced and broadcast for the benefit of primary and secondary school students.

• Radio is also trying to expand the horizon of their knowledge base by broadcasting programmes like "Palaka Darshini" (information on health);"Sasya Sanjivini" "Sasya Surabhi" "Sasya siri" (information on medicinal plants); "Dhareya siri" (information on biological plants). It is revealed in one of the audience research reports that numerous students have registered their Baravanige" (Radio Writing); "Mahila Sabalikarana" (women empowerment), "Akka kelavva" (Listen Sister).

4. New Media: In recent times, Invention of mobiles, internet, and blogs have made revolutionary changes in the field of Mass Media.

a) Blogs – what are they

• Online diary style website• Quick and easy web publishing• Offer instant communication• Regularly updated• Require little technical knowledge• A social / networking activity• Links to other online resources

Blogs - potential uses

• Replacing standard class web pages• Professor-written blogs which cover interesting developments

that relate to the theme of the course• Organization of in-class discussion• Organization of intensive seminars where students have to

provide weekly summaries of the readings • Requiring students to write their own blogs as part of their

grade• Writing up as you go along• Floating new or embryonic ideas• Dissemination of research result

Great potential for reflection?

b) SlideShare - what is it ?• Upload PowerPoint presentations so they are

freely available online• Easily embeddable in other services e.g. blogs • Add an mp3 soundtrack / narration and sync

it with the slides• YouTube for PowerPoint• Community features such as tags, comments,

favourites, related S lideCasts etc.• http:// www.slideshare.net /

SlideShare - possible uses

• Disseminating lecture material for revision purposes• Discuss lecture material using the comments feature to aid

understanding• As a student assignment assessing virtual presentation skills• Find other presentations on your topic - save reinventing the

wheel• Building up a body of resources over time on a particular

topic• Drawing together conference / seminar materials using a

common tag or keyword

c) Podcasts – what are they ?• A podcast is …

media file that is distributed by subscription (paid or unpaid) over the Internet for playback on mobile devices and personal computers.

Podcasts – potential uses• Distance learning / self-paced learning• Advanced or supplementary material• Choice depending on learning style• Topical updates related to lecture material• Replace the lecture• S tudent assessment and feedback

d) YouTube – what is it?• Number one video sharing site on the Internet• Ten of millions of videos are watched each and

every day• Vast majority of videos are "user generated

content" - made by people like you and meTeaching on you tube

YouTube – possible uses• Distance learning• Supplementary lectures (e.g. research skills,

presentation skills)• Contextualising an issue, e.g. old news footage• Perspectives for students to examine critically

(news coverage, activist videos, lectures)• Student video assignment ?

e) Twitter - what is it?• Tweet on issues.• Limited to just 1 4 0 characters• Like the status update feature on Facebook -

and that's all• Follow people you know, those you don't,

organisations, publications• Part blog, part social networking site• http:// twitter.com /

Twitter - possible uses• Pointers to online resources based around a

course• Student reminders about deadlines• Breaking down barriers and getting to know

others over this • Keeping up to date for you and students• Instant lecture feedback - are you Twittering

about this presentation ?

f) WIKI- what I Know is• This is a developing tool and one that is just

being trialled, but it has the potential to be an exciting web page for each class. Pages on different areas of learning can be created and links added.

g) Facebook:• Social networking website connecting

people across the street, country and world

• Focuses on building and relating social relations among people who share common interests, activities and experiences

• Impact of Facebook• Most recognized social networking site in

the world; • Allows continuous contact to and from

anyone in the world with an Internet connection

ConclusionIn this context there is a need to formulate perfect guidelines

for use of media in education. Hence the following suggestions:

• Utilise more and more ICTs to promote education and empowerment, giving citizens access to information.

• Give priority to broadcast or print the educational issues in the media. Publish the successful and unsuccessful events, story of the people in education.

• Awareness on educational programmes need to be enhanced through advertisements and publicity.

• Encouragement has to be given towards the creation of more educational F M stations to be established and run at college levels throughout the country.

• Local inputs and interaction should be made a regular feature in the educational radio and TV programmes.

Use media Sensibly and Intellectually

Thank YouDr. Jagannath K. DangeDepartment of EducationKuvempu UniversityShankaraghattaDist: Shimoga. Karnataka.India.

jkdange@gmail.comhttp://jkdange.blogspot.com