Thoughts on the Clark/Kozma Debate

The Clark/Kozma Debate

Now that you have read the Reader’s Digest version of this long standing argument, what are your thoughts? Do you think Clark is right? Do you think Kozma is right? Do you think neither is right? Why?

When reviewing the information presented in this debate over media between Richard Clark and Robert Kozma, I have to say that I believe that I would agree more with Kozma’s side of the argument. Clark seems to support the idea that while various forms of media are methods for delivering instruction, the media itself is not responsible for influencing student achievement. Instead, he argues that the influence comes from the instructional method utilized in the learning environment and not the media that is used to present the information. When evaluating the learning process, I believe that Clark wanted to remove the media utilized from the assessment. His argument seems to be that the same instructional method using different media can produce similar learning results and therefore, the learning that occurs is not a result of the media used within the lesson, but rather the instructional method presented. While this can be true, I do not feel as though individuals can simply remove media from the equation when looking to evaluate learning. Kozma seems to argue that certain types of media possess certain characteristics that make them useful in accomplishing certain learning tasks. In other words, different media or media attributes can influence or impact the learning process as learners interact with the media presented, and therefore should be considered when evaluating learning. I tend to agree more with this idea because I believe that certain aspects of different media help to compliment learning. While I can agree that media itself, is not directly responsible for learning that occurs, I do not believe it is beneficial to discount its effects on the learning process. Although I have had limited experience as a classroom teacher, I know from my own school experience that the inclusion of various forms of media within a lesson often affords me the opportunity to see information being presented in different ways. In my opinion, this is beneficial to the learning process because it helps me to develop a better understanding of the information being presented. I believe that this is also true for other students because I have seen how some students respond well to the use of a certain type of media, while others do not seem to comprehend the information being presented until they see it in a different way. I feel that the use of various media allows teachers to present the same information in varying formats, thus accommodating different learning styles. While it might be true that incorporating different media within a lesson means that the instructional method is subject to change, I still feel as though it is important not to discount the impact that different media can have on the learning process.