INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA USED FOR TEACHING LANGUAGE

INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA USED FOR TEACHING LANGUAGE

A. What are Instructional Media and Teaching Aids?

There are a lot of definitions of media. Gagne (1970) defines that media are various components in learners’ environment which support the learners learn. Briggs (1970) defines media are physical means which are used to send messages to the students and stimulate them to learn. A little beat differencesfrom the opinions of the two experts, The National Education Association defines that media are the forms of communication either printed or audiovisual.

Whatever the definitions of media are, there is a guideline which can be stated about media. Media is anything used to send message(s) from the sender(s) to the receiver(s), so it can be aroused the learners’ thought, feeling, and interest to gear the students’ learn. (Sadiman et al, 2002).

On the other hand, teaching aids are used by teachers to impart and emphasize on information, stimulate interest, and facilitate the learning process. They range from simple to sophisticated ones and they can be aural, visual, or computerized. One of the earliest known teaching aids was the hornbook, which was used in English schools from the mid-1400s (and later in colonial America) through the early nineteenth century. It was a flat board on which a sheet of paper printed with the alphabet, the Lord's Prayer, and several simple words were pasted. A transparent piece of horns were covered the paper to protect it. The blackboard probably evolved from the horn-book, and has traditionally been one of the most widely-used teaching aids. It was patented in 1823 by Samuel Read Hall of Concord, Vermont, a Congregational minister who founded the Concord Academy to train teachers in "school keeping." Hall's version was made of pine board, planed smooth and painted black. Today, the blackboard is often called a chalkboard; it may be green instead of black and made of slate, glass, or wood.

From the above description, there is nearly no differences between instructional media and teaching aids. Both, instructional media and teaching aids, have functions to make learners easily to understand the teaching materials. Furthermore the class will be more alive.

However, some experts still differentiate between instructional media and teaching aids. When we talk about a board, either whiteboard or blackboard, which is being used by a teacher to inform learners about what he/she is teaching, at the same time we also talk about instructional media and teaching aids. The board is teaching aids and what is on the board is instructional media. Here, we can say that teaching aids are the objects and the content of the objects is the instructional media. It is unnecessary for us to argue the both terms. We use the term of “instructional media” in this supplement.

B. Why We Use Instructional Media ?

A good media is like a window. It should not be called attention to itself; it should just have been let in the light. Media is very useful in learning the English language. Teachers instructors and learners are helped by using media to achieve the learning goals. So, The teachers should apply the media in teaching - learning activities because:

1. Instructional media can be solved the lack of the learners’ experiences. Learners have different background such as family life, society, social economic, etc. Learners who live at different areas will have different experiences, because they have different environment, society, social economic, etc.
2. Instructional media can be reached everything out of the class. There are so many things around the learners that can not be reached by themselves, such as: bacteria, virus, etc. To know and see those tiny things, we must use a microscope as a media. We use a picture to present things which can not be brought into the classroom such as: markets, stations, harbors.
3. Instructional media are created the possible direct interaction between the learners and their environment.
4. Media are produced some observation. The learners’ observation can be directed into the important things based on the teachers aims.
5. Media can be kept the basic, concrete and real concepts of the teaching.
6. The learners’ motivation are aroused by using media in learning.
7. Media are integrated the experience from the concrete things to the abstract ones

According to Sukartiwi (1996), there are some advantages of using media in teaching-learning process. Those are;

1. to increase the learners’ motivation.

2. to avoid the learners bored.

3. to make the learners easy to understand the instructional material.

4. to make the teaching learning process more systematic

C. Kinds of Media

Vernon (1996) states that there are six kinds of media;

• Drawing or teacher mode drawings

This media can be constructed and supported the topic which is being taught. The teacher can prepare it at home and apply it easily in the class to achieve the goals of the teaching and learning process.

• Still pictures

This media can be shown into the real objects or the events of outside the class. A still picture is a record or a copy of a real object or event which may be longer or smaller than the real object or events, for examples: photograph, bulletin board material, brochure, etc.

• Audio recording

Recording is a mode of magnetic, on disc, or on motion picture soundtracks. This is the reproduction of actual event of sound effects. Sound is presented in the sequence in which they actually happen unless the recording is edited. Audio recording may be used individually or displayed directly to the audience.

• Motion picture and TV

A motion picture or video tape recording is a moving image on color or black and white produced from live action or from graphic presentation. Objects or events may be in normal motion and edited for abbreviating or high lighting. It can be silent or having sound. All types of audio-video electronic system can be appeared on a cathode ray tube or TV monitor.

• Real object, simulation and models

This category includes people, events, objects and demonstration. Real objects as contrasted with other media are not substituted by the artificial objects or events. They are, in fact, life, often in its natural setting. There are countless real objects in the immediate community. As long as they are readily and economically available, use them. Simulation is the replication of real situation which has been designed to be as near actual events or process as possible. A model is a replica or reality. It is often in scale and may be in miniature, exact side or an enlargement.

• Programmed and computer-assisted instruction

Programs The example of a computer-assisted instruction. are sequences of information which are designed to elicit predetermined response. The most common examples are programmed text books or instructional programs prepared for computers.

Mulyana, Kim classifies the instructional media for teaching language into :

Games and simulation, for example: Simon says, Scrabble, Bingo, Words puzzle. Some examples of simulation: role playing, socio drama, psycho drama, puppet show.

Visual media, for example : a black board, flannel board, magnetic board, wall chart, flash card, reading box, reading machine, module, picture card, slide, film, OHP.

Audio Media, for example: radio, recordings, record player. Audio-visual media, for example: voiced slide, film, TV, Video Tape Recorder.

D. Selecting the Appropriate Instructional Media in a Classroom

These basic steps are outlined below (St. Cloud State University, 1997):

• Review instructional goals, objectives, audience and instructional strategies
• Determine the best medium for your lesson components
• Search for and review existing media/materials
• Adapt existing media/materials if necessary
• If new media/materials need to be developed:

              Determine format, script, visuals, etc
              Draft materials and media
              Check for clarity and flow of ideas

• Conduct formative evaluation
• Implement/apply
• Evaluate/revise

Strauss and Frost (1999) identify nine key factors that should influence media selection:

1. Institutional resource constraints,
2. Course content appropriateness,.
3. Learner characteristics,
4. Professor attitudes and skill levels,
5. Course learning objectives,
6. The learning relationships,
7. Learning location,
8. Time (synchronous versus asynchronous), and
9. Media richness level.

Reiser and Dick (1996) distill these nine factors down to three major criteria for selecting instructional media: practicality, student appropriateness, and instructional appropriateness

Practicality: Is the intended media practicality in that the media is available, cost efficient, time efficient, and understood by the instructor?

Student Appropriateness: Is the intended media appropriate for the developmental and experiential levels of the students?

Instructional Appropriateness: Is the intended media appropriate for the planned instructional strategy? Will the media be allowed for the presentation of the proposed lesson in an efficient and effective manner? Will the media be facilitated for the students’ acquisition of the specific learning objectives?

Resource :
Instructional-media.pdf

Briggs, L.J. (ed.) (1977). Instructional Design: Principles and Applications New Jersey: Englewood Cliffs.

DePorter, Bobby dan Mike Hernacki. (2000). Quantum Learning. Boston: Alyn and Bacon

Mulyana, Kim.2003. A review of Instructional Media as One the Aspects of Teaching Methodolody. Presented at P3G bahasa Jakarta

Sadiman, Arief S. et al. (2002) Media Pendidikan: Pengertian, Pengembangan dan Pemanfaatannya. PT. RajaGrafindo Persada: Jakarta.

Scanlan, Craigh. L. Instructional Media: Selection and Use. Available at: http://www.uab.edu/instructional media/cdm/media.htm

Soekartiwi (1996). Rancangan Instruksional. Jakarta: PT. RajaGrafindo Persada.