MEDIA CHOICES ARE BEST MADE by selecting the most practical, cost-effective media that will carry the instructional methods required. Which ones are best? Researchers have tried for years to identify the "best" media, without success. No one medium is better than another, taken independently of the content and instructional methods they carry (Clark, 1999). 

When you think of the term instructional media, what do you think of? The definition of media includes all of the traditional means of delivering instruction (chalkboards, textbooks, teachers), as well as the newer instructional media, such as computers, CD-ROM, interactive video and multimedia systems (Reiser & Dick, 1996).

In choosing a delivery medium for your instructional plan, you could consider making your media decisions based on the following three criteria: 1) Is the media a good means of presenting a particular instructional activity? 2) Is it cost-effective? 3) Have you considered the adminstrative issues of efficiency and practicality?

Can the media deliver the required instructional methods?

 Is there a better form of media that would be

better to help the doctor learn how to perform surgery?

The question of whether a particular instructional medium should be used should also be examined in light of the instructional activity it is intended to present. Media differ with respect to their ability to present particular instructional activities.

Some media are capable of depicting motion and sound, and other media are not. So if we are interested in accurately depicting to a potential surgeon how perform surgery, you might want to use another form of media in addition to a textbook or workbook, like adding an interactive video.

Consider both development and delivery costs. For example, if the course was to be delivered to 20,00 employees who work with computers already and are located throughout the world, it would probably more cost effective (cheaper) to use computer-based delivery than to pay expenses of sending instructors and/or students to courses. 

The question of whether a medium is practical must be examined in terms of the mediated materials (software) you want to use and the media equipment (hardware) that will be required.You must consider the location of trainees or students and the available delivery platforms. Do not expect the school or workplace to have the computer software packages (Powerpoint, Excel) or the required equipment (VCR, LCD projector) you may need.

Is the necessary media equipment readily available

in the environment you are going to be working in?

If most of your lesson relies on the same medium, it is a good idea to have a backup lesson plan in the case of either the media hardware or software not being available. Also, if you rely on other media to present the bulk of the lesson, it is often a good idea to also interact with the learners during the lesson. In some cases, learners may view the "mediated" lessons as being less important and simply being an opportunity to relax (Reiser & Dick, 1996).

Sandra Arguilla
Graduate Student
SDSU Educational Technology