Management of Instructional Media
Over the decades, the academic sector has shifted to attain an improved standard and enhance the quality of information delivery. By so doing, educational institutions have integrated various strategies and policies to equip learners with relevant information. Universities and colleges offering healthcare courses are among the institutions that are adopting the best teaching practices. For instance, most healthcare learning institutions have embodied instructional media in a bid to transmit or deliver academic information and skills to the learners. This is to achieve effective instruction. However, to realize the impact of instructional media on the quality of education delivered to students in healthcare institutions, it is prudent that the management of such media is upheld. However, some deficits and gaps make the management of such media wanting.
The impact of instructional media can only be realized if their production is correctly undertaken. Various forms of instructional media must be successfully designed and produced based on known theoretical concerns and frameworks. The SECTIONS model is the primary basis of the design of instructional media globally (Manjale & Chiza, 2017). SECTIONS is an acronym that stands for the aspects of student, ease of use, cost, teaching functions, interaction, organization, networking, and security. Consideration of these aspects is essential for the production of usable educational and instructional media for use in learning institutions.
Many times, the management of such systems is complicated by failure to adhere to the fundamental considerations of educational media. Media must be designed based on proven theories and models that ensure they are practically usable. Failure to do this may easily cause perennial difficulties in management and utilization.
At the basic level, a usable medium of instruction mush considers the target users. Different aspects and needs of the target population need to be considered. Mayer (2020) explains that it is essential to consider student demographics, diversification, as well as teacher considerations in the design of instructional media. The preferences of the students and teachers are also vital. For example, it is never wise to develop a system that is only visual when other students and teachers perform better with audio. The systems also need to be well networked and equipped with security provisions that ensure the users of the system are safeguarded. The information on the platform must remain private at all times.
Educational institutions that employ the use of diverse instructional and educational media are generally known to be more productive. Such media always play a significant role in the learning environment. The critical factor, therefore, becomes their management. Even carefully designed media may not serve effectively if the management of the system is not reliable. It is crucial, hence, that an institution employs an effective management system to ensure the system is well administrated.
The management of instructional media in education demands that effective policies are designed. Procedures ensure that learning is uniform. Through effective systems of planning, coordinating, and maintaining an educational system, it is possible to attain the instructional objectives of the system. Challenges arise when managerial tasks are poorly performed. A perfect example of this is the poor administration of online classroom platforms. Such platforms demand that the system administrators ensure they provide constant support to users to ensure there are no hiccups and failures in the learning process. If there is no technical support, the system may not serve the intended purpose effectively. Besides system administration, it is also vital that networking remains effective. The servers used to host the platform, as well as the internet service providers, must be well connected and registered on the system so that learners can reach the sites they need to reach without hindrances. Other instructional media, like printed materials, basically need appropriate storage so that they are not damaged as a consequence of poor storage. When instructional media are well managed, the learning objectives can be attained with ease.
Theories form a basis for the development and utilization of educational media. According to Shaikh et al. (2017), the integration of theoretical frameworks in the design of instructional media provides explicit guidance for the design and use of such media. It is crucial, thus, that such media redesigned based on instructional theories to ensure they are beneficial in the learning environment. Such approaches help designers to develop the best methods to help students learn effectively. They create a conducive learning environment. Inadequacies in these theories and existing gaols in knowledge make it challenging to design completely effective learning media. Such gaps make the management and production of instructional media to be perennially wanting. Specifically, a designer needs a body of knowledge on which they base their creativity.
The development of general-use textbooks is a specific example of how theoretical principles are employed in the design of teaching media. Before a book for teaching is developed, the authors must understand the elements that must be met for the textbook to be beneficial. Inadequacies in the understanding of theoretical frameworks may make the textbook less helpful. For example, the arrangement of content, as well as the organization of learning activities in the book, is vital. Hence, it can be concluded that gaps in the knowledge of educational theories may make the production, use, and management of instructional media wanting.
The development and use of instructional media in education is a step-wise process. The first step involves the statement of educational object9ves to be attained by the media, as explained by Wang (2017). Such objectives must be in tandem with the curriculum. The distinguishable features of the learners are then identified and incorporated into the design. Decisions on whether to use audio or visual systems are then made, and the media designed based on requirements. In this step-wise design, the primary challenges that arise include the incorporation of learner characteristics and selection of learning formats to adopt. For example, an effective system needs to incorporate a variety of options for the learners and tutors to choose from. For printed options, it is essential that the design also offers options for larger prints for the visually impaired. However, the most critical factor is to give every learner instruction in a form that is best for them. Therefore, managers of instructional media always need to consider the precise characteristics of every learner to ensure effectiveness. Failure to adhere to these always brings challenges.
In conclusion, instructional media are essential in simplifying learning processes and aiding the delivery of academic information in all cadres. Their utilization, however, remains perennially wanting because of limitations in key areas like design, incorporation of theoretical frameworks, and adherence to learner specifications. It is crucial, therefore, that managers ensure the media they select for learning are not only well designed but that they also adhere to the theoretical models of instruction and cater to the diverse needs of learners.
References
Manjale, N., & Chiza, A. (2017). International Journal of Educational Policy Research and Review, 4(6). doi: 10.15739/ijeprr.17.016
Mayer, R. (2020). Where is the learning in mobile technologies for learning? Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101824. doi: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101824
Shaikh, U., Magana, A., Neri, L., Escobar-Castillejos, D., Noguez, J., & Benes, B. (2017). Undergraduate students’ conceptual interpretation and perceptions of haptic-enabled learning experiences. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 14(1). doi: 10.1186/s41239-017-0053-2
Wang, M. (2017). Emerging technologies for workplace learning. E-Learning in the Workplace, 29-39. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-64532-2_3