Using Media to Maximize Learning
That’s a loaded title for a blog post no doubt! Well, hold on to your mouse, because that is the focus of BLP’s blog for the month of November.
I would like to kick off this topic with an example to do nothing more than stir the thinking pot and also note that there is more to come.
We talk a lot about tell vs. teach around here, but I would like to bring up tell vs. show. Since I am on the multimedia side of things in our company, I am often not the one writing the words on the screen, but the one putting images on the screen. So, you’ll understand my affection for images…no disrespect to those who have a strong affection to words…please no hate mail…I know you’ll be good at writing it!
I want to “show” the impact of show. I am not saying words are useless, they do provide important details that images cannot; however, if my goal is to illustrate a simple point perhaps show is the appropriate means to an end. Let’s move on to my example, and I will let you see what I mean.
My example of tell vs. show…you will need to amuse me a bit by reading the text below slowly and then slowly scrolling to the bottom of the post to see the end bit to get the “versus” part. Thanks for playing along.
Tell
These characteristics describe a certain creature.
-Belongs to the order Orthoptera.
-Reaches 15cm in length.
-Able to turn triangular-shaped head from side to side.
-Has sharp spines on forelegs.
-Scans surroundings with two large compound eyes and three simple eyes.
-Snares prey with extremely quick reflexes.
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
<<<<<scroll down to the show>>>>>>
Show
What was said in the tell bullets I have said in one image…yes? This is a simple example, of course, but as we move through the rest of November I want to explore ways we can accomplish this same simplification with more complex and e-Learning specific topics.
Tags: e-learning, media