The Clark Kozma debate on learning and media

Clark-Kozma Debate

The popularity of online schools and the use of the Internet have fueled a debate among educators. From the time educational television first hit the media circuits, the ability of any media form to improve education has come under scrutiny. The Internet is just another form of media and educators balk at the idea that computers or any other type of media can result in improved education and improved academic scores. This research will explore what has become known as the Clark-Kozma debate about the value that the Internet will have in improved academic performance. As new forms of media enter into the educational arena, the Clark-Kozma debate will become an increasingly important part of educational theory and strategy. Let us examine the key points of both sides of the debate.

Clark's position is that educational technology is not important in the educational process. It is only the deliver system. Clark (1983) argues that the content is more important than the delivery method. Kozma (1994) believes that a connection exists between the media and learning, but that we do not see it due to our behavioral roots. Clark does not feel that learning is the cognitive response to the delivery method of the instruction. This is where the schism between these two theorists is the greatest. Kozma argues that the cognitive processes surrounding the media are an important part of the learning process. The following will explore these two theories.

Since the debate began in the early 1990s, technology has advanced to an even greater level and has become an integral part of the educational system. The questions posed by Clark and Kozma are even more important now, than they were when the debate first began. Considerable academic study has been dedicated to this topic recently. Research now finds that electronic media can help certain types of learners grasp the material better. This research supports the idea that learners have different styles of learning and will respond better to the message when presented in one format or media over another (Trail & Hadley, 2010). This would lend support to Kozma's argument that the form of media plays an important role in learning.

Using this argument, one could conclude that Clark was wrong and that there is more to the message than content. If this is so, then it leads to the question of what role the teacher actually plays in the learning process. In response to this question, let us examine recent literature on the social elements of learning. Dewan and Dewan (2010) found that the teacher takes on the role of leader, whether they are in a brick and mortar classroom or in an online classroom. West, Hall, & Thackeray et al. (2010) found that social networking sites can be used to support online health behavior change projects.

The key to resolving the argument is that in the cases found, the type of media was used to support classroom instruction, whether this instruction took place online or in the brick and mortar classroom. The new media was used to provide the teacher one more tool to try to reach students with the message. If Clark's argument is true, then one must ask if the teacher is only one more form of media. If Clark's argument held true, then would it not be easier to simply hand the students sheets of paper with the material on it and expect them to simply read them and learn. We all know that this works for some students, but not for others. Some students need to hear the message and respond socially to it in order to learn the material. Classroom learning is not only about learning that 2 X 4 is 8, but being able to take that knowledge out of the context in which it was learned and to be able to apply it in a real world situation. This is where the multi-media approach to learning comes into play.

We now know that emotions can have a significant affect on the ability to recall information on a test (Gaigg & Bowler, 2008). This supports the role of the media and the emotions surrounding the learner at the time the material is presented as an important element in the learning process. The importance of social context has gained support over the past several years and it is now accepted that the role of the teacher is to provide a stimulating atmosphere and to present the material in different formats, using a number of media that are available in order to increase learning potential in all students. Recognition of the need to present the material in different formats lends support to Kozma's argument that context and the media form are an essential part of the learning process.