Digital media in education

The initial implications of digital media came long after the introduction of many important technological advancements. Inventions such as the radio, overhead projector, videotapes, and photocopier created new opportunities for alternative forms for instruction. The most impactful invention were computers that were available for everyday use. By the late 2000s, computers were available in most classrooms which gave students the opportunity to develop technological skills that could be used for years to come.[2] This helped to develop many academic skills. These include virtual communication, internet research, software use, and technological skills with other devices. Many other devices have been implemented into classroom environments since. IPads, tablets, laptops, smart boards, and cameras are examples of these new technologies that are commonly used to engage with digital media platforms.[3]

Students taking an assessment on iPads

Digital media takes several different forms, such as email, video, websites, photos, and slideshows. The platforms are most beneficial with the use of advanced technological devices, such as iPads and laptops that have also been implemented in many classrooms. In a study done by Alison Cook-Sather, students tend to be more comfortable with communicating by e-mail. Emails allow direct communication with a student and instructor outside the classroom. Students can have dialogue at any time with their professors on problems or questions they are having. This allows students and instructors to advance communication techniques even outside of the classroom. Through visual presentations students and instructors, can put forth their information with video and photo for context or engagement. Showcasing their topic through video and photo has become a major tool in the classroom for more visual learners. For example, in an article by Jon M. Wargo and Kara Clayton, U.S. secondary students amplified by a global political climate of fear, oppression, and increased nationalism, used multimodal composition, and video production in particular, as a means to participate in politics and voice their opinion.[4] Through video production students were able to create a message and display it to a larger audience. The study showed that presenting information in the form of a video production increased student interactions with the assignment. Students felt more in control of their work, and production process allowed for them to voice their own opinions. Through the internet and websites like Google Classroom, Canvas, Blackboard, Slack, Discord, students, and professors can obtain and share information and assignments in one place. this use of digital media in education allows students to access more useful information, communicate and, find opportunities all inside their classes. As time has passed different forms of digital media, such as laptops, video, and online research have been incorporated into daily education.

The main benefit of digital media in education is that it can increase student engagement. In addition, it helps students work through difficult concepts with multiple resources. Digital instruction helps show difficult topics that are often hard to understand. When students use digital technology in a course, all the students in the classroom have the opportunity to hone those digital skills. The main implications of digital media in education is that, it gives teachers and instructors the opportunity to engage in dialogue based on mutual respect and reciprocity. Secondly, at the foundation of all teaching and learning, there is a link between the virtual and the actual based on the fundamental human relationship.[5]

A student coding for a web design class.

Even though there is no exact definition of media literacy, it can be closely defined as the ability to decode information from digital media, take meaning from it, and adequately communicate the idea to others.[8] Media literacy is a practice that allows people to access, critically evaluate, and create media. Information presented in the form of digital media is absorbed and expressed differently than when in the form of traditional media.[9] Evidently, literacy has always been a form of social power. Even though not everyone has the accessibility and opportunity to engage in such practices, the world of today is saturated with digital media. It is important to implement these technological changes into the education system to prepare individuals to be engaged in political, social and economic aspects of society.[10] Due to this, it is crucial for education systems to examine distinct forms of teaching and provide the appropriate resources and knowledge for the contemporary world.[9]

One of the reasons why digital media literacy is taught is because our society is becoming increasingly saturated with media content and messaging.[11] Media contains messaging that can influence perceptions, beliefs and attitudes, and digital media literacy education teaches students how to discern messaging techniques.[11]

Young students engaging with an iPad in a classroom environment.

In education, media literacy encourages students to ask questions about what they watch, hear, and read. These questions might address source bias, reliability, and authority.[12] Engagement with media platforms such as blogs, websites and podcasts are key to creating a cooperative education environment. "Cooperative education takes seriously the social and reciprocal nature of teaching and learning. It empowers teachers to relinquish authoritarian control, and encourages them to weave their expertise into the community of learning that emerges dynamically in the courses they teach."[13]

Media literacy also involves the ability of students to understand strategy to market media. Understanding trends, keywords, timing, and more assets that allow successful marketing. Media literacy is a major focus in the Digital Media in Business Education concentration study.

School across the country closed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic which affected the educational process in many ways.[14] Due to the rapid spread of Covid-19, there was a need for a larger more sustainable virtual education system. Since the students are at home, they have to attend their classes through a virtual process on their electronic devices.[14] These electronic devices include laptops, phones, and tablets. Implementing digital media platforms and technological devices assisted with an at-home virtual learning environment. These digital media platforms that are implemented include Google Classroom, Zoom cloud meetings, and Microsoft Teams.[15] This pandemic created a learning style that is becoming more normal, reliable, and flexible. Even though the students that are using these virtual learning platforms are not physically in the classroom, they are able to experience similar education.[15] One issue that many schools had relating to transferring over to online education is the process of assessments and exams.[16] The process of preparing for exams and institutional assessments were affected because of the change of learning environment and time provided to gain the correct skills and knowledge.[16] Eddie M. Mulenga and José M. Marbán study students in Zambia during the pandemic to find how they adapted in the subject of Mathematics. Zambia was no different from a lot of the countries response pulling in-person class and going fully virtual. Their students were not prepared to navigate the unfamiliar platforms and saw engagement in the content fall off. A similar conclusion was found regarding the transition to virtual learning for students in Romania. The adaptation to the new platforms and environments were the biggest obstacles.[17]

Surveillance plays a large role in all aspect of people's lives. With academics transitioning from a traditional class to a virtual environment there are many ways for surveillance to creep in, in these new academic environments. The academic world has made a vast evolution to where many online resources have become so useful that is difficult to see a future without them. The use of online databases, search engines, and even e-mail have contributed to this kind of advancement within the academic world.[18] Due to the increase of digital media within classrooms, the use of many softwares such as Proctorio, Zoom, WebX, and other conferencing, exam proctoring softwares are direct sources of academic surveillance. The use of these softwares serve the purpose to increase academic integrity and create a functional virtual academic environment. Although these softwares function efficiently for a virtual classroom environment, there is much concern as to what kind of data is being processed and shared from its users. Another aspect of academic surveillance that calls for recognition is how it has effected academic freedom. Many scholars believe the overuse of digital media platforms in educational environments can hinder intellectual discussion and debates for students as well as faculty members.[18] With these kinds of threats to the virtual education system, there are a lot of impositions on how this could affect the virtual education system in the future.