User:Cgpoppert/Digital media in education

Overview
Digital Media in education is measured by a person's ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and produce media content and communication in a variety of forms. This media may involve incorporating multiple digital softwares, devices, and platforms as a tool for learning. The use of digital media in education is growing rapidly in today's age, competing with books for the leading form of communication. This form of education is slowly combating the traditional forms of education that have been around for a long time. With the introduction of virtual education, there has been a need for more incorporation of new digital platforms in online classrooms.

How Digital Media Is Used In Education
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. 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 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.

Benefits and Implication of Digital Media in 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 also 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.

Opportunity Through Digital Media
New programs and classes are being added to curriculums every year. For instance, the University of Connecticut launched a digital media and graphic design major in 2015. This includes various classes such as web design, digital culture, animation, and more.

The process of education through the use of digital media can be split up into four types of learning activities which are passive, active, constructive, and interactive. It is shown that students will gain more knowledge if they use more interactive types of learning activities rather than more passive ones. Digital media in the classroom can bring new styles of learning in which would be more engaging and interactive. Digital media allows people to showcase their work to social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Student’s work can also reach a larger crowd and receive comments and opinions via Reddit, YouTube, Vimeo. Pages like these allow public display of anyone’s ideas and work. Students looking for work or internships to strengthen their resumé also will find opportunity online through sites such as LinkedIn. The knowledge that students in education have related to media technologies varies in which would require some to have assistance while using them.

Covid-19's Impact on Education
School across the country closed down because of the COVID-19 pandemic which affected the educational process in many ways. 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. 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. 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. One issue that many schools had relating to transferring over to online education is the process of assessments and exams. 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. 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.