Definition of Learning Media
better students’ understanding will be. By giving the concrete learning experience, it may strengthen students’ memory.
By giving a more visual example to students, the intended message will be processed and stored in their mind better. It is intended to make students work
actively because they are given an entertaining material to attract their attention. On the contrary, delivering information verbally or using symbols will give less
experience to students, for they get the information by processing the words only. Referring to the advantages of Power Point, it may give information through either
visual or audio. Moreover, Power Point can be modified to give students an instruction to conduct discussion or simulation.
The use of media can support teachers to provide the concrete learning to their students. Indirectly, by utilizing media, teachers may decrease their speech to avoid
much verbalization, and give more concrete experience to sharpen students’ understanding. The following points are the role of media in learning.
a. Media can elucidate the information. In presentation stage, for example, teachers can function media to clear their information and underline the main
point of their teaching. b. Media are put in learning to stimulate the communicative interaction between
teachers and students. c. Media appeal to students’ sense and help them process the information.
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d. Media can enhance teaching and learning process.
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Because the main role of media is to facilitate the communication, so media used in learning have also
a role as the aid to support teaching process in the class. e. In line with the previous point, using media in learning makes teaching and
learning process more exciting and can be meaningful. f.
Media reduce verbalization to avoid conventional method; hence teachers may not explain in much speech.
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Marianne C. Murcia. op. cit., p. 456.
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Murcia., loc. cit.
g. Media help teachers motivate students by showing a more communicative material in the class.
h. Media enhances students’ memory, for the learning stimulates all sense of students.
i. Media can handle the inadequacy of students’ experience, teachers’ ability,
and school facility. Therefore, media assist teaching process and interaction between teachers, students, and environment. For example,
• A big object, such as elephant, house, etc. which cannot be taken to the
class can be replaced by realia, model, or picture that may show the smaller object.
• An event or accident cannot be repeated any more, but teachers can replay
it to students by functioning media. j.
The regulation of providing media in learning can stimulate teachers’ creativity to select and design media for their teaching.
k. Media can boost students’ attention and imagination to the learning material. The use of media can enhance the quality of teaching and learning. Teachers
may select their media which are suitable for their teaching and students. The use of media can also help students process the information and store them in their mind. By
stimulating the senses, teachers give a more concrete input to them, because students can process the knowledge through especially their sight and hearing.