DESARROLLO DEL TEMA

in different colours and the FCT in different colours

Shapes in Mathematics

Projects paintings / Pictures of various Mathematics Shapes – Triangle, Square, Oval, Rectangle, Circle etc.

Reading aloud; the various Mathematics Shapes – Triangle, Square, Oval,

Rectangle, Circle etc.

Role play of Teacher or Animation with Pupils Reading aloud / Demonstrating; the various Mathematics Shapes – Triangle, Square, Oval, Rectangle, Circle etc.

Colours Projects paintings / Pictures of various Colours

Reading aloud; of various Colours

Role play of Teacher or Animation with Pupils Reading aloud / Demonstrating; of various Colours

2.3.6 Empowering and Inhibiting Elements of Learning in Multimedia Usage in Teaching

On the other hand, non-respect of didactic criteria elements of multimedia evaluation becomes elements that inhibit learning. In the teaching practice, there is the possibility of discovering the negative side of applying multimedia in class. This happens in the event of insufficiently developed didactic-professional competencies of the teacher as a result of deficiency of knowledge. In other words, ignorance or non-respect of didactic criteria of multimedia choice in teaching can trigger the opposite desired effect – ineffective teaching.

Pinnington identify the basic elements that cause stress and inhibit the success of the pupil in learning as thus: “the educational system, competition, multimedia (television, computer and video games), developmental elements, electrical elements, diet and medical elements” (147).

From the stated elements, those which relate to the didactic-methodical approach will be observed. A rigid educational system is composed of rudimentary remains of traditional teaching as consequences of lower consciousness of the structure which places it on levels of a mezzo-system to macro-system. So in practice there is a curriculum with too little music, painting and physical education. The vicious circle is closed by rigid teachers who blindly follow “directives from above”. The solution to this problem is seen in a teacher who will consciously and through a contemporary professional approach remove the stated flaws and moreover transform them according to the pupils. Therefore, the lack of sensory stimulation, movement, creative games and communication, is stimulated by the teacher to the level of the pupils’ needs. Multimedia also can be an inhibiting element in learning when they are not used in moderation, thus suppressing the pupils’ need for movement, interactive communication, development of imagination, and most of all in displaying violence which evokes anxiety and stress in pupils. This is why; again, the role of the teacher is emphasized.

With regard to didactic criteria of choosing multimedia which are stated, elements of didactic criteria are geared towards: the pupil (age, intrinsic motivation, previous knowledge and experiences of the pupil, development of sensory-communicational competency, learning

styles, activeness of pupil), the teacher (personal and professional competencies e.g.

viewpoints on significance and role of multimedia, teacher’s skills in using multimedia, teacher’s skills in using teaching strategies), multimedia (sensory-communication structure, form, qualitative and quantitative structure, technical abilities for presenting content) and teaching strategies (didactic communication, accordance with teaching aim, phases of learning, teaching contents, suitability of room for multimedia presentation, form of mediating by multimedia presentation, suitability of learning and evaluation of effectiveness of multimedia and teaching strategies). In the previous sections, these elements are described as empowering.

Therefore, in this section several examples will be mentioned which describe what happens when didactic criteria are not respected in choosing multimedia, but perform as inhibiting elements.

If the multimedia is not suitable for the psychophysical development of the pupil, it does not fulfill basic didactic-methodical laws or laws of developmental psychology.

Unsuitable multimedia can be “too easy” – so that pupils are bored or “too heavy” – so that pupils do not understand the multimedia information at all. If multimedia is not understandable to pupils, it should not be used for teaching purposes. Therefore, there is a necessary condition for using those multimedia which have suitable content i.e. information. Multimedia will not achieve its purpose if pupils do not have enough enthusiasm for participating in learning.

Certain previous knowledge and experiences of the pupils can also inhibit pupils in learning.

For example, low level of knowledge of the English language can inhibit a pupil in using an educational back-up. All pupils in the class are not equally competent in receiving and processing information. Because of different development of sensory-communicational competencies, pupils in class differently receive and process information. Because of this, they learn in individual ways and achieve various results. A great inhibitor in using multimedia can be the negative attitude of the teacher towards multimedia.

Auto-censorship can block the teacher since e.g. the teacher is not “stimulated” to make an effort in getting a new multimedia for usage in class, because of “small salaries”, “there are no conditions” for that type of work in classroom or he/she is not sufficiently educated or fully aware of the significance of multimedia teaching and learning through multimedia teaching strategic activity. “The Canadian sociologist, Marschall McLuhan emphasized that every communicational resource (media or multimedia) impacts on the way of thinking, regardless of the content which is presented” (cited in Pinnington 22). The impact of media is powerful and deep precisely because as content, it is given another media. The content of a film is a novel, drama or opera; the effect of film form is not linked with its program content. Such a viewpoint supports the fact that attention should be focused on choice of communicational devices but in their different usage.

Sensory-communicational structure of multimedia triggers two different senses.

Multimedia has no sense when their overloading of information can cause weaker impact of learning. A qualitative structure of information of multimedia can fail if multimedia are not semiotically clear or instead of aesthetic messages, they verge on kitsch.

It is a particular problem also, needless to say, from a pedagogical aspect most of all, when children in experiencing film or television images come face to face with numerous obstacles which hinder understanding of the plot: tempo and the semantic level of titles, semantic level of spoken dialogue, structures of subject, condensed space and time, speed of change of scenes, tricks, identification of numerous characters, relationships among actors, movement of camera, non-linear editing etc.; children up to ten years old identify objects, action and faces on the screen and so through their own construction, the familiar images and scenes are linked by them into a whole unit and work, i.e. what is recognized is transformed into the familiar and understandable with those they find personally pleasing. This illusion of understanding, unknown in relation to children vis-à-vis works of literature, very often leads to children, more or less, seeing one thing and understanding something else: lack of understanding or misunderstanding of film or television program prevents them from experiencing. The consequences are twofold: in the aesthetic sense, the artistic function of the work is suppressed; in a pedagogical sense, the work has poor impact (eventually undesirable) on young viewers. (Pinnington 18-19)

The technical capabilities of multimedia presentation can fail just at the moment when the pupils have been prepared for viewing. (E.g. it happens that the LCD projector does not

present educational software from the computer on to the projection screen etc.). All complicated solutions of multimedia usage or their formation, which can be potentially dangerous for health or injury to pupil, should be avoided in class.

With regard to didactic communication, certain multimedia requires usage of certain methods and social forms of work. It is difficult to ask pupils to complete tasks of some education back-ups if there are five parts in the class work with 30 pupils, three computers and team work! Such a teaching strategy must be changed. The pedagogical-educational achievement impacts on choice of multimedia. On the other hand, multimedia is used because of the media appeal itself, which is not consistent with the aim or does not have one. Then we speak about techniques or its mechanical usage.

Insufficiently heated (insufficiently ventilated) space, non-airiness of the classroom, insufficient or inadequate lighting, size of room…..can also affect the working activity but also the health of the pupils and teacher. The person who mediates with multimedia presentation can, due to his/her clumsiness, draw attention of the pupils into an undesirable course. Lack of implementation of evaluation cannot give feedback information on which multimedia, when, with which pupils, which aim, to prepare in subsequent teaching strategies.

We can conclude that respecting elements of the didactic criteria enables correct usage of multimedia in teaching. The aim of multimedia usage is thus achieved: they impact on the developmental achievement and changes in the pupil. Non-respect for elements of didactic criteria creates inhibiting elements in which multimedia usage does not achieve the expected pedagogical-educational aims.