Recently, a case study done by the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIM-B), on establishing a relationship between box office collection and social media activity with specific reference to a Bollywood film, was published at Harvard Business Publishing. It is being used by students even in the U.S., Canada, Norway and Slovenia.
Closer home too, media such as newspapers, magazines, films, radio and even social media are increasingly making it into classrooms. Though the use of the media is not spread evenly across streams, its presence and slow integration into the teaching and learning scenario cannot be ignored.
Here, some students share their views on how useful or useless the use of media in classroom teaching has been.
Shreyas Rao, third year, Journalism and Mass Communication, Manipal University, Bangalore Campus
I have always been a great admirer of radio and non-visual communication as it is very fascinating. Radio has influenced me in tuning myself into a better personality in a way that my points in classroom discussions are not only informative but also engaging. My presentations are lively and also precise, which is very important. It also helps in being more confident and helps in dealing with stage fear.
Most of the classroom sessions are delivered through audio-visual aids such as a slide show and digital content. All though this seems interactive, it takes away the essence of a typical classroom experience. The amount of handwritten notes has drastically come down, so has visiting the libraries. I still prefer the traditional methods of teaching which are more organised and authentic.
Social media is an extension of a classroom where the entire class comes together as a group. A clean and active social media presence is a good source to share notes, creative material such as movies, documentaries, etc. To ensure the digital platform is not misused, there should be some amount of authenticity. There is no point if an argument or some form of ragging happens on this medium since it serves no purpose.
Vineetha Surendran, third year, Computer Science Engineering, BMSCE, Bangalore
Media does not influence us much as we are engineering students. But, yes, there is definitely a need to keep oneself updated with the latest news in our field. Media is used efficiently in our classroom, but yet again, as we are engineering students there is a limit to how media can help.
Social media is not used in our classroom. Its usage can be improved to learn more from other students and engineers all over the world, though.
Amritha Samuel, third year, B.A. Economics, Christ University
Media can help in three things: setting the agenda, shaping public opinion, and filtration of ideas. Media used as a mode of communication in classrooms makes learning more interactive. Social media platforms such as Whatsapp, Twitter and mails are used a lot. The entire communication process is conducted through platforms like these.
Punya Poonacha, first year, Master’s in Journalism and Mass Communication, NITTE Institute of Communication
The use of media in the classroom makes learning more interesting, induces deep conversations, and increases students’ engagement. Media makes for easy and more in-depth learning. I don’t really like traditional teaching as it’s boring and dull, I have to go home and study the topics online for better understanding.
As I am in media studies, I think social media is a great way to stay updated on the news. Sometimes normal media fails to cover things because of gate-keeping, so social media is playing a bigger role now as a news source.
Divya Jagadeesan, eighth semester, Instrumentation Technology, MSRIT
Media, in fact, generates discussions in our classrooms. Media gives us information of things happening in any part of the world, may it be in the field of technology, arts…anything. We get a clear cut picture of what is happening in the world, and the pace at which we have to move to compete with the world is all learnt from media. It is by all means better than the traditional method of teaching. The traditional method gets monotonous and becomes difficult to concentrate after a point but with the use of media such as say visuals, it is like learning with entertainment. We also understand better when there is media involved.
The knowledge of any subject is enhanced when referred to social media. What is done in the classroom is just 50 per cent. The rest depends on how you build on it. Social media, like the Internet, newspaper and magazines, has immensely helped me with my projects, presentations, assignments.
Nirupama V., fourth semester, Communication Studies, Mount Carmel College
The print media influences and enhances discussions on various topics and affairs to quite an extent. I’ve found it rather useful to keep myself updated and informed about the on-going issues and affairs. It has not only augmented my knowledge but also given a wider perspective that has helped me strengthen my opinions. Being a communication studies student, I have been able to enjoy the advantage of using media during classes. It has certainly helped me grasp small, abstract ideas and deduce the complexity of it since it’s both visual and verbal.
We constantly use various forms of media to analyse and understand the subject better. Traditional methods of teaching also have their own set of advantages but with the help of media, it’s always quicker and better.
As I am a communications student, I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy classroom teachings and discussions with the use of social media. We watch a lot of Youtube videos, movies that fosters discussions in classrooms, exchange our ideas and strengthen our interactions. And that is the whole point of it. To make classes fun while we learn.
