Characteristics of Media in Learning
The word media has a plural form of medium. The media comes from Latin which means intermediary or introduction. According to AECT (Association for Education Communications and Technology) stated that learning media as all forms and channels that people use to distribute messages or information.
In teaching and learning activities, instructional media is a primary need to expedite learning. Creating an effective and efficient learning situation by moving all learning resources. In this case, learning media as a supporter of the learning process. As for some of the benefits of instructional media such as teaching and learning activities can be done mantab, can provide scientific teaching, can create closeness between the message distributor (educators) with the recipient of the message (students), and can present broad education, can improve quality education.
In learning media, it is inseparable from the terms learning and learning. The purpose of learning is a change in behavior in the participants to make it better. Meanwhile, learning is a process of interaction between students and the environment, and expect better behavior changes. Providing limits in learning media can be used to stimulate thoughts, feelings, attention, and the will of the spirit of learning in students. The selection of the right learning media by an educator based on the right techniques and steps can certainly make the learning program a success in order to achieve the expected behavioral changes.
In fact, there are many educators who do not understand and do not take the techniques and steps in selecting appropriate learning media. There are still many teachers who rely on the blackboard as the only learning medium.
Therefore, instructional media is a necessity that cannot be avoided in the framework of the success of student learning programs. In essence, learning media is an educational component that can stimulate students' learning enthusiasm. In simple learning media is a teaching aid that can facilitate the delivery of messages from the message source to the recipient of the message.
As educators having creativity and innovative thinking are important. Creating creative and innovative learning media can improve the quality of education. Learning media that can support teaching and learning activities include power points, videos, cassettes, audio, slides, film strips, OHP, film, radio, television, and so on. In addition, learning media can take the form of seminars, discussions, simulations, field trips, study tours, and so forth.
Characteristics of Media in Learning
The general characteristics of learning media are as follows:
1. Nowadays learning media has a physical meaning known as hardware or objects that can be felt with the five senses.
2. Learning media have a non-physical understanding which is commonly known as software or messages delivered through hardware.
3. Learning media has an emphasis on visuals and audio.
4. Media also has the understanding as a tool in the learning process.
5. Media are used in the process of communication and interaction between teachers and students.
6. Can be used en masse for example television and radio as well as individually for example modules.
In addition to the features above, there are three characteristics of the media according to Gerlach and Ely quoted from Arsyad Azhar's book are as follows:
Fixative trait
Fixative features describe the ability of the media to record, store, preserve, and reconstruct in an event or object. Events or objects that can be arranged or reordered with media such as video tape, photography, audio tape, and so forth.
Manipulative traits
This manipulative characteristic describes the transformation of an event or object. An event that initially takes days can be presented in just two to three minutes with the time lapse recording technique.
Distributive trait
The distributive characteristic of a media allows an event or object to be transported through space. At the same time the event is presented to students with stimulus experiences that are relatively similar to the event. Once the information is recorded in any media format and can be produced at any time even though repeatedly.