Understanding and function of Basic Concepts of Learning Media
Media are intermediaries from information sources to recipients of information, for example television, computers, etc. Learning is a communication process, namely the process of delivering messages from the message source through channels or media, and receiving messages is a component of communication.
Learning media are all things such as tools, environment and all forms of activities that are conditioned to increase knowledge, change attitudes or add skills to everyone who uses it.
According to experts:
1. Rossi and Breidle (1966)
Learning media are all tools and objects that can be used for educational purposes such as television, radio, magazines, books, newspapers and so on. Rossi opinion of devices such as television and radio, if programmed and used for education, can be called learning media.
2. Miarso (1984)
Learning media are all things that can be used to stimulate students' attention, thoughts, feelings, and volition so that they can encourage the learning process in students.
3. Ibrahim et al. (2004)
Learning media are all things that can be used to channel messages so that they can stimulate students' thoughts, concerns, feelings in learning activities to achieve certain learning objectives. For example: charts, pictures, films, models, videos, computers and others.
Function of Basic Concepts of Learning Media
The media is a component of the learning system, which has a very important function and role for the continuity of learning. That way the media has a strategic position as an integral part of learning. Integral here means that the media is an inseparable part of learning. So if there is no media, learning will never happen.
As a component of a learning system, the learning media has a different function from the functions of other components, namely as a component that contains learning messages to be conveyed to students. In the process of delivering the message, there is often a disturbance that results in learning messages not being received or digested by the students what is intended by the educator.
Interference in communication between the messenger and the students may be largely caused by several things, namely: verbalism, misinterpretation, double attention, the formation of meaningless perceptions, and unsupportive environmental conditions. There is a key to solving the problems associated with the disruption of the process of delivering this learning message located on the media used in the process. Broadly speaking, media functions are:
1. Generating interest / motivation
2. Activating students in teaching and learning activities
3. Effectiveness of providing stimuli for learning
4. Attract the attention of students
5. Overcoming the limitations of space, time, and size
6. Avoiding verbalism
Another opinion explains the function of learning media can be viewed from two things, namely: the learning process as a process of communication and activities interacting between students or students with their environment. When the media functions as a carrier of information from the source (teacher) to the recipient (student), it can be viewed from the learning process as communication.
If viewed from the learning process as an interaction activity between students and their environment, then the function can be known based on the presence of excess media and cause communication barriers in the learning process.