Chapter 9: Choosing and using media in education: the SECTIONS model
Purpose of the chapter
The main purpose of this chapter is to provide a framework for making effective decisions about the choice and use of media for teaching and learning. The framework used is the SECTIONS model, which stands for:
- S tudents
- E ase of use
- C osts
- T eaching functions
- I nteraction
- O rganisational issues
- N etworking
- S ecurity and privacy
On completion of this chapter, you should be able to choose appropriate media and technology for any subject that you may be teaching, and be able to justify your decision.
What is covered in this chapter
- 9.1 Models for media selection
- 9.2 Students
- 9.3 Ease of Use
- 9.4 Cost
- 9.5 Teaching and media selection
- 9.6 Interaction
- 9.7 Organisational issues
- 9.8 Networking (and novelty)
- 9.9 Security and privacy
- 9.10 Deciding
Also in this chapter you will find the following activities:
- Activity 9.1 Making a preliminary decision
- Activity 9.2 Knowing your students
- Activity 9.3 Ease of use
- Activity 9.4 How will cost affect your decision about what media to use?
- Activity 9.5 Multimedia design principles
- Activity 9.6 Using media to promote student activity
- Activity 9.7 Organisational issues (no activity)
- Activity 9.8 Networking (and novelty)
- Activity 9.9 Security and privacy
- Activity 9.10 Choosing media and technologies
Chapter 9 Key Takeaways
1. Selecting media and technologies is a complex process, involving a very wide range of interacting variables.
2. There is currently no generally accepted theory or process for media selection. The SECTIONS model however provides a set of criteria or questions the result of which can help inform an instructor when making decisions about which media or technologies to use.
3. Because of the wide range of factors influencing media selection and use, an inductive or intuitive approach to decision-making, informed by a careful analysis of all the criteria in the SECTIONS framework, is one practical way to approach decision-making about media and technologies for teaching and learning.
4. However, media selection needs to be integrated within the broader framework of course design.
