Media Usage in Post-Secondary Education and Implications for Teaching and Learning

TL;DR

This study investigates how post-secondary students and instructors use traditional and new media in teaching and learning, revealing evolving trends and implications for educational practices in the digital age.

Contribution

It provides empirical data from a survey across multiple universities on media usage patterns, contributing to understanding media's role in higher education.

Findings

Growing use of online information services among students and instructors

Persistence of traditional media like textbooks in teaching practices

International survey highlights global trends in media adoption

Abstract

The Web 2.0 has permeated academic life. The use of online information services in post-secondary education has led to dramatic changes in faculty teaching methods as well as in the learning and study behavior of students. At the same time, traditional information media, such as textbooks and printed handouts, still form the basic pillars of teaching and learning. This paper reports the results of a survey about media usage in teaching and learning conducted with Western University students and instructors, highlighting trends in the usage of new and traditional media in higher education by instructors and students. In addition, the survey comprises part of an international research program in which 20 universities from 10 countries are currently participating. Further, the study will hopefully become a part of the ongoing discussion of practices and policies that purport to advance the effective use of media in teaching and learning.