Some Cautions

Using media requires attention to the learning objectives of the course you are teaching. Please carefully note these concerns in your preparations to use media in your courses.

  • One question that inevitably arises is concern over the copyright issues that accompany using this medium in teaching.
  • Using media oftentimes requires additional work (e.g. prepositioning a DVD it at the start of a scene before class, digitizing media for playback on a computer and making sure that the audio-visual equipment is functioning properly beforehand).
  • Media scenes (e.g. humor, drama, terror, and language) may distract some students from the theories and concepts the scenes portray. Some students may become offended by media with objectionable content.
  • Utilizing media takes time away from other classroom activities. Instructors need to decide whether the media makes its point efficiently and with enough effect to warrant the use of class time. Media that are short (generally 10 minutes or less) minimize the class time spent on content unrelated to the learning objectives.