With the information explosion media has made tremendous impact on the mind of the pupil. Today, social and technological changes are taking place with a rapid pace throughout the world. Both qualitative and quantitative improvement of education is facilitated and accelerated with the help of media. There is no denying the fact that modern education has changed the concept of teaching from teachers’ centered to learners’ centered. Similarly, teacher centered lecture based instruction is changing to students centered interactive learning. Teachers’, thus, has to perform the role of facilitator for the active learning by the pupils. Learning happens and knowledge is generated in an environment where interaction between teachers, students and the content takes place in interactive ways.
Knowledge is communicated to us through the communication. This message is great importance for us because, when the information is communicated to us on a printed page or over the telephone, by radio or television it appears different and has entirely a different effect on us. There is a famous proverb that I hear…I forget; I see… I remember; I do… I understand. This means that if a teacher teaches without the help of supportive aids there is much possibility that students will forget the things being taught to them where as the active utilization of more than one sense increases the possibility of understanding among the students and hence empowering them. Researches around the world also suggests that we remember 20% what we hear, 30% what we see, 50% what we see and hear and 90% what we see, hear and do. In the classroom teaching-learning context media improves the teaching-learning processes. Its main purpose is to benefit more students with fewer teachers or to obtain quality education. Children are the conscious being. They do not learn only from the books rather from the whole surroundings. Children today are more exposed to media both print and non-print. They learn from media in more concrete way than only through verbal communication in the class. Media and Art forms helps child in acquiring knowledge in different manners. Its role in education is gaining importance every day due to the following reasons:
- Media provides information to the mass within less time.
- Children get motivated while exposed to media since their more than one senses work.
- It takes a wide coverage of information regarding what is happening in any corner of the world.
- It brings the entire world to the individual or to the classroom.
- Media helps in concept formation in more concrete manner.
- Media provides the basis for developmental learning and makes learning more permanent.
- Children spends hours together sitting in front of the television and can visualize, hear and acquire knowledge about the world.
- Thinking is a continuous process media helps child to maintain thinking process with learning.
- Whatever is learnt through media and art form remain more permanent than verbal communication in the class.
- It easily reaches groups, allows repeated use, gives more reality, influence attitudes, shows cause and effect relationships and ultimately motivates the students towards learning.
- It sends information to remote places and helps in distant learning.
- It helps in modification of attitudes, inculcation of desirable values and acquaintance of cultural heritage.
- It acts as an agency of social change.
- It is useful for reinforcing group dynamics and interpersonal communication.
- It is a means of communication make ideas clear to the children and help them to acquire knowledge.
- It helps in simplifying and in giving elaboration in explanations.
- It helps in making and formation of right usages of things in the mind of the child. So, it helps in comprehension and learning.
- It makes the instruction concrete.
- It provides direct experience to the learner.
- It stimulates interests and enhances curiosity.
- It helps in child’ s attentiveness.
The role of various agencies of education such as home, society, community etc. has increased. Therefore, the role of media and art form like television, radio, cinema, newspaper has also increased. Press, radio, television etc are some of the media in education. They directly or indirectly influence the attitude and behaviour of the children. They cover entertainment, information propaganda, historical records, education and improvement of moral judgement and moral tone of the children.
Thus, in classifying concepts, stimulating group and individual activities, developing a collective critical awareness, changing attitudes, imposing a new structure or organization on certain subjects and encouraging originality and creativeness media and art proved to have greatly helped education. The influence of media and art forms on child’s education is far great. However, its utilization in our schools is rarely taken up which makes teaching and learning processes boring, outdated and monotonous.
