Media vs. Method Debate

Today in our class we were all able to participate in a debate to decide whether or not media influenced learning. I was on the "spoiler" side, suggesting that neither side was correct because the question was not a good question of discussion to lead us to a desirable, useful answer. I wasn't too enlightened by the debate, as I had a difficult time differentiating between the views of each team. But thinking about what the debate could have been and the issue itself bring interesting questions to mind.

Having a sister with special needs, I've always been intrigued by her interest in technology, specifically internet games and videos. She has always been very quick to learn any technology that will allow her to watch her favorite Disney movie or be entertained, and she learns it on her own. Teaching her math, she would often be distracted and not spend very much time practicing math problems. But then she started doing flash cards, and she would take them everywhere with her and practice with them. She also got a little math calculator-type game that she also enjoyed taking with her and using to practice. Although she was still learning math, the media of the flash cards and the computer game allowed her to focus her attention on a subject longer than otherwise, allowing her to learn more. There is a question, however, of how much she has memorized because of the pattern of the media, asking the same math questions in the same sequence, versus what new things she is able to learn. For the most part, she memorizes sequences and is able to get all of the correct answers, and then once those sequences are disrupted, she falters. Hence media may also be an inhibitor at the same time.