Digital Media is a blend of technology and Content. It is a combination of mechanical calculations, electronic codes and human language systems. Digital Media is all around us from smartphones to games, apps, news on your tabs, social networking, book scanner in your library… basically it is a part of our everyday life. This field is so vast and changing so quickly that there are new things being invented daily.

Andrew and Peter in their book, tell us that “Digital era has changed and still changing so rapidly that, they had to change the title of their book from “The New Media Handbook” to “The “Digital Media” Handbook.

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Digital Media’s role in facilitating student learning and engagement

The Digital Media have become the operating system of every single object. It has captured every industry of this world, such as, Entertainment, Technology, ecommerce, Marketing, Sports and even education.

Not only Students but Teachers also are using technology to gain and to give knowledge. In the thesis, “Digital Media’s Transformative role in education, author Mingsto Chein describes “students today use technologies to explore various information resources in and out of schools. On the other hand Educators use technology to guide and engage students in self-directed learning activities and model problem solving.

This is what we are doing today in Deakin University. However, this method is also followed outside Deakin. Hence, most of the top universities and schools across the globe are focusing on learning through digital platforms.

I still remember while studying in school back in India, I used to carry a bag to class full of Books and Notebooks along with a pencil case which had pencils, eraser, ruler, pencil sharpener and plenty of pens. That time if you forgot to bring your pen or pencil to class, you considered to be a Immoral student. But Thanks to Digital Media, Now time has changed.

I don’t need to carry books or notebooks anymore. A Tab or a laptop does all the work.

Every information students need today are on their fingertips. Heavy books are available on-line in a form of e-books. Study material is available in form of Text, Images, Audio and in Video format on the internet. Anyone can access to this information from anywhere and anytime.

Deakin’s cloud site is an example of anywhere and anytime learning. Deakin’s Library statistics also tell “how students are engaging in Digital Media Learning”. In the year 2016 over 3 million electronic articles were accessed and over 5 million e-books or book chapters were used by teachers and students. To respond to staff and student’s needs, Deakin Library has increased its e-books collection from 67,000 to almost 6, 00, 000 in past 10 years. Not only this, now there are more than 85,000 online videos in Deakin Library’s collection which were only 50 in the year 2007. From these trends we can clearly figure out that “how fast technology is emerging and growing.

Moreover learning through digital tools are more engaging and interesting rather than old and boring ways of gaining knowledge.

According to Benjamin and Richard’s study, “Web-based teaching and learning approaches have been recognized as important tools to enhance the educational experience of students and their collaborative learning curve.

Here, I want to share a recent example and a success story of a student who used Digital Media learning in an effective way. An unskilled worker named Sreenath from an Indian city Kerala works at a railway station. While carrying heavy luggage he used to put on his earphones, used free wi-fi available at the station, listened to the study material and prepared for one of the toughest exam in India. And, yes he succeeded in Public Service Commission’s written test.

So digital media enhance student’s learning experience. That is why more and more students are actively engaging in digital media learning.

 

References:

Dewdney, A, Ride, P 2014, “The digital media handbook”, Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, retrieved 10 May 2018, < ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/…ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy-b.deakin.edu.au/lib/deakin/detail.action?docID=1524117 >

Chien, M 2012, “Digital Media’s Transformative role in education: beyond potential to essential”, Electronic Theses and Dissertations, Vol. 125, retrieved 10 May 2018, < digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/125/ >

Gan, B, Menkhoff, T, Smith, R 2015, “Enhancing students’ learning process through interactive digital media: New opportunities for collaborative learning”, Computers in Human Behaviour, vol. 51, part. B, pp. 652-663, retrieved 11 May 2018, doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.048

PTI 2018, “This Kerala Coolie Used the Free Wi-Fi at Railway Station to Study and Crack the Civil Services Exam”, Republic World, 8 May, retrieved 12 May 2018, < www.republicworld.com/india-news/gen…-services-exam >

Deakin Library 2017, Library statistics, Deakin University, retrieved 14 May 2018, < www.deakin.edu.au/library/about/library-statistics >