The Selection and Use of Media for
Open and Distance Learning

Context:
In this article the author provides guidance on selecting and using audio in distance education.

Source:
Kirkwood, A. 1994. "The Selection and Use of Media for Open and Distance Learning." In F. Lockwood, ed., Materials Production in Open and Distance Learning. London: Paul Chapman Publishing, pp. 64-65.

Copyright:
Reprinted with permission from A. Kirkwood, "The Selection and Use of Media for Open and Distance Learning," 1994, copyright 1994, Paul Chapman Publishing Ltd., London. This permission is for nonexclusive English-language rights only, for this edition only. Reproduction of this material is confined to the purpose for which this permission is hereby given; and for use on a noncommercial basis by handicapped persons and the blind.

Audio

Can you think of any aspects of your teaching or training that might benefit from an audio component? If so, 'what form could it take?

Teachers and trainers often underestimate the contribution that sounds, music and the spoken word can make to open and distance learning. They can be used for direct teaching, tutoring or simply to provide some variety in the materials being studied: they can also be conveyed to learners by a variety of means. The telephone can be used for interacting with learners, either on a one-to-one basis or with a dispersed group linked into a telephone conference. Some teachers and trainers are able to make use of radio broadcasts, arid these have the potential to reach a large, dispersed audience. However, the main disadvantage of radio is the fixed transmission times for programmes: learners may be unable to listen to programmes at the time they are broadcast or the material may have been intended to link in with aspects of their studies completed several weeks ago. Audio-cassettes offer much greater convenience, as they allow prerecorded materials to be used by learners at the time (and often the place) that suits them best. Learners are also able to control how the audio material is used; they can stop the tape and replay as required to interact with the material.