The television is a relatively new invention which has had an enormous impact upon our modern world. It has opened up numerous educational opportunities for countries numbers of people. From the Amazon jungle to the pyramids of Egypt, people can learn almost anything about the world in the comfort of their own home.
In the past only the wealthy could experience the diversity of the world. The TV has changed all that. Now anyone – rich or poor – can experience and learn about our diverse world. The television has opened up a colourful world of learning opportunity for all people. The TV has made learning exciting! The traditional methods of learning from teachers talking to a class seem boring when compared to the dynamic and stimulating multi - media experience of the television. Research has shown that if people see and hear something, they remember it more easily. In a convenient, simple way, television allows students to use these two senses which makes the learning experience far more memorable.
There are, however some drawbacks with television as an educational tool. Perhaps the biggest is that TV may encourage passive learning. Learning should be an active process and TV may discourage this. Students can become so used to images flashing on the screen that they fail to carefully concentrate on the subject being presented. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, if the content presented is incorrect the passive learner will usually accept what they have seen as being correct. Thus, the TV can be a way of passing on misinformation.
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