In the modern world, young people are engaged in a constant stream of digital interaction that allows them to participate in a variety of activities. Gee (2010) emphasizes that this kind of interaction allows them to “develop technical expertise in a plethora of different areas” (p. 13). The main focus, in this case, is the quality of knowledge earned by young people. Currently, they are developing deep competencies in a narrow direction, which brings special characteristics to modern communication. Young people use interactions with other experts to expand their competence rather than focusing on developing their own skills in a new field. Teachers need to take this aspect into account to minimize the communication barrier in instructional technologies.
The acquisition of knowledge must have a situated value for the students, through which they could relate to the material (Gee, 2010). Instructional technologies allow for the reinforcement of meaning by “actions, experiences, images, and dialogue” (Gee, 2010, p. 31). Through media space and more interactive opportunities, students will be able to impart specialized knowledge of situated meaning. This concept allows them to develop not only theoretical concepts but also practical application skills supported by experience. A communication barrier can arise when a student assimilates specialized information but cannot relate it to situated meaning.
The teacher’s task is to provide the student with tools for researching the practical application of the learned theoretical material. Instructional technologies achieve this goal through access to multimedia content and a variety of situations in which the student can apply specialized knowledge. In particular, the use of technology allows students to express themselves, which helps them to reinforce the value of certain information for themselves.
Teachers can minimize the communication barrier n the instructional technologies they use by providing students with relevant and familiar tools. In particular, techniques such as integrating media content and focusing on group work can help. These approaches provide students with the tools to build situated meaning, not just specialized knowledge. Moreover, group work allows participants in the learning process to interact to exchange competencies and build a wider knowledge system. Instructional technologies provide both teacher and student access to channels of access to more familiar learning resources for young people.
Thus, by using them, the teacher can create a more comfortable environment and provide an easier construction of situated meaning for students. It minimizes the communication barrier through the involvement of students in the knowledge acquisition process.
Reference
Gee, J. P. (2010). A situated-sociocultural approach to literacy and technology. Media & Information Literacy. Web.