The role of media in the education sector

THE ROLE OF MEDIA IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR The role of media in education is evident today by the number of computer labs, television sets and libraries that have become part of curriculum in most schools today. Media comes in different forms and each form affects the way students learn and interpret information. Media has brought the world closer (globalization) so that now students from different universities in different parts of the world are connected through a mere internet connection. Amidst the information revolution mass media has become such a massive part of our lives that it is impossible to ignore its effects. The concept of democracy was based on the fact that if individuals are educated to a certain level then they can rule themselves effectively. The question that now arises is ” are individuals here media literate?”, and also how important it is for them to be media literate. Millions of messages are being sent each day through various media channels. The research will bring into light society’s ability to critically analyse and interpret these messages. It will also talk about how important it is for formal curriculum to introduce “ media analysis” in their course work. Here, positive impact of media will also be researched. Over a span of time development support programmes have been launched effectively by media organizations. An example can be the AIDS awareness campaign of Uganda, where media ran advertisements free of cost. According to some media analysts in third world countries media should play a developmental role. The research will also try to explore this fact. How well have awareness campaign been run in different parts of the world trough the media and if media can take the role of the “ TEACHER” in the society. Here mention should also be made of initiatives like virtual university and Allama Iqbal Open University, which have taken education across physical boundaries. Also the sindhi language channel KTN which hosted a similar programme for catering to the needs of school going children after the flood damaged schools across Sindh. Also ideas about the insurmountable change media will bring in the education sector are in the air. Already a number of countries have adopted the concept of ‘ e learning’ where by students can take classes and exams from the comfort of their homes. The research will over all talk about media’s role in education, and how effective it is.