Function and Benefits of Learning Media

Function and Benefits of Learning Media
One of the main function of the media is teaching as a tool to help teach that also influence the climate, conditions, and the learning environment is created and styled by the teachers. Arsyad Azhar (2005: 15-16) explains that the use of teaching media in the orientation phase of teaching will help the learning process and effectiveness of delivery and content of the subjects at the time, as it also raised the motivation, students’ interests and also help students increase understanding, to present the data with interesting and reliable, ease of data, and compress information.

According to Levie and Lentz in Arsyad Azhar (2005: 16), revealed the four functions of the media, especially visual media, namely:
a. Atensi function.
Function atensi visual media is a core, that is interesting and directing students to focus attention to the contents of subjects relating to the meaning of the visual display of text or attached to the lesson material.
b. Afektif function.
Function afektif visual media can be seen from the comfort level when students learn (or read) the text image.
c. Cognitive function
Cognitive functions of visual media seen from the findings of research which revealed that a visual symbol or picture expedite achievement of the goal to understand and remember the information or messages contained in the image.
d. Function kompensatoris
Function kompensatoris media teaching seen from the results of research that the media provide a visual context to understand the text to help students weak in reading to organize information in text and remember it again. In other words, the media work of teaching to accommodate students who are weak and slow to accept and understand the content of subjects presented with the text or presented in verbal.
Meanwhile, Dayton, and Kemp (1985: 3-4) in Arsyad Azhar (2005: 22) revealed some results of research that shows the positive impact of using media as a primary teaching directly as follows:
a. Delivery of lessons to be more basic.
b. Teaching can be more interesting
c. Learning to become more active with diterapkannya learning theory and principles of psychological pronsip received in the case of student participation, feedback and reinforcement.
d. Teaching time that is required can be shortened as most media require only a short period of time to deliver messages and content of the lessons in a rather large number of possibilities and can be absorbed by students.
e. Quality of student learning can be improved if the media can communicate the teaching of the elements of knowledge in a way that terorganisasikan with good, specific and clear.
f. Learning can be given where and whenever desired or needed, especially if the media is designed for teaching the use of the individual.
g. Positive attitude towards students what they learned and the process of learning can be improved.
h. The role of teachers can be changed to a more positive direction.
Senada with it Sudjana and Rivai (2005: 2) bring the benefits of learning media in the process of student learning, namely:
a. Teaching will be more to attract students so that they can learn the motivation.
b. Materials will be more clear so that its meaning will be better understood by the students, and allows students the purpose of teaching is better.
c. Teaching methods will be more varied, not merely verbal communication through the expression of words by the teacher, so that students and teachers to not be bored does not run out of steam, especially when teachers teach subjects for each day.
d. Students do more learning activities, for not only listening to the description of teachers, but also other activities such as observe, perform, demonstrate, and others.
Furthermore Encyclopedia of Educational Research in Hamalik (1994: 15) plan benefits media education as follows:
a. Laying the foundations of the concrete to think, therefore reducing the verbalisme.
b. Increase students’ attention.
c. Laying the foundations for the development of an important study, because it makes learning more steady.
d. Provide concrete activities that can cause to try to be their own students.
e. The idea that regular and continuous, mainly through the picture.
f. Assist the growth of understanding that can help the development of skills.
g. Experiences not easily obtained in other ways, and helps the efficiency and diversity in learning more.
While Arsyad Azhar (2002: 26-27), revealed some practical benefit from the use of teaching media in the teaching-learning process as follows:
a. Media can clarify the message and presentation of information so that it can accelerate and enhance the learning process and results.
b. Media can enhance learning and directing children’s attention so that it can cause learning motivation, a more direct interaction between students and the environment, and students to learn independently in accordance with ability and interest.
c. Media teaching can overcome the limitations senses, space and time;
1) Objects or objects that are too large to be displayed directly in the classroom can be replaced with images, photographs, slides, reality, film, radio, or a model.
2) Objects or objects that are too small by the senses does not appear to be presented with the help of microscope, a movie, or image.
3) rare events that occurred in the past or happening once in tens of years can be displayed through the video recording, film, photographs, slides.
4) Object or a very complex process such as circulation of blood can be displayed through kongkret movies, pictures, slides, or computer simulation.
5) Genesis or experiment that can be dangerous disimulasikan with media such as computers, film, and video.
6) Current natural occurrence such as volcanic eruptions or the process in fact takes a long time as the process to be cocoon butterfly can be served with reaman techniques such as time-lapse to film, video, slides, or computer simulation.
d. Media can provide the teaching of the same experience to the students about the events in their environment, and allows the occurrence of direct interaction with teachers, community and environment.
From the above description of some of the fungi can be about in the media and the benefits of learning, namely: (1) can clarify the message and presentation of information so that it can improve the learning process and results, (2) can increase and direct children’s attention so that it can cause learning motivation, ( 3) can overcome the limitations senses, space and time, (4) similarity of experience can provide to students, (5) learning to be more interesting, (6) students to do more learning activities, for not only listening to the description of teachers, but also other activities such as observing, performing, demonstrating and others, and (7) teaching methods will be more varied, not merely verbal communication through the expression of words by the teacher, so that students and teachers to not be bored does not run out of steam, especially if the teacher to teach each hour lessons.