What is New Media?

“New media is any media – from newspaper articles and blogs to music and podcasts – that are delivered digitally.” (Cote 2022) New media is constantly changing as new technology is being developed. Sometimes old news can be considered “new media” if it is republished on the internet.

Examples:

New media includes websites and most things found on the internet. Blogs and emails are also new media, replacing books, journals, and “snail mail”. Social media networks such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter are also included in the list. Music streaming services such as Spotify, television streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, virtual and augmented reality are all new media examples.

When thinking of designing instruction for eLearning, it is important to consider the use of new media. Students have access to blogs, texts, articles, videos, podcasts that are relevant and essential for learning. Teachers can import recent videos and images into daily lessons, where before “new media,” we would get our information from a TV wheeled into the room to show a (probably outdated) VHS or read textbooks that could be a decade or so old! Education can do so much more with this new media.

Another “new media” that has transformed education is virtual reality. In my classroom, we used VR goggles to explore the Grand Canyon and discuss the rock layers we learned in class. After researching a concept in school, students want to experience it. VR is the best thing next to a field trip to the actual location. VR is also helpful for adult learning, too. Adults can train for dangerous jobs in a safe environment through a virtual reality experience. Architects and realtors use VR when designing and showing new homes to their clients. Other careers that use VR include pilots, surgeons, law enforcement, first responders, and even welders (Heikkila 2018).

References:

Cote, Joe. “What is New Media?” Southern New Hampshire University. 2022. https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/liberal-arts/what-is-new-media

Heikkila, Andy. “7 Fields and Professions That Are Beginning to Rely on Virtual Reality.” Disruptor League. 2018. https://www.disruptorleague.com/blog/2018/09/06/7-fields-and-professions-that-are-beginning-to-rely-on-virtual-reality/