Gunter Shows How We Learn From Tv

In a paper due to be presented on Friday at the British Association Science Festival, Dr Barrie Gunter, Head of Research at the ITC, examines the role of television and the learning process which revolves around it.

The study concentrates largely on childrens’ interpretations of TV, what age they learn to differentiate between fiction and reality, and when they build up a complete understanding of television without confusion.

Findings showed that almost 45 per cent of eight year-olds could understand that characters in soap operas are actors, but 29 per cent remainedconfused by the difference. Gunter argues that children can learn about unfamiliar situations from TV programmes which depict them, and can also learn to deal with social problems which are covered in soaps.

Other findings in the study dispel the myth that people who watch a lot of television are more afraid of crime and violence than those who rarely watch it.

Dr Gunter concludes that learning from television sometimes occurs when it is not intended or expected, and fails to occur when it is expected.

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