Lesson 18

Roles and Functions of an Educational Media Center

What is Educational Media Center?

}  An EMC is a facility designed for the housing and utilization of all educational media within the school.

}  It is a basic requirement for a school to render quality service.

It serves a myriad of roles, among which are:

1. Center of resources- in it, different forms of communication and their accompanying            technology organized and housed for easy accessibility and use.

2. Laboratory for learning- it provides materials which will enrich and implement the curriculum. 

3. Agent of teaching- it teaches students how to find information.

4. Service agency- all procedures are established as the basis of service to students and teachers.

5. Coordinating agency- it serves as central depository for various forms of media.

6. Recreational reading center- it provides a variety of recreational materials to fulfill the current needs of the range of interest and abilities for the students.

7. A stepping stone to other resources of the community- it introduces the students to the resources available in other community resource centers.

What must an EMC have to be a functional EMC?

The evaluation questions for a functional EMC (Lucido&Borabo, 1997) give the following elements.

1. The institutional media service.

q  Is the administration committed to a media program?

q  Is the program of media services administered by a media specialist through media center? 

q  Is the center operating at the same level as other major institutional services of the school?

q   Are there clearly defined policies, procedures and plans for short, medium and long term coverage?

q  Is the center provided with appropriate facilities, finances(a regular budget) and staff(both technical and clerical)?

q   Is the center capable of giving media and/or educational media technology advises/assistance to the faculty?

2. Media and instruction.

q   Are the faculties encouraged to use media as an integral part of instruction?

q   Are classrooms equipped and/or adapted for the best possible use of educational media?

q    Is the media center accessible to all classroom and lecture/conference room?

q  Is there educational media technology information dissemination?

q  Is there a proper cooperation between faculty and the professional media staff in the planning, developing and using media for instructions?

q  In particular, are faculty members assisted by the media center staff in analyzing teaching needs and in designing, selecting and using educational media to meet these needs?

q  Is there an adequate storage, filling and retrieval/borrowing system for instructional hardware and software/materials?

q  Is the center capable of technical operations relating to technical assistance, equipment repair and cleaning, continuous upgrading facilities?

q  Is there a capability for production of graphics, audio visual and other media materials for instruction?

3. Classroom facilities.

q  Are classrooms designed for and provided with essential facilities for effective use of educational media?

q  Specifically, are classrooms equipped for full light control, electrical outlets, appropriate ventilation and media operation spaces.

q  Are classrooms equipped with a bulletin board, chalkboard, projection screen, map rails, etc. for instruction using media? 

4. Media program.

q  Are there clear-cut administration policies on the media program?

q  Is there an adequate source/system of funding?

q  Is there appropriate hiring of media center supervisions, creating and technical personnel, consultants and clerical staff?