The truck that delivers our groceries

Neat quote from a 1996 paper by Charles Schlosser:

As early as the mid-1960s, reviews of the literature made clear that there was “no significant difference” in the educational effectiveness of various media (Chu and Schramm, 1975). This conclusion was memorably restated by Richard Clark, who offered a powerful analogy: “The best current evidence is that media are mere vehicles that deliver instruction but do not influence student achievements any more than the truck that delivers our groceries causes changes in nutrition” (Clark, 1983, p. 445).

I don’t buy this fully, but it’s a great analogy. It’s also a reminder of how old our daily debates are.

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