Tony Bates developed a useful grid to highlight the differences, and relationships, between media and technologies. This table was amended by the TELI Research Team, and has been further amended for inclusion below. It is by no means a comprehensive map of the full range of media and technologies, but helps to illustrate the relationship between the two. The above grid is complicated by the rapid convergence in both form and functionality of many information, communications, and broadcasting technologies. The convergence, however, makes the distinction between technology and medium even more important, particularly when trying to understand potential educational roles for different technologies .
Technologies are the means of delivery.
This understanding can then be related back to predetermined educational goals and objectives in order to determine whether or not a specific technology can be used to support or enhance an identified teaching and learning environment. Naturally, this process will need to take into account financial constraints and cost-effectiveness. In order to examine specific technologies it is worth first exploring some of the characteristics of specific media. Each medium has different strengths and can work in a complementary nature with other media to exploit these strengths. Technologies are frequently used as a means of communicating as such the nature of communication possible with a specific technology is also of importance.