TCA Lectures How can instructional material be managed?  BEd

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Answer:

Instructional Materials 

Administrative leadership carries the responsibility obtaining ‘and allocating instructional materials necessary to promote educational programme and development and student learning. So the use of instructional materials implies that learners are studying at one remote from the author who by preparing the learning materials, is showing the fact that learners can pursue their studies in their own way, in their own time and in place of their choosing is probably the biggest single advantages of and motive for proving the instructional material. 

1. Objectives of Instruction

Course objectives may be varied, either for liberal reasons or in order to adopt courses to the different aptitudes of individuals or the different needs of the organization (the product view of education). (Romiszowski, 1989, pp 7, 8). Therefore self-instructional teaching materials play a ‘front line’ role in the learning process, as shown in figure: The materials, which are used in individualized learning, may be considered under the three broad headings: textual materials, audiovisual materials and computer based materials (Ellington 1993 p. 91) It has been already sealed that distance-teaching system ‘is called individualized. Most of the distance learning systems throughout the world, in both Western and Eastern countries system usually, are print-based and likely to remain so. All successful distance-learning systems are built on well-designed, learner centered, self-instructional ‘print, materials. (Hodgson, 1993, p.14). Now the question arises what actually are the printed and duplicated materials. 

These materials comprise of all textual and oilier materials that can be run off in large numbers on a duplicator or printing machine to he used by pupils, student or trainees.” Facilities for the production of such materials are now available in practically every formal and non-formal institution, and they have become one of the most basic and widely used of all educational tools (Ellington, 1987. P, 17). 

So from all teaching/learning systems point of view, print is the intellectually superior medium- than television, by comparison, encourages learner’ to be passive, mindless and ‘unimaginative (Greenfield, 1984). Certainly, a great deal of education is concerned with factual learning, the understanding of generalized or abstract principles, and with logical argument, and print is very strong medium for developing and acquiring these skills (Bates 1995 p.1 18). Some of the more important types of printed materials are listed below; 

(ii) Types of Instruction Materials 

• Books, Pamphlets. etc. -already published, or specially written. 
• Specially written ‘warp around’ study guide to already published material. 
• Specially written self-teaching text, i.e. ‘tutorials-in-print”. 
• Workbooks for use along with audiotape or videotape, CDT (computer based teaching), practical work, etc. 
• Self-texts, project guide, notes on accreditation requirements, bibliographies, etc. 
• Maps, charts, photographs, posters, etc. o Materials from newspapers, journals and periodicals. 
• Hand written materials passing between learners and tutors (Rowntree 1994, p.66). 

(b) Audio-Visual Aids 

An outstanding development in modem education is the increased use of supplementary devices by which the teacher through the use of more than on sensory channel helps to clarify, establish and correlate accuracy, concepts, interpretations and appreciation; increases knowledge; rouses, interest and even evokes worthy emotions and enriches the imagination of children.Learning takes place at three levels-direct experiencing, vicarious experiencing and symbolic experiencing. Thus, audio-visual materials are quite helpful in instruction. They supply a concrete basis for conceptual thinking; they give rise to meaningful concepts to words enriched by meaningful associations. Researchers have also recommended that in education we should appeal to the mind chiefly through the visual and auditory sense organs, since it is possible that 85 % of our learning be absorbed through these,

i) The Value of Audio-Visual Aids to Learning

 Audio-visual aids, are potent starters and motivators: When the child finds learning made easy, interesting and joyful with the help of sensory as, he feels motivated. He ‘cannot but attend to an interesting procedure going on before him. Direct, concrete, contrived, dramatized experiences add zest, interest and vitality to any training situation. As a result, they enable students to learn faster, remember longer, gain more accurate information and receive and understand delicate concepts and meanings. Thus, learning becomes meaningful, enjoyable and effective. 

ii) Audio-visual aids give variety to classroom techniques:

They generally represent a rest from the traditional ‘activities of the school. While using’ them, the child feels experiencing something different. Variety is always attractive to the child as well as to the adult. Audio-visual aids provide a change in the atmosphere of the classroom. They allow some freedom from the formal instruction of the traditional type. While using sensory aids, the pupils may move about, talk, laugh, question, and comment upon, and in other ways act in a natural manner as they use to do outside the classroom. The attitude of the teacher should also be very friendly and co-operative. In this way, schoolwork is motivated when; pupils work because they want to do it and not because the teacher wants them to do. 

iii) Many of these aids provide the child with opportunities to handle and manipulate:

An opportunity to touch, feel, handle or operate a model, specimen, picture, map; press a button or turn a crank gives an added appeal because it satisfies, temporarily at least, the natural desire for mastery and ownership. 

iv) Audio-visual aids supply the context for sound and skilful generalizing: 

Books lack the specificity, the warmth, indeed some of the unutterable poignancy of concrete experiences. Through direct, purposeful, first-hand experiences and semi concrete audio visual experiences, we can supply the context for sound and skilful generalizing. 

v) Audio-visual aids educate children for life in this modern complex world: 

There was a time when life was very simple-children learnt through direct experiences the rudiments of knowledge. But ours is a complex world. We live in a pushbutton age when comfort has a terrific appeal, but there is no easy road to learning. There is no magic osmosis; effective learning is still the old fashioned formula of nine-tenth perspiration and one-tenth inspiration. Naturally, therefore, more must be done to determine how teaching is accomplished easily and speedily. More is the need today than before. 

vi) Audio-visual aids can play a major role in promoting international understanding: 

These aids can bring about mutual understanding and appreciation of cultural values and ways of living among the different nations of the world. Enlightened and sympathetic attitudes can be developed among the school children through this media. Films and radio programme can be exchanged among the different countries. Coloured slides on works of an of different countries lead to mutual appreciation of eastern and western cultural values. To conclude in the words of Mckow and Roberts, “Audio-visual aids, wisely selected and intelligently used, amuse and develop intense and beneficial interest and so motivate to the pupil’ learning. This properly motivated learning means improved attitudes, permanency of impressions, and rich experience and ultimately more wholesome living” 

ii) Drawbacks 

Audio-visual aids are not the panacea for all instructional ills: Films, recordings, television etc., are all very good to improve teaching. But teachers and books cannot be replaced by these aids. Reading, writing and speaking will continue to be considered fundamental end points of instruction. 

Audio-visual aids are not aids to teaching: Audio-visual aids are aids to children rather than to teachers-aids to learning-aids to learning, rather than to teaching. They do not make teaching easier; they do not lighten the work of teachers. Their use requires a considerable addition to the time spent in planning and preparing lessons.

Audio-visual aids are not the ends but means: Audio-visual aids are means to an end-end is good learning on the part of the pupils. 

Audio-visual aids are not designed to amuse the pupil rather: They are to increase his interest in, and his comprehension of the topics being studied by presenting several slants on it, especially through his two most used senses-sights and hearing.

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