INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Real-life experiences provide the most direct type of learning, but they are difficult to supply in the traditional classroom. Most experiences in the classroom occur through verbal symbolism- written and spoken words. These classroom experiences may be easier for teachers to supply, but they may be more difficult for many students to understand. Verbal symbolism depends on the ability to conceptualize and think in the abstract, while the impact of firsthand experience is immediate and concrete. Various multisensory instructional aids- texts, pictures, games, simulations- can substitute for firsthand experience and enhance understanding, so they are an integral part of learning activity. PURPOSE OF INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS Regardless of the type of instructional aid to be used, a teacher must consider it in light of the purpose of the learning activity. The instructional aid must be suited to that objective purpose- whether it be subject matter mastery, skills improvement, or valuing. Although materials and media can stimulate and maintain student interest, they are not meant merely to entertain the students; students need to understand this fact. Unless students are properly guided, they become distracted by attention getting aspects of instructional aids and lose sight of their educational significance. For example, a teacher who frequently starts a lesson with a political cartoon, picture, or film strip may, after a while, be entertaining his students, and the students may look forward to these little aids as a way of delaying or avoiding discussion and critical thinking. High-achieving students, especially those at the secondary level, are able to cope with large dose of verbal symbolism. It is with slow learners and younger students that the advantages of audio visual and tactile experiences become apparent. The more senses that are involved in the learning process, the easier it is for the student to learn. Differences in learning styles must also be taken into account. Some students can learn a body of information by simply reading an assignment or listening to the teacher, others need additional stimuli and experiences involving hearing, seeing, manipulating the subject matter. The old saying One picture is worth a thousand words remain true today, but now the one picture can be a photograph, film slide, motion picture, television program, or videotape. Instructional aids can affect students in many ways, by: 1. Motivating students. For example, model cars, trucks, trains, boats and airplanes can be used to introduce a unit of transportation. 2. Contributing to understanding. For example, graphs can be used to clarify fluctuations of the stock market. 3. Providing varied learning experiences. For example, a workbook or paperback novel can supplement the assigned textbook. 4. Reinforcing learning. For example, when students hear the music of a composer, they can better understand a discussion of his or her style. 5. Allowing for different interests. For example, various sections of a newspaper can be assigned, depending on the tyoe of lesson or the learner. 6. Encouraging participation. For example, role playing increases individual involvement.

7. Providing experiences that might not otherwise be had. For example, simulations allow students to feel and sense experiences in the classroom. 8. Changing attitudes and feelings. For example, photograph can be used to illustrate and increase the emotional impact of abstract concepts such as pollution, war and poverty. The experiences teacher will be able to use a variety of materials in a multimedia approach in any subject to vary the learning experience. All students have different interests and abilities that determine what they attend to and learn. But what they learn also depends on the ability of the teacher to capture attention and spark their interest through the use of appropriate instructional materials and media. The needs of each learning situation determine the materials and media the teacher use. These are some general considerations, however, that can help in estimating their value and appropriateness. 1. Interest is the extent to which the learners curiosity is aroused and sustained by the use of instructional aids. 2. Relevance is the degree to which the experience provided by the aids is related to the learners personal needs or goals. 3. Expectancy is the degree to which the learner expects to succeed at learning and sees success as being under his or her control when using the aids. 4. Satisfaction ids the level of outcome and the learners satisfaction in performing the tasks. All of these factors influence students subsequent performance with instructional aids. GUIDELINES FOR USING INSTRUCTIONAL AIDS Just what instructional aids a teacher uses depends on his or her knowledge and experience, the availability of the materials, the lesson assignment, the subject and the students. However, there are some basic guidelines for their use. Instructional aids are made fro situations in general, it is the teachers job to tailor them to the needs of the students. 1. Purpose. Ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish and why this instructional aid is important. 2. Define objectives. Clearly defined objectives are essential for planning the lesson and selecting and using instructional aids. 3. Flexibility. The same instructional aid can satisfy many different purposes. 4. Diversity. Use a variety of materials, media, and resources to develop and maintain student interest. 5. Development. Instructional aids must be related to the age, maturity, ability, and interest of students. 6. Content. You must know the content of the instructional aids to determine how to use them and how to make the best use of them. 7. Guide learners. Focus students attention on specific things to attend while viewing, listening, or reading the materials.

8. Evaluate results. Check students reaction and consider your own reactions to the instructional aids. TEXTBOOKS Traditionally, the textbook has been the mist frequently used instructional material at all levels beyond the primary grades, and in some cases it is the only one used by the teacher. The textbook and its partner, the workbook, asserts Eisner, provide the curricular hub around which much of what is taught revolves. In terms of purchasing, it receives the highest priority, with the exception of costly hardware such as computers and copying machines. Textbooks can have a strong influence or even dominate the nature and sequence of a course and thus profound affect the learning experiences of students. Reliance on the textbook is consistent with the stress on written words as the main medium of education- as well as the way many teachers themselves were educated. Dependence on the textbook is also linked to the time when a majority of teachers were poorly prepared in subject matter and read the text one day in advance of the students. Many of todays teachers, while better educated than their predecessors, sometimes lack time or training to prepare new materials, thus they continue to rely on the textbook and workbook. JOURNALS, MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS These are primary source and are therefore excellent materials for enhancing thinking skills and research skills of students. Journals are the publications of professional and academic associations and as such are more technical than magazines and newspapers. The most popular magazines used by teachers are Time, Newsweek, and the U.S.News and World Report, although there are many others that can supplement or be the focal point of learning. To enrich content, teachers in most subjects can encourage students to read journals, magazines and newspapers. Many of these publications are interesting and more informative and up-to-date than the text. Gathering suitable magazine and newspaper materials cab be delegated to the class or it can be a decision made primarily by the teacher. Journal and magazine articles have not been sanitized or toned down as textbooks have. The content expresses a point of vies, and it can be used to enhance thinking and research skills. Newspapers, in theory, deal in reporting, not analyzing or interpreting data. It is up to draw conclusions about and evaluate what is being reported. Editorials, story columns, op columns, and letters to the editor are quiet different, and students need to understand that the material is subjective. Although a youngster may understand that a particular point of view may be expressed in a journal, magazine, or newspaper article, he or she may be unable to identify distortions or biases and therefore accept the view as fact. Prepared by: Kathleen Anne D. Angeles