Instructional
materials or resources are available from many sources. Modern education faces
lost of problems. The attempts at solving these problems, which involve the use
of, organized combination utilization of people, materials facilities,
equipment and procedures to achieve the desired instructional materials,
instructional media and educational media virtually mean the same thing. They
all involve media materials derived from communication revolution, which can be
used to promote teaching learning process.
According to Agy Okogbuo (2000)
instructional materials could be classified into:
1.
Visual
material-such as picture, diagrams buildings, projectors, teachers themselves (s)
chart, real objects (realia) studies etc. these materials such as books,
newspapers journals, magazines, pamphlets, handout or NTI modules were also
involved.
2.
Audio
materials – such as tape recording cassette, cartridge, radio, dice, teleture,
teleconferencing, language laboratories, teachers voice. They appeal to the
sense of hearing.
3.
Audio-visual
materials which include the television, video recording motion pictures with
sound tracks, slide and films trips projection with sound tapes, films and
multimedia. They appeal to both sense of hearing and sight.
4.
Materials/software
include graphic materials, printed materials, slide, filmstrips, overhead
transparency, tapes cassettes, and motion pictures.
5.
Equipment/hardware:
examples include: black boards, tape recorders, projectors and video recorders.
They are used in presenting materials, static or display such as chalkboard,
flannel graph, flip charts, magnetic board are also used in presenting materials
or lectures.
6.
Electronics:
this comprises of radio, computer, e-mail, multimedia. These teaching materials
makes teaching and learning process more easy and concrete.
7.
Non-projected
media include books and other printed materials, objects, specimens. Models
mock-up graphical materials bulletin boards that exhibits black boards,
buildings, field trips simulation and games.
8.
Two-dimensional
instructional materials include flat pictures, graphs, chat, diagrams posters,
conics, cartoons, slides, films, trips and films. They are also non-projected materials
with characteristics of being flat and light and may be either in opaque or
transparent form. They have length but no height, hence they are 2 dimensional
aids.
9.
Three-dimensional
institutional materials include: models, mock up objects, specimens,
laboratories, simulation and games. They are non-projected materials. Characteristically,
they have length, breath, height, hence they are called 3 dimensional.
Instructional
materials generally make the teaching process easier. However in order to appreciate
the importance of instructional materials in the teaching-learning process,
Rhert Heinich – et al (2001) consider the reasons for using them. They include
to help:
1.
Gain
and hold the attention of the learner
2.
Provide
visual aspects to a process or techniques
3.
Focus
attention on highlight of key points
4.
Create
impact
5.
Facilities
the understanding of abstract explanations.
6.
Provide
a common fretwork of experience to a large number of learners
7.
Stimulate
reality
With
this, instructional resources help to concretize the learning process. Hoban
and Zizzman (2006) stated that the value of audio-visual materials is function
of their degree of realism. The authors arranged various teaching methods in a
hierarchy of greater abstraction beginning with the total situation and
culminated in words t the top of the hierarchy. These include words, diagram,
maps, flat pictures, slide, films, models and objects. For this, total
situation involves much concreteness of the teaching-learning situation. Words
only convey little or no concreteness in the teaching-learning process. In
effect, the type of instructional materials used depends on what the tutor
wants to demonstrate; for instance, the reasons for media is to create clear
idea of something e.g. real object (realia) models as follows:
1.
To
give visual access to something which may be inaccessible to clarity abstract
information which may be difficult to communicate verbally. Examples are model
picture, photo, posters and diagrams.
2.
To
condense large qualities of information e.g. diagram and handout
3.
To
promote mental activities of students; examples are handout, textbooks, films
and picture
4.
To
teach language pronouncement e.g. audiotapes.
5.
To
support work of the tutors e.g. sound recordings
Common
types of learning resources instructional materials include the following:
a.
Chalkboard
b.
Books
and other printing materials
c.
Graphics
d.
Real
objects
e.
Models
f.
Overhead
projector
g.
Electronics:
radio (cassette tape), television, video (cassette recorder (VCR), computer.)
Olahimola
(1996) stating different subjects at different levels in the educational system
shows that instructional materials, used by tutors serve to concretize abstract
concepts and ideas. They make learning more interesting, more real and lively.
At all level of education, instructional materials are very important in the
attainment of desired goal and objectives. The traditional chalkboard method of
teaching involves only the learning sense of hearing and the easily lose of
interest after some time. However, the utilization of instructional materials
in teaching and learning situation involves not only the sense of hearing but
also the sense of sight and touch,
looking at educational practices, the Chinese proverb conclude that…
I
hear – I forget
I
see – I remember
I
do – I understand
Kindler (1993) stated that people generally
remember;
10%
of what they read
20%
of what they hear
30%
of what they see
50%
of what they hear and see
70%
of what they say and
90%
of what they ay as they do a thing.
For this reason, it was concluded that
instructional materials ensure more effective learning since the leaner not
only hears but also sees and does. instructional materials plays a very big
role in teaching and learning process as enumerated below:
a.
It
helps the tutors to provide his students with meaningful sources of information.
b.
Help
the tutors by providing him with means of wildering his students of information
c.
Being
experts with learning resources in the classroom
d.
Allow
members of a group or class to share equally the same teaching experience.
e.
Provide
the tutors means of exposing the students to a wide range of learning
activities.
Okwudiba
(2005), Nnoli et al; highlighted the function of instructional materials in the
promotion of learning that instructional materials.
I.
Provide
increased interest in learning
II.
Hold
the leaner’s attention
III.
Provide
the leaner with opportunities of interacting with their social and physical environment
(excursion)
IV.
Offer
learners opportunity for independent and individualized learning
V.
Supply
concepts basis for conceptual thinking
VI.
Offer
opportunities for leaner to develop their abilities and skills
VII.
Promote
the acquisition and longer retention of knowledge.
For this point,
instructional materials help to promote the understanding of the teaching learning
process among other function. Good availability and utilization of
instructional materials should be appropriate, free of bias, up tp date, easily
obtainable and should not be too expensive. It also leads to more understanding
and retentive memory in students in the teaching and learning process. Read Also:
NATIONAL TEACHERS INSTITUTION - NTI/NCE/DLS
OBJECTIVES OF NATIONAL TEACHERS INSTITUTE
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