The
concept of instructional resources is very encompassing. According to Eya
(1996), specified items considered as resources in education include: personal
curriculum, textbook, annual vote (finance) consumables and equipment.
instructional resources are functional and serve useful purpose in the teaching
and learning situation and are changeable over a period of time in teaching and
learning process and the environment. NTI identified important materials
commonly referred to as teaching aids.
According to Onyejemezi (in Achunine 1997:22)
educational resource is any item of information, a place of evidence, an idea
or series of combination of these development of their ability turn to in the
development of their ability to learn, think, tell, discriminate or create.
They are essential prerequisites for learning. He identified two main types to
include financial resources and human resources this idea is supported by Agun (2003)
when he maintained that there is a general agreement that instructional
resources are some of the important devices which both teachers and learners
can use to enhance good quality, learning and instruction. Educationists share
the view that instructional resources generally and instructional aid in
particular are vital in any given teaching an learning situation.
In the same
vein, Ryburn (1998) opined that learning depends of stimulation and motivation
and those instructional resources stimulate and motivate learners. In his own
contribution, Onyejemez (1991) stresses that learning takes place when learners
are fully involved in the process through the use of proper and variety of
instructional resources. He asked that the use of resources (multimedia
approach) gives the learner the opportunity of experiencing as he observes,
touches and manipulates things, carries out some experiment or interacts, with
some concrete objects and situation reasons, through process, asks questions
and finds answers to questions. In this way, learning is enhanced commenting on
the use of resources in learning, Lewis (1994) believed in “heat and forget,
see and remember, do and understand”.
He went on to stress that apparatus for
public experience must be available in sufficient quality. This view was
supported by Cohen (1996) when he expressed a positive view about the effect of
instructional materials in schools and noted that a great deal of cognitive
change in the school system could by made possible through the use of
audio-visual such as chart, tape recorder, radio and television. Programmes,
pictures and programmes materials also making reference to Brown and Thompson (1994).
Onyejemez (1996) noted that instructional materials when properly used perform
the following functions:
Ø Reinforce verbal
message
Ø Get hold of the
learners attention
Ø Provide for
direct interaction of students with the reality of the social and physical
environments.
Ø Promote greater
acquisition of skills and longer (retention of facts)
Ø Provide
opportunities for independent and individualized learning.
Similarly,
Wilkings (2003) supported the view that effective teaching and learning cannot
take place without essential resources such as library and audiovisual aids. In
a related development, Uyata (1995) postulated that the advancement in
technology has made a great demand on the types of resources available for
teachers. He also noted that technology in education has made it possible for
many audio-visual and electronic media to be used a great deal. Such electronic
media he added included television, videotape, cassette recorder overhead
projects film, radio or teaching machines such as computer, E-mail. Also Agun
(1992) while writing on the place of instructional materials in curriculum
development, noted that suitable instructional materials are facilitators of
teaching and learning when they are in good supply, rich in variety and range.
In his conclusion, Uyoata (1995) noted that
the availability of learning resources in schools are very important in
executing a successful educational programme.