UNIT VII: Instructional Aids - Optional I Computer Science

UNIT VII: Instructional Aids

Meaning of the term instructional material or teaching aid – use and importance of instructional material or teaching aid in computer science – Guiding principles for the effective use of audio visual aids – classification of audio visual aids : The first approach, The second modified approach, the technological approach, The Edgar Dale Cone classification approach – Instructional material or teaching aids : Epidiascope – Overhead Projector – Black board – Visual Media – Charts –Maps – Graphs – Diagrams – Interactive White Board - Power Point Presentation (Multimedia presentation – preparation and use of the instructional media).

Instructional materials

            Instructional materials are some of the most important devices which both teachers and learners can use to enhance the quality of instruction. They are good sources of acquiring factual information and help to make learning permanent.

            Instructional materials include all terms of information carriers that can be used to promote and encourage effective teaching and learning activities. They could be in form of text book, reference books, journals, posters, chart, programmed text, non-print materials, such as films, tapes, models, picture ,recorders etc. furthermore instructional materials are anything the teacher turns for help in his goal-seeking activities. The help may be in form of information, idea, formulae, generalization or experiences.

            Instructional materials helps teacher to meet individual differences of the learners in the class by using aids that appeal to different senses. Instructional materials are used to supplement verbal explanation of concepts or any description so that the lesson could be real to the students. These instructional materials are categorized into audio visual, audio and visual. These are materials that when teacher used them can appeal to student both sight and hearing. These can be electronically operated materials like Television, Radio, Film, Slide motion; Computer and non electronic ones such as Chalk board, Charts, Burners, Models and many more. The absence of these materials in teaching of physics could make the class very uninteresting to student and discourage learning thereby lead to low or poor achievement.

Advantages

¨      Inaccessible processes, materials, events, objects, etc. could be easily brought to the class.

¨      Longer retention of information.

¨      It is a multi-sensory approach in teaching.

¨      It is suitable for any age group and of any size.

¨      These are effective substitutes for direct contact of

¨      Students with the environment.

Importance and functions of teaching aids

            Audio Visual teaching occupies an important place in managing teaching.

1.      Motivation: Audio visual aids present the knowledge in the concrete form by attracting the attention of the students. This provides motivation and curiosity is aroused in the learning activity. The pupils listen with attention.

2.      Principle of activity: When audio visual aids are used while teaching a lesson, the pupils talk, ask questions and discuss. This stimulates their various sense organs.

3.      Clarification: The use of audio visual aids clarifies the most difficult contents because whatever the pupils hear, they also see it with their own eyes. So, the confusions are eliminated and they acquire the knowledge with precision.

4.      Meaningful experience: The use of audio visual aids makes the experiences of the pupils meaningful by seeing, and touching an object. The symbolic representation of direct experience is possible by means of audio visual aids.

5.      Discouragement to cramming: By using audio visual aids, the pupils take interest in the development of the lesson and they acquire the knowledge by doing themselves. This makes the learnt knowledge definite and stabilized.  There is no need of cramming anything.

6.      Increase in vocabulary: The use of audio visual aids increases vocabulary of the pupils because while using radio, telephone, television and cinema, new terms are used and they acquire them.

7.      Efficiency in teaching: The use of audio visual aids causes efficiency in teaching. Teaching becomes more effective. Those minute things and difficult ideas which a pupil is unable to understand with chalk and talk, are followed easily by using audio visual aids.

     Thus, dry and disinteresting subjects and topics can be made easy, interesting and precise by using audio visual aids. Audio visual aids make teaching and learning effective.

Importance of instructional material or teaching aid in computer science

¨      To develop computer scientific attitude

¨      To develop interest in an appreciation of the plan of life through the computer

¨      To develop or help the child acquire a scientific method of solving problems

¨      To help the child acquire a useful knowledge of computer science

¨      To help the child acquire a useful knowledge of computer scientific principles

Classification of audio visual aids

            There are three basic types of instructional materials: concrete objects, including objects from the world of nature; representations of concrete objects and phenomena; and descriptions of such objects and phenomena by means of the signs, words, and sentences of natural and artificial languages.

Approaches of Educational Technology are as follows:

Hardware Approach - The first approach

¨      Hardware Approach has physical science and applied engineering as its basis.

¨      It adopts a Product-oriented Approach.

¨      It is concerned with the production and utilization of audio-visual aid material[ such as CHARTS, MODELS, SLIDES, FILMSTRIPS, AUDIO CASSETTES, etc.], sophisticated instruments and gadgets[ such as RADIO, TELEVISION, FILMS, PROJECTORS, TAPE-RECORDERS, VIDEO PLAYER, TEACHING MACHINES , COMPUTERS, etc.] and mass media.

¨      Hardware Technology utilizes the products of Software Technology [such as teaching strategies, teaching learning material, etc.] for its functioning.
Hardware technology has the potential to hand over the educational benefits to the mass with greater ease and economy.

¨      As a result of Hardware technology, electro-mechanical equipments have been developed which are used for instructional purposes.

¨      In the overcrowded class-room, the teacher uses microphones for making his voice fully audible to the learners. Radio, T.V., tape recorder, epidiascope, projector, closed circuit television (C.C.T.V.), teaching machines, and computers are used for teaching the students.

¨      Silverman (1968), called this type of educational technology 'Relative Technology'.

            Hardware approach, undoubtedly, is bound to work wonders in the area of education. It has a few draw-backs which are given below:

¨      Hardware material, equipment were devised by science for use in science but now they have been borrowed from there and are being used in education.

¨      While operating in the field of education, it works in isolation and not as an integral part of that system where it existed earlier.

II. Software Approach - The second modified approach

¨      It is sometimes referred to as Teaching Technology, Instructional Technology or Behavior Technology.

¨      It is a Process-oriented Approach. It utilizes the knowledge of the Psychology of Learning to produce learning material, teaching – learning strategies.

¨      In software approach, the basis of all thinking and working is behavioural science and psychology of learning.

¨      The teacher with added knowledge of software approach can use the films, flash- cards, tapes etc., for various purposes.

¨      Software approach uses the principles of psychology for the purpose of behaviour modification.

¨      In this connection, Davis (1971), observes, "This view of educational technology is closely associated with the modern principles of programmed learning and is characterised by task analysis, writing precise objectives, selection of appropriate learning strategies, reinforcement of correct responses and constant education."

¨      Silverman (1968) termed this educational technology as 'constructive educational technology.'

¨      Both software and hardware approaches are so interlinked that they cannot be separated from each other. One without the other is incomplete. It is software approach which makes the hardware approach function well.

III. System Approach

¨      It acts as a link between hardware and software approach. It is also known as 'Management Technology'. It has brought to educational management a scientific approach for solving educational administrative problems.

¨      A System is a set or arrangement of things so related or connected as to form a unity or organic whole. It’s a regular, orderly way of doing things.

¨      Education is regard as a system and system approach is a systematic way of designing an effective and economical educational system.

¨      Classroom, faculty, student groups, informal groups, etc. are other subsystem within.
Education is considered a complex organization of technical, managerial and institutional systems.

¨      The instructional system has three parts: The Instructor, the Learner, and the goals of Instruction.

¨      The System- Approach to education, thus, considers education as an Input-Output System.

¨      Instructor & his qualities, Learners and their qualities, feedback process system, technique, method, etc. Changed learners (cognitive, affective & psychomotor transformation).

The technological approach

¨      This type of instructional materials includes scientific, scholarly, reference, and methodological teaching aids, as well as textbooks, books of problems and exercises, books for recording scientific observations, laboratory manuals, manuals for production training, and programmed textbooks.

¨      Another type of instructional materials is technological instructional media.

¨      Among these are equipment for the transmission and assimilation of information recorded on film or on phonograph recordings: film projectors, tape recorders, phonographs, and television sets.

¨      Monitoring devices include punched cards and various types of automatic apparatus.

¨      Teaching machines include language-laboratory machines, closed-circuit television systems, and computers.

Edgar Dales "The Cone of Experience"

The core of experience developed by Edgar Dale asserts that the pattern of arrangement of the bands of experience is not difficulty but degree of abstraction - the amount of immediate sensory participation that is involved.

 

Direct purposeful experience - these are firsthand experience which serves as the foundation of our learning. We build our reservoir of meaningful information and ideas through seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. In the context of teaching-learning process, it is learning by doing.

Contrived experience - make use of representative models or mock-ups of reality for practical reasons and so that we can make the real-life accessible to the students' participation and understanding.

Dramatized experience - a student can participate in reconstructed experiences even though the original event is far removed

Demonstrations - is a visualized explanation of important fact, idea or process by use of photographs, drawings, films, displays or guided motions.

 Study trips - these are excursions and visits conducted to observe an event that is available within the classroom.

Exhibits - these are displays to be seen by spectators. They may consist of working models arranged meaningfully or photographs with models, charts and posters.

Television and motion pictures - these can reconstruct the reality of the past so effectively that we are made to feel we are there.

Still pictures, recordings, radio - these are visual and auditory devices maybe used by an individual or group.

Visual symbols - these are no longer realistic reproduction of physical things for these are highly abstract representations.

Verbal symbols - they are not the objects or ideas to which they stand. They usually do not contain visual clues to their meaning. Written words fall under this category. It may be a word for a concrete object (book), and idea (freedom of speech), a scientific principle (the principle of balance), or a formula (e=mc2).

Instructional material or teaching aids

Teaching aids play a key role in teaching-learning situations. It works as the support to both teacher and taught in the pursuit of knowledge and curriculum transaction. Teaching aids are the tools purposefully designed to overcome verbal deficiencies in communication in a classroom situation. Teaching aids are divided into different types as per their nature of function and usability.

Classification

1. Auditory Aids: - These aids produce sound and act through the ear. These are:

(i) Gramophone

(ii) Tape Recorder

(iii) Radio.

2. Visual Aids: - These aids presents pictures and matters act through the eyes. These are:-

(i) The chalk-board

(ii) The flannel-board

(iii) The bulletin-board

(iv) Projected aids, such as slides, epidiascope film-strips and motion pictures etc.

(v) Representations—charts, sketches, flash cards, posters, cartoons, pictures etc.

3. Audio-Visual aids: - These aids produce both pictorial and sound which influence mind both through the eyes and ears. These are:-

(i) Television

(ii) Sound motion pictures

4. Activity aids: - These aids induce direct participation of students and teachers to get first hand knowledge. These are:-

(i) Tours, Excursion, field trips.

(ii) Collection of specimens, models, pictures, coins etc.

(iii) Preparation of models, charts, puppets etc.

(iv) Dramatics, Demonstration.

Projected Aids

            A projective aid is more effective than a non projected aid since a darkened form reduces distraction and the bright image on the screen easily secures the attention of the audience.

Epidiascope

            It is the combination of episcope and diascope. Any picture or diagram, which will take a long time to draw on blackboard during the class time, can be reproduced on a glass slide and enlarged image of the picture on the slide can be projected with an epidiascope.

Overhead Projector

            It is designed for direct or indirect projection. In OHP, a transparent visual is placed on a horizontal stage on top of light source. The light passes through this transparency and the n is reflected at an angle on the screen.

Blackboard

            By using blackboard, pupils understand the terms, facts, events, pictures and summarizes etc written on it very easily. The teacher may assign the home work and teach the whole class at a time with the help of blackboard.

Charts

            A chart is a combination of pictorial, graphic numerical or verbal material which presents a clear summary. A chart is much helpful and handy to the teacher. The most commonly used types of charts include flip chart, stream chart, flow chart, tree chart, river chart, picture chart etc.

Maps

            A map is accurate representation on a plane surface in the form of a diagram drawn to scale the details of boundaries of continents, countries et c. Geographical details can be represented accurately.

Graphic Aids

            Graphics are two-dimensional. These may be easily prepared by any teacher using simple materials available and which may be stored for further use.

Graphs

            Line graphs, bar graphs, pictorial graphs and sector (pie) graphs are the different types of graphical representations. Variation of two dependent quantities may be vary easily prepared through graphical representation. Interpretation of graphs is easy and quick.

Diagrams

            Diagrams explain facts more easily than charts. These may be considered brief visual synopses of facts to be presented.

Interactive whiteboard

¨      An interactive whiteboard is an instructional tool that allows computer images to be displayed onto a board using a digital projector.

¨      The instructor can then manipulate the elements on the board by using his finger as a mouse, directly on the screen.

¨      Items can be dragged, clicked and copied and the lecturer can handwrite notes, which can be transformed into text and saved.

¨      They are a powerful tool in the classroom adding interactivity and collaboration, allowing the integration of media content into the lecture and supporting collaborative learning.

¨      The first interactive whiteboard was manufactured by SMART Technologies Inc. in 1991.

Examples of the features available when using an interactive whiteboard:

¨      Add annotations

¨      Highlight text

¨      Add notes and drawings and then save them to be printed out and shared, or added to a virtual learning environment.

¨      Show pictures and educational videos to the whole lecture theatre. You can label parts or highlight elements of an image.

¨      Demonstrate the content available on a website in a teacher-directed activity

Interactive whiteboards as a pedagogical tool

            This type of tool promotes creative teaching and motivates students into absorbing information.

¨      Teaching with an interactive whiteboard allows lecturers to accommodate all different learning styles

¨      Tactile learners get to touch and move things around the board.

¨      They can also make notes and highlight elements.

¨      Visual learners benefit from a clear view of what is happening on the board.

¨      Audio learners can participate in a class discussion.

Interactive teaching

            The teacher can call upon the students to interact with the whiteboard themselves. The lecturer can sit at the computer, with the student at the whiteboard, and the class offering suggestions and contributing ideas.

Group interaction

            Interactive whiteboards promote group discussion and participation. They are an effective tool for brainstorming as notes made on the screen can be turned into text, and saved to be shared and distributed later. They are an ideal tool for small group work and collaborative learning, as students can huddle around the board developing ideas, and then save the work for sharing over a network or by email.