MATERIALS DESIGN AND CURRENT TRENDS

Prepared By: Jenny Grace T. Ellarte

Teachers use a wide variety of tools to foster learning, but what exactly should be used? This
lesson outlines some of those instructional materials and their use in the classroom.
Instructional Materials
Instructional materials are the tools used in educational lessons, which includes active learning
and assessment. Basically, any resource a teacher uses to help him teach his students is an
instructional material. There are many types of instructional materials, but let's look at some of
the most common ones.

 Traditional resources include any textbooks and workbooks used in the classroom. For
example, language arts classrooms almost always have literature textbooks, writing
textbooks, and even vocabulary and spelling workbooks. In addition to these, traditional
resources also include any supplemental reading material, like novels or poems outside of
the textbook.
Most textbooks and workbooks have already been designed to align with certain educational
standards and are therefore very reliable in regards to addressing classroom goals. Still, it is
important to be sure to choose material within the textbooks that matches your specific learning
objective.

 A second type of instructional material is the graphic organizer, which is any type of

visual representation of information. Diagrams, charts, tables, flow charts, and graphs are
all examples of graphic organizers. For instance, in a math classroom, it is essential to use
graphs on a coordinate plane when learning about the equation of a line so that students
can actually see how a line is graphed. In language arts, Venn diagrams and plot
diagrams are clear instructional tools to use when comparing or analyzing events in a
piece of literature. All of these graphic organizers allow students to physically see
relationships between ideas. This is imperative for learning, especially for students who
are more visually oriented. Seeing a clear relationship is always easier than an abstract
idea in your mind.
In fact, having students create their own graphic organizers can be a great way to incorporate
active learning. For instance, you can have students read a short story or even an informational
article and then create their own visual representation of the information. This pushes students to
internalize and apply the information, which requires more thought than simple recall.

 A last type of instructional material comprises any teacher-made resources. These

include anything the teacher creates, like handouts, worksheets, tests, quizzes, and
projects. Many of these are used for assessment in the classroom, which is determining
the level of learning on any given topic. For instance, different handouts or worksheets
can be used throughout a unit to see which students are getting it and which students are
struggling.
 10 Most Important eLearning Trends to Watch for in 2020
1. Data-Driven Practices
The past decade saw the power of data influence society in many ways, including laws such
as GDPR that affect both individuals and enterprises alike. It’s no surprise that data is now
becoming a topic of conversation in the learning and development world, as designers must
consider not only how to use data to guide their decisions, but how to protect online learners’
data as well. Knowledge of both qualitative and quantitative data has the power to enrich design
decisions and to empower designers to innovate and meet learners’ individual needs, and
designers who understand the power of data will be truly ready to lead the next decade of
instructional design.
2. Personalization of Learning Experiences
This trend may have started with the millennials, but the youngest employees entering the
workforce, Generation Z, will fully expect to have personal learning experience crafted to meet
their individual needs. As true digital natives, the members of this generation are accustomed to
having the World Wide Web at their fingertips, and will expect consumer-quality experiences in
the workplace. This may be demonstrated by employees building their own learning programs
out of content they curate, or expecting their employers to support them with mobile-ready
gamified content, microlearning assets, and opportunities to be social with their colleagues.
3. Focus on Soft Skills
Some training topics are universal across industries. The 2018 LinkedIn Workplace Learning
Report documented that the topics most sought after by organizations were leadership,
communication, and collaboration. When these topics overlap across industries, content curation
may be a valuable practice so that organizations do not spend unnecessary time and money
duplicating content that already exists.
4. Digitization of Instructor-Led Training (ILT)
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics documented that in 2018, nearly 16% of the
workforce worked remotely, outside of traditional offices.  Organizations have found eLearning
allows them to offer their employees consistent learning experiences no matter where they are
located, and at a fraction of the costs of traditional training. The costs of travel expenses,
physical supplies, and renting or owning classroom space are not considerations in the digital
world of eLearning. Although classroom training may never become completely obsolete, it may
be mostly replaced with online training in the very near future.
5. Social Learning
Social media usage is yet another technological trend that has defined the past ten years; in
2019, Facebook had 2.4 billion users. It’s no surprise that this trend has also impacted learning.
Innovative organizations are channeling their employees’ desires to be social and are
encouraging them to post, hashtag, and converse with one another and with the world at large
about their learning journeys. Social learning encourages colleagues to learn from one another,
and does not limit learning to the confines of a classroom or a learning management system. This
trend supports the concept of lifelong learning, and opens the doors to learning opportunities
anywhere and everywhere.
6. Mobile Learning
CNBC published the findings of a 2019 report claiming that, “Almost three quarters (72.6
percent) of internet users will access the web solely via their smartphones by 2025, equivalent to
nearly 3.7 billion people.” This mobile usage extends to consuming training and learning content
on mobile devices as well. To meet mobile learners’ needs, it’s critical that courses are built with
mobile learners in mind. Courses must be responsive and have the flexibility to be published to
multiple outputs, so that learners have successful experiences no matter which device they
choose to use.
7. Microlearning
From videos, to podcasts, to infographics, to blogs such as this very article, microlearning is
another trend that dominated the past decade and will continue on well into the next decade.
Microlearning, or small “bite-sized chunks” of learning, meets today’s learners’ needs. Whether
they are on the go, on mobile devices, or simply only need a specific piece of information,
microlearning offers learners “just in time” content in their moment of need.
8. Videos
According to Omnicore, every day over one billion hours of video are watched on YouTube, by
over 30 million active users worldwide. Learners’ demand for videos seems nearly insatiable,
which leads to design trends such as curation as previously mentioned. Outside of YouTube,
designers commonly create and incorporate videos into their eLearning courses to break up long
passages of text and to provide a rich, multimedia experience.
9. Gamification
Gamification, which Merriam-Webster defines as, “The process of adding games or game like
elements to something so as to encourage participation” rose to prominence in recent years, and
this trend is showing no signs of slowing down. We recently explored the advantages of
gamification, which include increased learner engagement and motivation, as well as the
opportunity to offer instant feedback. Learners truly enjoy well-designed games, which leads to
successful outcomes for everyone involved.
10. Curation of Content
Just like all the Gatsby themed parties you were invited to this New Year, everything old is new
again! Content curation is based on this principle, and will continue to be a major theme in the
coming decade. Learners often turn to external sources such as YouTube and Ted talks for
informational videos, and many organizations now integrate publicly available external content
alongside their own content to offer learners programs that are rich in sources, perspectives, and
formats.
Activity:
1. Explain the importance of instructional materials in teaching.
2. What do you think is the most effective type of instructional material to use in teaching?
Why do you think so?
3. Create a sample of your own teacher-made resources.
4. Select one elearning trend and give your understanding about it.
5. As students, how do you find the mode of learning you are experiencing in the new
normal setting? Is it effective for you to learn or not? Why?