LESSON 3

TYPES AND CHARACTERISTICS OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

TYPES OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN TEACHING

Instructional materials in teaching or resources are available from many

sources. Modern education faces lots of problems. The attempt of solving these
problems which involve the use of organized combination and utilization of people,
materials,facilities, equipment and procedures to achieve the desired instructional
materilas in teaching, instructional media and 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 Agu Okogbuo (2000)
instructional materials in teaching could be classified into:

1. Visual materials – such as pictures, diagrams buildings, projectors, teachers

themselves, chart, real objects (realia) studies etc. Other materials such as
books, newspapers, journals, magazines, pamphletes, handouts or modules
are also involved.
2. Audio materials – such as tape recorder, cassette, radio, telefonferencing,
language laboratories, teacher’s voice. They appeal to the sense of hearing.
3. Audio-Visual materials – which include television, video recording, motion
pictures with sound track, slide and film trips projection with sound tapes, film
and multimedia. They appeal to both sense of hearing and sight.
4. Materials/Software – include graphic materials, printed materials, slides,
filmstrips, overhead transparency, cassette tapes, and motion pictures.
 5. Equipment/Hardware – such
as blackboards, 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 – this include books and other printed materials,
objects, specimens, models, mock-up graphical materials, bulletin boards that
exhibits, blackboards, field trips, simulation and games.
8. Two-dimensional instructional materials in teaching – include flat pictures,
graphs, chart, diagram posters, comics, cartoons, slides, film trips. 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 two-dimensional aids.
9. Three-dimensional institutional materials – include models, mosk-up
objects, specimens, laboratories, simulation and games (toys). They are non-
projected materials. Characteristically, they have length , width, height, hence
they are called 3 dimensional.

Instructional materials in teaching generally make the teaching process easier.

However in order to appreciate the importance of instructional materials in 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. Facilitates the understanding of abstract explanations
6. Provide a common experience a large number of learners
7. Stimulate reality

With this, instructional materials in teaching help to concretize the learning

process.

Words only convey little or no concreteness in the teaching-learning process.

In effect, the type of instructional materials in teaching used depends on what the
teacher wants to demonstrate; for instance, the reasons for media is to create clear
idea of something, that is, real object (realia) models as follows:
 1. To give visual access to something which may be inacccessible 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; examples are diagrams and
handouts.
3. To promote mental activities of students ; examples are handout, textbooks,
films and picture.
4. To teach language pronouncements; example audiotapes.
5. To support work of the teachers; example sound recordings

They make learning interesting, more real and lively. At all level of education,
instructional materials in teaching are very important in the attainment of desired goal
and objectives. The traditional chalkboard method of teaching involves only the
learning sense of haering and they easily loose 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

Kinder (1993) stated that people generally remember;

10% of what they read

20% of what they hear
30% of what they see
50% of what hey hear and see
70% of what they say and
90% of what they say as they do a thing.

For this reason, it was concluded that instructional materials in teaching ensure
more effective learning since the learner not only hears but also sees and does.
Instructional materials in teaching play a very big role in teaching and learning process
as enumerated below:

1. It helps the teacher to provide his students with meaningful sources of

information
2. Helps the teacher by providing him with means of wildering his students
of information
3. Being experts with learning resources in the classroom
4. Allow members of a group or class to share equally the same teaching
experience
5. Provides the teacher means of exposing the students to a wide range of
learning activities
 Berkey (1996) wrote that rational selection of instructional materials in teaching
is a necesssary step for effective teaching. He further added that the ability to select
and utilize methods and materials are important qualities of a professional teacher. He
outlines the criteria for selecting resources as follows:

1. Instructional objective to be achieved by students

2. The teaching resources available for use
3. The characteristics of students to be taught
4. The teacher’s ability and experience

What Are Learning Resources?

For many people, the words educational materials invoke images of large, print,
classroom textbooks with small type, outdated information, and content that covers
the breadth but not dept of a subject. But learning resources are more than that. They
are any tool that helps teachers teach and students learn.

Learning resources include:

Textbooks (print and digital) Worksheets

Non-fiction books Educational games
Online courses Graphic novels
Magazines and periodicals Teacher guides
Television shows Podcasts
Workbooks Manupulatives ( blocks, beads, etc.)
Posters Apps
Activity books Reference books
Study guides Labs
Webcasts Maps and atlases
Multiple Ways to Engage Students in Diverse Classrooms

Auditory Visual Tactile- Affective Technology

Kinesthetic Options

Listening to Using a Using a Braille Working in Using a talking

text read dictionary dictionary areas of dictionary
aloud student
interest

Listening to Highlighting Touching Working with Downloading

and retelling key points words on a partner who and listening
directions word wall can help with to a podcast
definitions on an ipod

Asking and Outlining Using Working alone Using a word

anwering steps to manipulatives or in processing
questions solving a cooperative program
problem groups

Engaging in a Completing a Building a Participating in Using a talking

debate graphic model a discussion calculator
organizer group or book
club

Engaging in a Designing a Use response Participating in Craeting

discussion poster cards a seminar spreadsheets

Giving verbal Illustrating or Using a game Giving Creating a

prompts taking pictures format feedback video

Talking Drawing Finger spelling Giving praise Using blogging

through steps or text
messaging