by Dr. Ma. Elsie C. Esmer Student Inclusion Division Bureau of Learning Delivery Department of Education

 Definition: the tangible substances and real objects used to help communicate information necessary for learning  Purpose: to help teachers and educators deliver a message creatively and clearly

 Definition: 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.

 Graphic Organizers 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.

Teacher-Made Resources 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.

Media should:  Change behavior by influencing a gain in cognitive, affective, and/or psychomotor skills  Enhance learning—no one tool is better than another  Complement the instructional methods

 Match available financial resources  Be appropriate for physical environment  Complement learners’ sensory abilities, developmental stage, and educational level  Impart accurate, current, valid and appropriate messages  Add diversity and information to learning General Principles (cont’d)

Major Variables to Consider  Characteristics of the Learner ◦ Physical abilities ◦ Perceptual abilities ◦ Literacy ◦ Motivational level ◦ Developmental stage ◦ Learning style

Characteristics of the Media ◦ Print ◦ Non-print Characteristics of the Task ◦ Learning domain ◦ Complexity of behavior

 Delivery System ◦ Definition: both the physical form and the hardware used to present materials ◦ Examples of physical form and hardware  Slides with projector  Videotapes with VCRs  Computer software with computer

 Content ◦ Definition: actual information imparted to the learner ◦ Selection criteria  Accuracy  Appropriateness for skill determination  Readability

 Presentation ◦ Definition: the form most important for selecting/developing instructional materials ◦ Concrete to abstract continuum  Regalia  Illusionary representations  Symbolic representations

Written Materials  Advantages  Available to learner in absence of teacher  Widely acceptable, familiar  Readily available, relatively cheap  Convenient form  Learner controls rate of reading  Content easily altered to target specific audiences

 Disadvantages ◦ Most abstract form of reality ◦ Immediate feedback limited ◦ Proper reading level essential for full usefulness ◦ Less useful with low literate learners or visually or cognitively impaired learners ◦ Inappropriate for illiterate learners

 Factors to be considered ◦ Who produced the item? Was there any input by other professionals? ◦ Can the item be previewed? ◦ The price must be consistent with its educational value.

Fit your own institution’s policies, procedures and equipment. Build in answers to those questions asked most frequently by your students. Highlight points considered especially important by your peers. Reinforce specific oral instructions and clarify difficult concepts.

 Keep words and sentences short. Use conversational style. Use active voice.  Use second person “you.”  Most important information goes first.  Do not use all-capital letters.  Use advance organizers.  Emphasize key points with end review.

Consider:  Nature of the audience  Literacy level required  Linguistic variety available  Brevity and clarity  Layout and appearance  Opportunity for repetition  Concreteness and familiarity

Advantages ◦ Fast way to attract attention, make a point ◦ Flexible ◦ Portable ◦ Reusable ◦ Stimulate interest or ideas in observer ◦ Can change or influence attitudes ◦ Purchasable and/or can be made

Disadvantages ◦ Take up a lot of space ◦ Time-consuming to prepare—often reused, outdated ◦ May be overused ◦ Unsuitable for large audiences

Consider:  Color  White space  Graphics  KISS principle  Titles/Script  Balance of content

Advantages ◦ Useful when real object is too small, too large, too expensive, unavailable, or too complex ◦ Allows safe, hands-on practice ◦ More active involvement by the learner with immediate feedback available ◦ Readily available

 Disadvantages ◦ May not be suitable for learner with poor abstraction abilities or for visually impaired ◦ Some models fragile, expensive, bulky, or difficult to transport ◦ Cannot be observed or manipulated by more than a few learners at a time

 Prototypes ◦ Examples: Modules, Teacher’ Guide, LMs  Analogues ◦ Examples: computer models, calculators  Symbols ◦ Examples: words, cartoons, formulas, signs

 Factors in selection ◦ Technical feasibility ◦ Economic feasibility ◦ Social/political acceptability ◦ Instructor familiarity

 Projected Learning Resources ◦ Movies and filmstrips ◦ Power Points ◦ Overhead transparencies

 Advantages ◦ Most effectively used with groups ◦ Especially beneficial with hearing- impaired, low-literate learners ◦ Excellent media for use in teaching psychomotor skills

 Disadvantages ◦ Lack of flexibility due to static content of some forms ◦ Some forms may be expensive ◦ Requires darkened room for some forms ◦ Requires special equipment for us e

 Audiotapes, Radio, CD  Advantages ◦ Widely available ◦ May be especially beneficial to visually- impaired, low literate learners ◦ May be listened to repeatedly ◦ Most forms practical, cheap, small, portable

 Disadvantages ◦ Relies only on sense of hearing ◦ Some forms may be expensive ◦ Lack of opportunity for interaction between instructor and learner

 Purchased or self-made tapes  Advantages ◦ Widely used educational tool ◦ Inexpensive; uses visual, auditory senses ◦ Flexible for use with different audiences ◦ Powerful tool for role-modeling and demonstration ◦ Effective for teaching psychomotor skills

 Disadvantages ◦ Quality of videotapes can deteriorate over time ◦ Some commercial products may be expensive ◦ Some purchased materials may be too long or inappropriate for audience

Telephones, Televisions  Advantages ◦ Relatively inexpensive, widely available  Disadvantages ◦ Complicated to set up interactive capability ◦ Expensive to broadcast via satellite

 Advantages ◦ Interactive potential: quick feedback, retention ◦ Potential database is enormous ◦ Can individualize to suit different types of learners, different pace of learning ◦ Time efficient

 Disadvantages ◦ Primary learning efficacy: cognitive domain less useful for attitude/behavior change or psychomotor skill development ◦ Software and hardware expensive ◦ Must be purchased ◦ Limited use for most older adults, low literate learners, those with physical limitations

 Considerations ◦ Learner characteristics ◦ Task(s) to be achieved ◦ Media available  Evaluation Checklist ◦ Content ◦ Instructional design ◦ Technical production ◦ Packaging

 Performance is improved and learner satisfaction increased with visual reinforcement.  Distance learning is an increasingly viable option for learners.

Instructional materials should be used to support learning by complementing and supplementing your teaching, not by substituting for it.