Sources, Types and Values of Instructional Materials in Social Studies
SOURCE, TYPES AND VALUES OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN TEACHING OF SOCIAL STUDIES
INTRODUCTION
The resources employed to facilitate effective teaching-learning process are referred to as instructional materials. They are information carriers designed specifically to fulfil objectives in a teaching-learning situation (Akan, 1988). Therefore, in the teaching and learning of Social Studies, many of these learning materials are utilized in making teaching more effective and enhancing permanence in learning. These materials are given different taxonomies viz., visual, a audio, audio-visual, hardware, software and a host of other nomenclatures. For a start, you are being introduced to three aspect of instructional materials: sources, types and values
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this unit, you should be able to:
(1) define instructional materials;
(ii) mention four sources some of the instructional materials being used in Social Studies teaching;
(iii) describe the characteristics of each of the instructional materials being used in Social Studies teaching
HOW TO STUDY THIS UNIT
1. Glance through the unit. Note the salient points as you read. Take note of the unfamiliar words and check for their meanings in your dictionary.
2. Now from the beginning, read and digest the unit thoroughly and systematically as arranged. Make sure you attempt all the activities stated. Before attempting the exercises.
3. Make sure the rules stated are strictly adhered to.
WORD STUDY
Nomenclature – naming system.
Taxonomy – system of classification
Visual material – learning devices that appeal to sense of seeing
Audio material – those learning devices that appeal to sense of hearing.
Audio-visual – those materials that appeal to both sense of seeing and hearing.
Hardware – equipment for extracting information from the software.
Software – materials that carry the message or information or content for hardware
SOURCES OF INSTRUCTION MATERIALS
A discourse on place and ways by which instructional materials can be acquired is considered relevant in the reality of economic hardship being experienced by the nation. In this regard, the focus of our discussion shall be on instructional materials by design and those by utilization.
Instructional materials by design are those that are provided genuinely for the purpose of instructional usage overhead projectors, chard, textbooks, slides, etc. Instructional materials by utilization, however, refer to those devices which are not provided for instructional purpose but which a teacher makes use of in the process of instruction especially if they are found to be good for the purpose of information dissemination. Examples of such media are: posters, calendars, locations, resources persons, and so on. They are several sources from which to obtain instructional materials. Four main sources are identified here:
1. Director Purchase.
2. Improvisation
3. Loan
4. Donation
Direct Purchase: The locations of materials to be acquired through this source are the industries where the materials are manufactured or their agents. All that is required is for the user to approach the industry/agent for necessary transactions that can facilitate direct purchase. If the company is based abroad, necessary ordering procedures must be followed to get the material(s) procured. Information as to which company produces what could be obtained through reading of relevant literature, acquaintance with similar product in a sister institution, getting contact with manuals/brochures, newspaper/television advertisements etc. Should the choice of materials acquisition be through this source, such factors like topic, objectives, scope, methodology of use, complexity of the material(s) etc. of the manufacturer must be seen to be similar to those of the target audience for which the material(s) is to be purchased? Materials from this source include: charts, overhead projectors, opaque projectors, video player, T.V. sets filmstrips, etc. Improvisation: Through the efforts of both the teacher and the learners, different kinds of instructional materials can be produced using local materials. Local artisans can be contacted to get instructional materials produced. Materials from this source include charts, maps, pictures, slides, chalkboards, flannel-graphs, bulletin boards, magnetic boards, instructional games, models and mock-ups. Loan: This refers to a situation whereby a workable agreement is reached between two or more schools or learning resources centres to exchange instructional materials for specified time or period. This is known as inter instructional materials loan, which could also be worked out between two departments, schools units or sections in a school system. Under these arrangements, conditions to be followed to facilitate the workability of the system should be spelt out. A register should be kept to indicate such items like: name of the borrower, Tuition , date, condition of the materials to be borrowed, date of return, condition of the materials on return, condition of the materials on returns, signature of borrower and name and signature of the officer who authorized the release of the materials. Donations: Instructional materials can be donated to school or Learning resources Centre (LRC) by organizations (Local Foreign) individuals and or manufacturers. Some of these materials can be sollicited for by contacting the donors while free or sample models can be sent out for trial testing. Schools could increase the volume of materials acquisition through this means Every Social Studies is expected to be resourceful, in a world of rapid acceleration change brought about by the application of science and technology. The immediate and distant communities of the school are sources from which instructional materials can be tapped to improve the quality of classroom instruction Museum, zoological and botanical gardens, media houses, media centres, factories industries are ready-made sources of information which teachers can effectively utilize in the teaching and learning of Social Studies.
TYPES OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS These are different types of instructional resources that can be utilized in the teaching and learning of Social Studies. These resources are classified thus: visual, audio, audio-visual, projected, non-projected, hardware and software.
VISUAL MATERIALS These are teaching and learning devices that appeal mostly to the visual sense. In this category, we have such devices like simple visual devices like pictures such as slides, filmstrips and transparencies. Like audio-media, they are inexpensive, often simple to use, and, above all, clear and impressive in their presentation.
AUDIO MATERIALS These are teaching devices that mostly appeal to auditory sense. They consist of radio programmes, audio recordings such as cassettes and disc record. Other examples of audio media are devices like the telephone and walkie-talkie. Since audio aids appeal mostly to the auditory sense, for them to be effective, pupils must not be auditory impaired Radios, record-players and tape-recorders that are becoming common household items could be judiciously and effectively utilized in the classroom
AUDIO-VISUAL MATERIALS These are instructional devices that have the capacity to provide the features of audio and visual media simultaneously. Typical of media in this category are the television, video- taped programmes recordings, sound films, film-strips and slides with synchronized sound.
PROJECTED MATERIAL They consist of materials containing information which can only be meaningful and effectively only when projected on the screen using projection equipment that require electric power supply. These projection equipment are usually referred to as “projector”. Projectors are of various types. The follows are typical examples: film projectors (8mm, 16mm, 35mm). Film strip projector, opaque projectors and overhead projector (ohp). The Overhead Projector is commonly found in the classroom. It is designed to perform the traditional roles of the chalkboard, thus it is regarded as an instructional medium by design rather than instructional medium by utilization
NON-PROJECTED MATERIALS These are instructional materials that can be used without having to resort to any projection process unlike the projected media. They can be regarded as non-projectuals. Examples of media under this taxonomy are: charts, posters, regalia or real objects and models. Usually, three-dimensional models are beautifully made and are large enough to allow for easy visibility on the part of the learners. It should however be mentioned that information on non-projected media like charts and posters should not be over loaded with information.
HARDWARE Hardware is a term that is used to describe equipment for extracting information from the software. They are usually bigger and in most cases costlier than the objects that actually carry information to be extracted. Hardware include such gadgets like the television set, monitors, projectors of all kinds radio sets, cassettes players. Video player/recorder, turn- table or disc player, camera and computers. Many of these hardware are found in homes while only few are available in our schools.
SOFTWARE This term is used to describe all those materials that carry message/information/content. These include videotapes, cartridges, audio-tapes. Reel to reel tapes, films, transparencies, slides, filmstrips and diskettes etc. COMMUNITY RESOURCE PLACES These are places within the students’ community that they are of educational importance e.g museum, palace, market places, factory/industry, quarry, fish pond, among others.
CASE STUDY METHOD This is a detailed account of the development of a person, a group of people or a situation over period of time. Therefore in Social Studies, this method can be employed in teaching and learning. Certain concepts e.g. traditional marriage in Yoruba/Igboland/Hausa, egungun festival in Ibadan, Argungu fishing festival in Kebbi State Northern Nigeria, etc. RESOURCE PERSONS An expert from outside the school community to enlighten and share his/her experience with the students on a chosen topic in Social studies can be invited by the Social Studies teacher. That person is referred to as a resource person, such an expert can excite students, remove boredom and tension, e.g. a lawyer, geographer etc.
VALUE OF INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHING
Instructional materials are of paramount importance in the teaching and learning of Social Studies because of the following functions they perform:
1. They increase the rate of learning and at the same time allow the teacher to use more time on other gainful activities.
2. They effect a reality of experience that stimulates self-activity on the part of the learners.
3. They provide learning experience which are not within the immediate classroom environment.
They discourage rote learning by emphasizing realistic learning.
5. They make abstract term, concepts and generalizations more practical and realistic.
6. They help the learners to focus their attention during teaching-learning process.
7. They provide the teacher with the means of guiding and controlling the desirable responses of the learners in relation to stimulus materials of the learning situations.
8. They develop in the learners, awareness of problem, open up possibilities for exploration, present meaningful interactions which naturally lead to provision of solutions.
9. They help to stimulate purposeful and utilized self-activity and this is much more preferable educationally than a more or less passive and often bored listening.
10. They improve the classroom communication process between the teacher and the learners, with this, the expected improvement in learning output will be accomplished.
ATTRIBUTES OF INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA
Generally speaking, instructional resources have five properties; these are the abilities to help:
1. Promote perception
2. Promote understanding
3. Promote transfer of learning
4. Provide reinforcement or knowledge of result
5. Help retention. Davies (1979)
Summary of the key points
- Instructional materials are tools used in teaching and learning.
- They serve specific objectives in the teaching-learning process.
- In Social Studies, various types of instructional materials are used.
- This unit focuses on three aspects: sources, types, and values of instructional materials.
- You should be able to define instructional materials by the end of this unit.
- There are four sources of instructional materials: Direct Purchase, Improvisation, Loan, and Donation.
- Direct Purchase involves buying materials from manufacturers or their agents.
- Improvisation means creating materials using local resources.
- Loan involves exchanging materials with other schools or institutions.
- Donation includes receiving materials from organizations, individuals, or manufacturers.
- Schools can obtain materials from their immediate communities.
- Various sources such as museums, gardens, and factories offer resources for Social Studies.
- Instructional materials are classified into seven types: Visual, Audio, Audio-Visual, Projected, Non-Projected, Hardware, and Software.
- Visual materials appeal to the sense of sight and include pictures, slides, and filmstrips.
- Audio materials appeal to the sense of hearing, including radio programs and audio recordings.
- Audio-visual materials combine both audio and visual elements, like television and sound films.
- Projected materials require projection equipment, such as projectors for films and slides.
- Non-projected materials can be used without projection and include charts and posters.
- Hardware refers to equipment used to extract information from software, like computers and TVs.
- Software includes materials that carry information, like videotapes and audio tapes
Evaluation
- Hardware refers to equipment for extracting information from ________. a) Software b) Non-projected materials c) Direct Purchase d) Improvisation
- What type of instructional materials carries the message or information for hardware? a) Visual b) Audio c) Audio-Visual d) Software
- Community resource places within the students’ community can be sources of ________. a) Food b) Entertainment c) Educational importance d) None of the above
- The case study method is employed in teaching and learning to study ________. a) The weather b) Sports c) A person, a group of people, or a situation over a period of time d) None of the above
- Who can be invited as a resource person in Social Studies teaching? a) Anyone from the school community b) An expert from outside the school community c) Students d) None of the above
- What is the primary function of instructional materials in the teaching and learning of Social Studies? a) To create entertainment b) To increase boredom c) To increase the rate of learning d) To discourage learning
- Which property of instructional materials promotes perception? a) Ability to provide reinforcement b) Ability to promote understanding c) Ability to help retention d) Ability to help promote perception
- Which type of instructional materials provides features of both audio and visual media simultaneously? a) Visual b) Audio c) Audio-Visual d) Projected
- How many attributes do instructional media generally have? a) 2 b) 3 c) 4 d) 5
- Which attribute helps in improving the classroom communication process between the teacher and learners? a) Promote understanding b) Promote transfer of learning c) Promote perception d) Provide reinforcement or knowledge of result
- Instructional materials are tools used in ________. a) Teaching b) Learning c) Both a and b d) None of the above
- What is the primary purpose of instructional materials? a) Entertainment b) Fulfilling objectives in teaching and learning c) Decoration d) Social interaction
- How many aspects are focused on in this unit? a) 1 b) 2 c) 3 d) 4
- Which source of instructional materials involves creating materials using local resources? a) Direct Purchase b) Improvisation c) Loan d) Donation
- What is the primary characteristic of instructional materials by utilization? a) They are provided for instructional use. b) They are not intended for instructional use. c) They are free. d) They are easy to find.
- Which type of instructional materials appeals to the sense of sight? a) Visual b) Audio c) Hardware d) Software
- Radio programs and audio recordings are examples of ________ materials. a) Visual b) Audio c) Audio-Visual d) Projected
- Which type of instructional materials combines audio and visual elements? a) Visual b) Audio c) Audio-Visual d) Projected
- Projected materials require ________ equipment for effective use. a) Visual b) Audio c) Projector d) Hardware
- Non-projected materials can be used without the need for ________. a) Projection b) Sound c) Lighting d) Hardware
Micro-Teaching Techniques in Social Studies Subject Methods (Social Studies) PDE 715
