Instructional Resources

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 What are instructional resources ?

Instructional resources are materials that conveys information and they enhance interaction with the learners. They include instructional materials, teaching aids,audio visual aids that assist learning and increase interest in learning. 
Teachers use resources to enhance students participation in class for effective learning. 
There are locally made and commercially manufactured resources and the locally made are most preferred. 
The teacher should participate in selecting resources that will stimulate and sustain the interest of the learners and also clarify information and present new ideas,stimulate discussions, challenge independent thinking, influence attitude and summarise what has been learned by providing experiences that encourage transfer of knowledge and the skills to new tasks. 

Types of instructional resources 

There are various instructional resources that a teacher can use when teaching. These are:
  1. Flat or projected materials. These include pictures,slides,graphics etc. 
  2. Chalk board or white board 
  3. Books and periodicals eg. Text books,work books, reference books, fictional books etc. 
  4. Wall sheets eg pictures,posters,diagrams etc. 
  5. Maps, atlases and globes. These are important because they show pictures of real things in summary form. They must be used carefully to avoid teaching wrong concepts. 
  6. Media,simulated items. They include artfacts, models,simulation and instructional games.
  7. Traditional media eg. Dramatisation, folksongs etc. 
  8. Education technology items. These include radio recorder,overhead projectors , slides,tvs etc. 

Criteria for selecting instructional resources. 

The following are criteria to be considered when selecting instructional resources. 
  • Select the best available materials to realise a goal or lesson objectives. 
  • The materials should make the learning situation more realistic and concrete. 
  • The materials should be appropriate for the age ,intelligence, interests and experience of the learners. 
  • The material should make learning easier and quicker. 
  • The materials should represent the information in an interesting manner.
  • The materials should supply a concrete basis for conceptual thinking ie use of thought provoking resources. 
  • The resource materials should stimulate critical thinking in students. 
  • The materials should encourage integration of subject matter.
  • The materials should help the learners to develop and improve their skills. 
  • The materials should be physically attractive. 
  • The materials should represent upto date information on the topic 
  • The materials should be durable. 

Advantages of using instructional resources. 

  • Instructional resources motivate students to learn as they offer stimulus variation and assist in sustaining students attention.
  • They clarify information especially the complex one
  • They stimulate discussions 
  • They represent the new ideas 
  • They challenge independent thinking especially when used individually in an assignment or even as a class activity. 
  • They influence learners attitude and some  can make a student to appreciate something that they did not like it.
  • They summarise the content that had been  taught. 
  • They can be used to give an assignment. 
  • They improve class participation. 
  • They permit a high degree of creativity in their preparation, use and preservation of ideas.

Disadvantages of instructional resources. 

  • Some are very expensive and therefore unavailable for use in many schools. 
  • Learners may miss their lessons if they are faulty. 
  • Some instructional resources do not take care of individual differences in class. 
  • For Radio and Tvs lessons the time may not be flexible for learners.
  • Some of the resources are difficult to operate and therefore  waste teachers time in learning on how to operate. 
  • Some are not interesting or motivating. Therefore learners can be bored and fail to benefit from their uses.
  • Some do not give the learners opportunity to participate in the lesson .
  • Some are passive and do not encourage critical thinking. 
  • Some are too complicated resources and can discourage students learning enthusiasm. 

Improvisation of Teaching learning resources. 

Improvised resources are those  that are made by teachers or learners using locally available materials. Improvising teaching learning resources has the following advantages. 

Advantages of improvising materials 

  • They are cheap and therefore save cost. 
  • They make the teacher revise the content.
  • The learners are able to identify with them making learning relevant to them.
  • They can be made available when needed. 
  • They arouse curiosity of the learners and enhances creativity.
  • They can be used to prepare a teaching resource center. 
  • Improvised materials help learners in developing of manipulative skills. 

Different instructional resources 

1. Charts

A chart is an illustration drawn on a paper representing part of an object, apparatus or process. 

Characteristics of good charts

  • Charts should be large enough to be observed by all students in class.
  • They should not be clouded with information. They should contain only the main information. 
  • Charts should always have a title. 
  • They should have frames around them.
  • Charts should be labelled clearly 
Charts are important especially in science subjects because they offer multi sensory method of approach in learning. They allow for development of a science lesson and they save the teacher's time. 
Charts also help the teacher to prepare a lesson plan. 

2. Models

Models are commonly used in mathematics and in science subjects like chemistry or physics. The most common models in chemistry teaching are molecular or atomic models. Ball and spoke models are used to represent elements and their electrons distributions. The balls should have colours that will represent a particular element. 

Quality of a good model

In chemistry lesson, a good model should show proper proportional of sizes and spheres on bonds. Atomic models should show colours that are agreed by international colour code. The models should be durable. They should be large enough to be seen by all learners. 

Improvisation of models from local materials. 

Models can be made from locally available materials such as porcelain, paper ie. Soaking paper in water ,make paste and mould it.wood,corks, clay soil ,fruits like sodom apple can also be used to represent electrons.

3. Laboratory/workshop

Importance of laboratory/Workshop 

  1. Enhances development of practical skills 
  2. It links to the development of scientific way of thinking 
  3. It develops positive attitudes towards learning of practical subjects. 
  4. It arouse for uses of many senses in learning and therefore keeps the learners engaged. 

Design of chemistry laboratory 

Chemistry laboratory should be spacious enough for learners to walk comfortably. Each section of the lab should be flexible enough to accommodate present and even future learning needs. The construction of safety should be given priority. 

Orientation 

A chemistry lab has to be East-west orientation such that the windows have north-south side of the building. This is because 
  • To avoid glance with light.
  • Some chemicals have photo sensitive and you have to reduce the light.
A school laboratory should contain 3 rooms ie . The main laboratory,  The store and the preparation room.

Fittings in a chemistry laboratory 

1.Benches

For flexibility movable bench should be  used in the laboratory. The teacher Demonstration bench should not be movable. The side benches should be fitted with gas taps,electricity and water. 

2. Gas supply 

Many chemistry experiments require heating and therefore gas supply is a basic laboratory fitting. The gas cylinder should always be kept outside the laboratory in a gas room. The gas pipes should be made of copper which is more resistance to damage. The gas cylinder should be fitted with regulator which waves the flow of gas from cylinder to the pipes. Before the gas is distributed, a master tap should be  used.

3. Fume cupboard/Chamber

A fume chamber is important for experiments that are producing poisonous gas,storage of volatile reagents and smelly substances ,and for diluting volatile liquids such as ammonia solution, concentrated acids and organic compounds. 

A fume chamber should be fitted with
  • A pump fitted above to pump the gas into the chimney. 
  • A gas tap
  • Sink and water
  • Electricity point ie socket 
  • A glass door.
The fume chamber should be lined with a suitable material that resist corrosion. 

Other fittings 

4.sink and water

5. Electricity point

6.ventilation


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