Lesson 6: Using and Evaluating Instructional Materials

One of the Instructional materials used to attain instructional objectives is field trip.

For an effective use of instructional materials such as field trip, there are guidelines that ought to be observed, first of all, in their selection, and second, in their use.

Selection of Materials

• Does the material give a true picture of the ideas they present? to avoid misconceptions, it is always good to ask when the material was produced.
• Does the material contribute meaningful content to the topic under study? Does the material help you achieve the instructional objective?
• Is the material aligned to the curriculum standards and competencies.

• Is the material culture – and grades –sensitive
• Does the material have culture bias?
• Is the material appropriate for the age, intelligence, and experience of the learners.
• Is the physical condition of the material satisfactory? An example, it is photograph properly mounted?
• Is there a teacher’s guide to provide a briefing for effective use? The chance that the instructional material will be used to the maximum and to the optimum is increased with a teacher’s guide.
• Can the material in question help to make students better thinkers and develop their critical faculties? With exposure to mass media, it is highly important that we maintain and strengthen our rational powers.
• Does the use of material make learners collaborate with one another?
• Does the material promote self-study?

Is the material worth the time, expenses and effort involved? A field trip, for instance, requires much time, effort, and money. It is more effective than any other less expensive and less demanding instructional material that can take its place? Or is there a better substitute?

The Proper Use of Materials

P – prepare yourself

P – prepare your student

P – present the material

F – follow up

•To ensure effective use of      instructional material, Hayden Smith and Thomas Nigel, (1972) book authors on Instructional Media, advise us to abide by the acronym PPPF 

         Prepare Yourself

You know your lesson objective and what you expect from the class after the session and why you have selected such particular instructional material. You have a plan on how you will proceed, what question to ask, how you will evaluate learning and how you will the loose ends before the bell rings.

Prepare your students

Set reasonably high class expectations and learning goals. It is sound practice to give them guide questions for them to be able to answer during the discussion. Motivate them and keep them interested and engaged.

Present the material

Under the best possible conditions. Many teachers are guilty of the R.O.G Syndrome. This is means “running out of gas” which usually results from the poor planning. (Smith, 1972) Using media and materials, especially if they are mechanical in nature, often requires rehearsal and a carefully planned performance.

Follow up

Remember that you use instructional materials to achieve objectives, not to kill time nor to give yourself a break, neither to merely entertain the class. Your use of the instructional material  is not the end itself. It is a mean to an end, the attainment of a learning objectives . So, there is need to follow up to find out if objective was attained to use. 

To ensure that instructional materials serve their purpose in instruction, we need to observe some guidelines in their selection and use. The materials that we select must.

1. Give a true picture of the ideas they present

2. Contribute to the attainment of the learning objective.

3. Be aligned to curriculum standards and competencies

4. Be appropriate to the age, intelligence and experience of the learners.

5. Be in good and satisfactory condition.

6. Be culture sensitive and gender sensitive

7. Provide for a teacher’s guide

8. Help develop the critical and creative thinking powers of students.

9. Promote collaborative learning?

10. Be worth the time, expense and effort involved.

 For optimum use of the instructional material, it is necessary that the teachers prepares:

1. Herself

2. Her student

3. The instructional material and does follow up

4. Promote independent study

Robert Gagne’s nine (9) instructional material in the subject facilitating learning. These are:

   1. Gain attention

   2. Inform learner of objectives

   3. Stimulate recall of prior learning

   4. Present stimulus material

   5. Provide learner guidance

   6. Elicit performance

   7. Provide feedback

   8. Assess performance and

   9. Enhance retention transfer

There is no such thing as best instructional material

Any instructional material can be the best provided it helps the teacher accomplish his/her intended learning objective.

No instructional material, no matter how superior , can take the place of an effective teacher

Instructional materials may be perceived to the labor saving devise for the teachers. On the contrary, the teacher even works harder when she makes good use of instructional material

“You should have a good idea of your destination, both in the over-all purposes of education and in the everyday work of your teaching. If you do not know where you are going, you cannot properly choose a way to get there.”