MEDIA AND MATERIALS

Media and Materials in Teaching Media

1. Manipulates

    a) Real Objects

          Such as  coins, tools, artifacts, plants, animals-are some of the most accessible,

        intriguing, and involving materials in educational use. They are known as 

        manipulates because students may handle and inspect them.

examples of real objects

   Real objects may be used as is, or you may modify them to enhance instruction. Examples of modification include the following :

    - Cutaways : devices such as machines with one side cut away to allow close 

      observation of the inner workings.

example of cutaways

    - Specimens : actual plants, animals, or parts there of preserved for convenient

      inspection.

example of specimens

    - Exhibits : collections of artifacts, often of a scientific or historical nature, brought

      together with printed information to illustrate a point.

example of exhibit

   b) Models

             Models are three-dimensional representations of real objects. A model may be

        larger, smaller, or the same size as the object it represents. It may be complete

        in detail or simplified for instructional purposes. Indeed, models can provide 

        learning experience that the real thing can't provide.

        - Models of almost everything

        - A variety of model kits is also available for you or your students to assemble.

        - Assembly activities help sharpen both cognitive and psychomotor skills

        - Models and real objects are the recommended media when realism is essential for

          learning. They provide concepts that involve three-dimensions; taks that require

          identification by size, shape, or color, and hands-on or laboratory practice.

     c) Computer Programs and Manipulates

             This seems to be the best of both words, efficient use of a single computer in a

         classroom and authentic learning experiences for students.

2. Field Trips

       The field trip, an excursion outside the classroom to study real processes, people, and objects, often grows out the students' need for firsthand experiences. It makes it possible for students to encounter phenomena that can't be brought into the classroom for observation and study.

       Examples of field trips include a trip of view minutes into the schoolyard to observe a tree, a trek across the street to see contruction work, or a longer trip of several days to tour historical locations. Popular field trips sites include zoos, museums, publis buildings, and parks.

       Virtual field trips are an extention of actual field trips. Often the expense or the time to travel to a particular interesting location is not possible. But, with the World Wide Web, with a few simple clicks of a mouse, it certainly makes it possible to learn about a location with some authenticity to the experience.

example of field trips

3. Printed Materials

      Printed materials include textbooks, fiction and non-fiction books, booklets, pamphlets, study guides, manuals, and worksheets, as well as word processed documents prepared by students and also teachers.

    a) Advantages

       - Avability⇒Printed materials are readily available on a variety of topics and in many

         different formats.

       - Flexibility⇒They are adaptable to many purposes and may be used in any lighted

         environment.

       - Portability⇒They are easily carried from place to place and don't require any

         equipment or electricity.

       - User Friendly⇒Properly designed printed materials are easy to use, not requiring

         special effort to "navigate" through.

       - Economical⇒Printed materials are relatively inexpensive to produce or purchase 

         and can be reused.

     b) Limitations

         - Reading level⇒The major limitation of printed materials is that they are written

           at a certain reading level.

         - Prior Knowledge⇒Even though textbooks are generally written to be more 

           considerate of the reader, with clear language and simple sentence structures,

           readers who lack some prerequisite knowledge may stuggle to comprehend the

           text.

         - Memorization⇒Some teachers require students to memorize many facts and

           definitions.

         - Vocabulary⇒Some texts introduce a large number of vocabulary terms and 

           concepts in a short amount of space.

         - One-way Presentation⇒Since most printed materials aren't interactive, they tend

           to be used in a passive way, often without comprehension.

         - Curriculum Determination⇒Sometimes textbooks dictate the curriculum rather

           than being used to support the curriculum.

     c) Integration

         - The most common application of printed materials is presenting content 

           information.

         - Students may also use printed materials to augment either the information you 

           present or other forms of media.

         - Printed materials are used in all subject areas and with students of all ages once

           they learn to read.

     d) Utilization

            When we using printed materials for instruction, one of the main roles of the teacher is to get learners actively involved with the material. One techniques is to have students use the "SQ3R" method : Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.

        - Survey requires students to skim through the printed material and to read the 

          overview and/or review.

        - In the question step they write a list of questions to answer while reading.

        - In the read stage students are encouraged to look for the organization of the

          material, put brackets around the main ideas, underline supporting details, and

          answer the questions written in the previous step.

        - Recite requires them to test themselves while reading and to put the content into

          their own words.

        - Review suggests that the students look over the material immediately after reading

          it, the next day, a week later, and so on.

4. Free and Inexpensive Materials

       The types of free and inexpensive materials are almost endless. The more commonly available items include posters, games, pamplets, brochures, reports, charts, maps, books, audiotapes, videotapes, multimedia kits, and real objects.

   a) Advantages

      - Up to date⇒ Free and inexpensive materials can provide up-to-date information that

        is not contained in textbooks or other commercially available media.

      - In-depth treatment⇒ Such materials often provide in-depth treatment of a topic.

      - Variety of uses⇒ These materials lend themselves to your own classroom 

        presentation. Individual students who want to explore a subject of interest can use

        the audiovisual materials for self-study or for presentation to the class. Posters,

        charts, and maps can be combined to create topical displays.

      - Student manipulation⇒ Materials that are expendable have the extra advantage of

        allowing learners to get activity involved with them.

   b) Limitations

       - Bias or advertising⇒ Many free and inexpensive materials are described as sponso-

         red materials because their production and distribution are sponsored by particular

         organizations.

      - Special interests⇒ What may be even more trouble some is sponsored material that

        doesn't contain outright advertising but promotes some special interest in a less

        obvious way.

      - Limited quantities⇒ With the increasing expense of producing both printed and

        mediated materials, your supplier may have to impose limits on the quantities of

        items available at one time.

   c) Source

           There are local, state, national, and international sources of free and inexpensive materials, and may of these are now available as websites. Nationally, one of the most prolific sources of free and inexpensive materials is the federal goverment.

   d) Obtaining Materials

       - When you have determined what you can use and where you can obtain it, write to

         the supplier, some agencies will not supply free and inexpensive materials unless

         you write on school or company letterhead.

       - Many suppliers attempt to improve free and inexpensive materials on the basis of

         user comments.

   e) Appraising Materials

       - Use the appropriate "Appraisal Checklist" for the type of media ( printed material,

         videotape) you are appraising. All the "Appraisal Checklist" froms in this book have 

         the rating criterion "Free From Objectionable bias or advertising". Use it judiciously

         when reviewing free and inexpensive materials.



5. Display Surfaces
    - If you are going to use visuals such as photographs, drawings, charts, graphs, or 
      posters, you need a way to display them.
    - How you display your visuals will depend on a number of factors, including :
       - The nature of your audience
       - The nature of your visuals
       - The instructional setting
       - The availability of the various display surfaces
    - The kinds of display surfaces :
      ➤ Chalkboards
               The chalkboards is most commonly used to support verbal communication, but
           you can use it as a surface on which to draw visuals to help illustrate instructional
           units. You may draw graphics, such as sketches and diagrams or charts and graphs,
           on the chalkboard for display to the class.

example of chalkboard

      ➤ Multipurpose Boards
               As the name implies, you can use them for more than one purpose. The write
          surface is also suitable for projection of video, slides, and overhead transparencies.

example of multipurpose board

    ➤ Copy Boards
              A high-tech variation of the multipurpose boards is the copy boards, or electro
           nic whiteboards. This device makes reduced size paper copies what is written on
           the board. It looks like a smaller multipurpose board but may contain multiple
           screens or frames that can be scrolled forward and backward.
              You can prepare content beforehead on any or all of the screens. The copy 
           board is especially valuable for brainstorming sessions and for summarizing group
           discussions. Because of the high cost of current models, the copy board isn't
           commonly found in school settings.

example of copy boards

     ➤ Pegboards
             It is particulary useful for displaying heavy objects, three-dimensional materials,
         and visuals.

example of pegboard

    ➤ Buletin Boards
             The term bulletin board implies a surface on which bulletins- brief news announ
         cements of urgent interest are posted for public notice. In practice, bulletin board
         displays tend to serve three board purposes : Decorative, Motivational, or
         Instructional.
         - The Decorative bulletin boards ⇒ It's function is to lend visual stimulation to the
            environment.
         - The motivational bulletin boards ⇒ It's posters pride in achievement, reinforcing
           students' efforts to do a good job.
         - The Instructional bulletin Boards ⇒ Is complementing the educational or training
           objectives of the formal curriculum.

example of bulletin board

    ➤ Cloth Boards
             Cloth boards are constructed of cloth stretched over a study baking material such
          as polywood, masonite, or heavy cardboard. One great advantage of the hook-and-
          loop board is that it can support large and heavy visuals, even books and other
          three-dimensional objects. Teachers of reading and other creative activities often 
          use the cloth board to illustrate stories, poems, and other reading materials. For
          example, they may pace on the board visuals depicting characters and scenes an a 
          story and more them around as the story unfolds.

example of cloth board game

    ➤ Magnetic Boards
            The major advantage of magnetic boards is that maneuvering visuals is easier and
        quicker than with cloth boards. For example, physical education instructor often use
        them to demonstrate rapid changes in player positions. Magnetic boards also have
        greater adhesive quality. Visual displayed on a magnetic board aren't likely to slip
        or fall.

    ➤ Flip Charts
           A flip chart is pad of large paper fastened together at the top and mounted to an
        easel. The individual sheets each hold a limited verbal/visual message and usually
        are arranged for sequential presentation to a small group.
           The flip chart is an extremely versatile, convenient, and inexpensive media format
        it requires no electrical power, has no moving parts to wear out, can be used in a 
        range of lighting conditions, is portable, and requires only a marking pen as peri-
        pheral equipment. Moreover, it's the most user-friendly tool.

example of flip chart

    ➤ Exhibits
            Exhibits are collections of various objects and visuals designed to form an integra-
        ted whole for instructional purposes. The school media center is a convenient loca-
        tion for exhibits.
            There are two types of exhibits :
        - Displays ⇒ A display is a collection of materials (e.g., labels and descriptions).

example of display

       - Dioramas ⇒ Dioramas are static displays consisting of a three-dimentional fore-
          ground and a flat background to create a realistic scene. The foreground is usually
          a landscape of some sort with models of people, animals, vehicle, equipment, or
          buildings. The naturalistic background may be a photograph, drawing, or painting.

example of dioramas

Source : Heinich, Molenda, Russell, Smaldino et.All, 2002. Instructional Media and Technologies For Learning Volume 7. California: The University of California