LESSON 6
Using and Evaluating
Instructional Materials
Objective:
What is an instructional material?
What is the importance of
fieltrip?
One
of the instructional materials used to attain instructional objectives is field trip.
It
is not enough to bring the class out for a field trip and make them observe
anything or anything or use other instructional materials for no preparation
and clear lesson at all. Perhaps this is what happened to the field trip joined
in by Linus, that’s why he seems not able to cite something specific that he
learned from the 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
The following guide questions express standards to
consider in the selection of instructional materials:
·
Do
the materials give a true picture of the ideas they present? To avoid
misconceptions, it is always good to ask when the material was produced.
·
Do
the materials contribute meaningful content to the topic under study? Does the
material help you achieve the instructional objective?
·
Is
the material appropriate for the age, intelligence, and experience of the
learners?
·
Is
the physical condition of the material satisfactory? An example, is a
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 maximum and to the optimum is
increased with a teacher’s guide.
·
Can
the materials 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.
·
Is
the material worth the time, expense and effort involved? A field trip, for
instance, requires much time, effort, and money. Is it more effective than any
other less expensive and less demanding instructional material that can take
its place? Or is there a better substitute?
P – Prepare
yourself
P –
Prepare your student
P –
Present the material
F – Follow up
The Proper Use of
Materials
You may have selected your
instructional material well. This is no guarantee that the instructional
material will be effectively utilized. It is one thing to select, a good
instructional material, it is another thing to use it well.
To ensure effective use of
instructional material, Hayden Smith and Thomas Nagel, (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 tie loose ends before the bell
rings.
Present
your students. Set 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 poor planning. (Smith, 1972) Using media and materials, especially if they
are mechanical in nature, often requires rehearsal and a carefully planned
performance. Wise are you if you try the materials ahead of your class use to
avoid a fiasco.
Follow up. Remember that you use
instructional material to achieve an objective, not to kill time, nor to give
yourself break, neither to merely entertain the class. You use the instructional
for the attainment of a lesson objective. Your use of the instructional
material is not the end in itself. It is a means to an end, the attainment of a
learning objective. So, there is need to follow up to find out if objective was
attained or not.
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