Teaching aids help to make the learning environment interesting and engaging.

As we move
toward a more digital society, children are being exposed to technology and digital devices at a
younger age. Therefore, this assignment discusses the merit and demerits of using television as a
teaching and learning resource in lesson presentation.

To start with, television was invented by J.L. Biard in India, it was introduced on an
experimental basis in Delhi in 1959. Colour television was introduced in 1982. Television is one
of the most wonderful and useful invention of modern times. It is the most powerful and far
reaching means of communication, education and entertainment. Without television we would be
like a frog in a well who knows nothing of the outside world.

Moreover, the television has merits and demerits. To begin with merits, the television is an
audio-visual material which has the ability to show both advantages of television for instruction
the picture and relaying the sound effect at the same time to the mass audience at different places
or locations. The most obvious instructional attribute of a television is its ability to present colour
moving pictures with sound over long distances. Its signals can be recorder or played back
instantly.

According to Brown, J. (1998), communication by television is effective because it can transmit

a wide range of audiovisual materials including still pictures, film, objects, specimens and
drama. Instructional television will reach large audiences at low-cost per person. Viewers over
vast geographical areas can experience a live event simultaneously. It is capable of transporting
the viewer to any location in the past, present and future.

Furthermore, learners can be reached at home through television broadcasting which makes
“open and distance learning” a reality. The development of inexpensive video-recorders makes it
feasible for students to view video materials on an individual basis.

Hilmes, (2010) states that, “television can bring models of excellence to the viewer”. We can
see and hear the able scientist, the creative teacher, the great poet and the pragmatic dramatist.
Television can bring specialized teachers in foreign languages, mathematics, science etc. to the
classroom. Television bridges the educational opportunities gap between children living in urban
centres and those in the rural communities.

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Moreover, television can bring the versatility of the television camera to the teaching process.
The medium provides us with sounds and sights not easily available even to the viewer of a real
event: long shots, close ups, zoom shorts, magnification, extreme close ups, etc. Think of
watching a football game on the television and going to the field to watch. Think also of medical
students watching films on surgery and performing the actual surgery.

Brown, J. (1998) states that, “television is an important resource used for self-evaluation in
macro and micro-teaching in schools, teacher training colleges and universities”. Television may
thus be used to present common experiences for group discussion and evaluation after a teacher
on practiced teaching has been recorded. Television can be both instructive and enjoyable. It can
provide an interesting, exciting change of pace, and give us the variety that is the spice of
education.

On the other side, the complexity of the television technology allows many possibilities for
disruption of the communication flow. Therefore, this means that atmospheric conditions may
disturb broadcast signals or satellite reception.

Furthermore, there is high possibility of technical difficulties over which the teachers or students
have little or no control that will intervene between the lesson and the learner for example, the
television set itself may be malfunctioning.

According to Hilmes, (2010), television as an instructional tool is a one-way channel of

communication. There is little or no feedback from the target audience. Some critics of television
also advance the reason that it encourages passivity on the part of the viewer especially for
educational purposes.

However, the cost may be another limiting factor. Colour television sets are expensive,
moreover the human labour involved in production, distribution, maintenance etc. can also be
capital intensive. Unless large numbers of learners are being served, the costs may be difficult to
justify.

It is not very ideal for large group viewing since television image is displayed on a rather small
surface. One television receiver is needed for approximately thirty viewers. Though this

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limitation can be overcome by using the large-screen television projection systems, the cost is
still prohibitive for many educational applications.

Fourie, H. (1975) states that, television moves ahead at a constant speed. You cannot see a
television programme as you would a book. You cannot ‘read’ at your own pace. In other words,
you must match the tempo of your learning with the tempo of the televised presentation. This is
not always a simple matter. However some modern television sets are equipped to either fast
forward show or rewind to previous experiences which may be a study challenge to other pupils.

In conclusion, teaching aids prove to be a formidable supplement for teachers when the
reinforcement of a skill or concept is necessary. As traditional classrooms with blackboard and
chalk become a thing of the past, and smart classrooms become the norm, teaching aids are
growing in popularity and advancement. Blackboards are being replaced with white and smart
boards and televisions.

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 REFERENCES

Brown, J. (1998). Educational media yearbook. New York: Bowker.

Fourie, H. P. (1975). Communication by objectives. Johannesburg: McGraw-Hill.

Gerlach, V. (1971). Teaching and media. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.

Hilmes, (2010) “A Cultural History of Broadcasting in the United States". Wadsworth,

Cengage Press.