Teaching aids and Instructional materials

Note: From a 21st century, post-pandemic point of view, teaching aids and instructional materials
can be considered as “learning and teaching resources” for a hybrid online-offline educational setting.
They are now mostly screens and computers connected via the internet (teaching aids) and educational
media (instructional materials). Technological changes have merged the concepts of teaching aids &
instructional materials in ways that old definitions did not foresee.

Teaching aids (TAs): Teaching aids are objects (such as a book, picture, or map) or devices (such as a
DVD or computer) used by a teacher to enhance or enliven classroom instruction (Merriam-Webster).
They could be audiovisual teaching aids such as videos and guest lectures or tactile 3D models.

Instructional materials (IMs): Instructional materials are defined as resources that organize and support
instruction, such as textbooks, tasks, and supplementary resources (adapted from Remillard & Heck,
2014). It refers to the human and non-human materials and facilities that can be used to ease, encourage,
improve and promote teaching and learning activities. They are whatever materials are used in the
process of instruction (IGI global). The great Soviet encyclopedia defines IMs as educational resources
used to improve students’ knowledge, abilities, and skills, to monitor their assimilation of information, and
to contribute to their overall development and upbringing.

What are Teaching Aids?

Broadly speaking, any device, method, or system that helps to teach can be called a teaching aid. These
devices can be traditional items such as blackboards and flannel boards as well as electronic devices
such as tablets and projectors. Scientific tools such as telescopes and microscopes could also be used as
teaching aids in a given context. Two overarching common factors between most teaching aids: mediums
that promote sensory engagement and stimulation.

Examples based on classification systems: 

 
Classification 1:

 Non-electronic – Chalkboards, flip boards, slates, print photos & media, telescopes

 Electronic/digital – Computers, mobiles, clicker devices, internet-powered apps, PowerPoint

slideshows, Augmented reality/Virtual reality goggles, AV-room equipment, music/art-based
content delivery

Classification 2:

 Auditory: Radios, tape recorders, CD players (now redundant)

 Visual: Slides, projectors, digital screens (now mostly digital screens only)

 Audiovisual: Youtube, Vines (yes, they are helpful), Ted Talks, Live stream apps, documentary
repositories, Instagram guides/stories, reels, and TikTok
  Audiovisual and tactile: 3D models, field visits, toys, lab apparatus, plant/animal/rock
specimens

 Collaborative/Social: Online classrooms, forums, Facebook pages, Quora spaces, subreddits,

special interest group discussions, virtual meetups, study and support groups, websites that allow
collaboration, score/progress tracking websites, feedback websites

What are Instructional Materials?

Instructional materials are those items that assist and describe the information aspect of teaching.
These could take the form of textbooks, worksheets, 3D models, charts, infographics, etc.

Instructional materials also include assessment and testing methods. Basically, any material, any
information containing resources which that the teacher uses while instructing. Now testing materials
don’t necessarily contain information, but they help the retention and learning of information, thus, they
are instructional materials. Sometimes, they are a means to an end, the end being the assimilation of
information.

Classification

 Traditional resources: lectures, talks, writings, project rubrics, guidelines, textbook primers,
reference books, extra-readings, teacher and student-created summaries, workbooks,
supplementary material such as flashcards and charts

 Digital media: Explainer videos, photos, presentations, infographics, talking-head videos, audio
summaries, podcasts

 Open resources: Expert blogs, open-source journals, public databases, open courseware, forum
discussions, memes

 Testing resources: Standardized tests, classroom assignments, online submissions, quizzes,

essays, collaborative projects

Key differences between Teaching aids and Instructional materials 

As you’ll see in this article, TAs and IMs work together to reach teaching goals. However, the traditional
separation of TAs and IMs is superficial and needs revision. It breaks down based on who uses a specific
tool and how it is used. Dictionaries don’t define Instructional materials clearly. The term “instructional
material” is largely restricted to the literature on specific pedagogies. In fact, the term ‘Instructional
materials’ is used in the context of reaching course-based learning goals. IMs are specifically designed to
align with learning objectives and outcomes. Whereas, teaching aids are not always designed to meet
course-based goals. You might have guessed – the same object can be a TA or an IM.

Example 1: A teacher is using a book in the class; each student has a copy.

If a book is used as a course-prescribed resource, it is instructional material.

If the book is a student engagement activity (reading and discussing a story to build vocabulary) and isn’t
a part of the syllabus, it would function as a teaching aid.

Example 2: You are studying algae under a microscope.

A microscope would be an instructional material if a course-based learning goal is ‘using a microscope to

study microscopic entities’.

However, a microscope would be a teaching aid for a theory class on algae. A teacher could use one to
show students what it looks like in order to engage the class in learning about algae.
 Traditionally speaking, teaching aids have been thought of as devices that can be used – white and
blackboards, computers, calculators, projectors, slideshows, tape recordings, television, etc. Teaching
aids are tools that help the delivery of information. A TA isn’t information, or to put it in a different way,
information is not directly embedded in a TA. But IMs often have information embedded in them.
Resource books, worksheets, graphs, etc. are all IMs because of this embedding. However, tools such as
microscopes are IMs if they are precisely aligned with a teaching objective.

Sometimes, graphical media can be used as both – infographics could be a teaching aid if they help but
are not a core teaching resource, or they can be embedded within a book or used as a way to summarize
a larger concept directly. Digital media is often considered as Instructional material because the
information is embedded in it and it needs planning for educational use. This planning is eventually
integrated into the coursework as a learning activity.

An incredible amount of learning takes place online. That’s why teachers have redesigned & repurposed
their content for online delivery.

Teaching aids and Instructional materials- tools for teachers and students

Advantages of ICT Tools

1. Cost-efficient
2. Provide the facility for easy student management
3. Direct classroom teaching
4. Improved modes of communication
5. Eco-friendly-Eliminate the usage of paper
6. Direct classroom teaching
7. Minimize cost and save time
8. Improved data and information security
9. Web-based LMS tools link teachers, students, researchers, and scholars and education together.
10. Teachers are able to teach better with graphics, video, and graphics.
11. Teachers can create interesting, well-designed, and engaging classroom activities.
12. Provide better teaching and learning methods
13. To spread awareness about the social impact of technological change in education.
14. Promoting and improving the digital culture in universities, colleges, and schools.
15. Automated solutions to paper-based manual procedures and processes.

Disadvantages of ICT Tools

1. Unemployment
2. Lack of security/privacy
3. Cyberbullying
 4. Reliance on technology
5. Social media
6. Preparation time

1. Unemployment: -Although IT has streamlined the process of business, it has created redundancy and
subcontinent in the job. Employers can save more money by using computers instead of human
resources, but due to this, employees are losing their jobs as no longer needed.
2. Lack of Security/Privacy: - Although IT has changed and maybe more convenient, it has also raised
issues of privacy and security. Phone signal interception, email hacking, etc., people are concerned that
personal information can become public knowledge. IT continues to change almost every day, which
means that to secure their jobs, everyone has to be up-to-date in IT. Risk factors for attacking computer
viruses, trojans, spam, malware is also present in the systems.
3. Cyber Bullying: - In social network pages, it is now so easy to bully and bully others as it has become
very easy for the users of the internet around the world. They do not realize the consequences of
reading/listening to hostile comments. There have been various investigation cases involving
cyberbullying with lethal implications in the recent past.
Stop
4. Reliance on Technology: - People no longer bother to read, write, or calculate without computers
because of losing handwriting skills (why write if spell checker can be used). Calculate without calculator
even for the small addition, reading books (why read if there is huge information on the internet).
Avoid hurting the feelings of someone through emails or other forms of electronic communication; respect
other's online rights; avoid insulting anyone. If someone disrespects you, you stay calm; avoid discussion
groups or forums crashing groups; respect other people's privacy online; be responsible online."
5. Social Media: - Network pages are open for everyone who can influence their physical and mental
health by playing and watching violent games, including young children and teenagers. They are addicted
to iPods, phones, gaming consoles, forgetting about society's external activities and communication.
6. Preparation Time: - Preparation takes more time so that the internet can be used effectively for
education. In addition to designing internet-based plans, we have to surf the Internet in order to download
the lesson plans and adapt them to support the course's objectives or visit sites to choose appropriate
places for the classes needed.