COURSE :EDUCATION MEDIA AND RESOURCES

COURSE CODE:CIM711/CIEM712
LECTURER:DR FELICITY MURUNGA
PRESENTER:GODIUS KIPTUM BURETI
REG NO:SEDU/CIM/D/041/23
VARIETY OF COMMUNITY LEARNING RESOURCES
1.Introduction:

More scientific technique call for the use of heuristic approach in teaching as this gives students a chance to
utilize the resources within the local environment that is the community. These are common place
experiences within a community or outside the school which will enable a learner to get firsthand
experience of his /her environment. According to Wittich and Schuller (1973), utilizing community resources
is the mostly effective way to help students to become informed about their social and natural environment
as it provides for them a learning experience which is real or life-like and one available to all learners for first
hand scrutiny, questioning and cognition.

2.Definition of terms:

a) Community: Is a group of people living together in a particular area and share common facilities,
resources and interests. I e.g. school, clan, village etc.
b) Learning resource: Anything or person used to facilitate and enhance the process of learning
c) Instructional Development: Purposeful planning and teaching using instructional materials in order
to effect desired behavioral change in learners through progressive achievement of lesson
objectives
d) Community Learning Resources:
Whittich (1967) defines community resources as various learning situations through which pupils
come into first hand contact with people, places and all things around them. It includes visiting
organizations, institutions and neighborhoods or regions of the community, interviewing public
officials and community leaders
These are people and items of value within a physical, socio-cultural and economic environment
which can be adapted for the purposes of instruction.
e) Resource persons:

Grasha (1996) describes resource persons as people in the community with diversified interest, talents,
occupations and accomplishments eg, politicians, doctors, teachers, engineers, clergymen etc.

3.Various community learning resources in relation to teaching and learning

Community resources can be categorized into:

 People
 Places
 Activities
 Things
 Mock-ups (Three Dimensional Materials)
 Outdoor Laboratories
Factors to consider when selecting community teaching materials

a) Curriculum factors
Teachers should select materials that are in alignment with curriculum standards and objectives
expected to be followed and achieved.
Aligning community learning resources with the competence based curriculum (CBC)
CBC is a wholesome curriculum introduced in Kenya in December 2017 as per the recommendation
of Rodney 1994(developing a national framework geared towards competency based education to
meet local needs of the citizens). This curriculum is learner centered and mainly focuses on learner
need, experiences, background, perspectives and interest as they relate to learning.
This learner centered approach requires an increased learner engagement in their bid to make
connections between what they already know and new information.
Learners are required to manipulate various education media to improve their competency skills in
 Communication and collaboration
 Self-efficacy
 Critical thinking and problem solving
 Creativity and imagination
 Citizenship
 Digital literacy
 Learning to learn

To achieve these competencies, learners are required to manipulate available resources and media
through the following approaches
i. Cooperative Learning-This is where learners work in small groups and tasks are structured
in a manner that every learner contribute to the completion of tasks.
ii. Group discussions-this is a learning strategy where learners articulate their views and
respond to opinions from their own understanding.
iii. Independent study this is a study approach where learners select a topic of focus, define a
problem, gather and analyze information and apply their own skills to create a product to
show and tell the rest.
iv. Portfolio development.
These is where learners are supposed to gather, organize and illustrate examples of their
learning experience and accomplishments. These learning process will require utilization of
the available resources within the community.
v. Venn diagram
This is a graphic organizer that is used to compare and construct information about two or
more objects, concepts or ideas.it enable learners to organize information and see a
relationship.
vi. Community service learning
This is a teaching strategy in which a teacher designs a project where a learner will
participate in community activities that has learning component and reflection.
vii. Inquiry based learning
This is a strategy that provides leaners with an opportunity to examine issues issues
systematically that involves identifying the issues, planning action, evaluating the action and
reporting the experiences for further action.
viii. Project based learning
This is a teaching strategy in which learners are guided to identify a project which is
undertaken and reported
 These learning approaches emphasize on utilization of the available resources around the
school community to promote continuous development of and individual as well as the
society at large.

b) Student factors
Teachers should consider characteristics of learners eg their age, level, background interest,
learning styles. Teachers should therefore choose those sources that are learner engaging,
those methods that address the diverse needs of the learners. (learning becomes effective
when learners relate learning materials and the process of teaching)
c)Content factors
Teachers should consider teaching materials that are relevant to the learning objectives and
provide quality content to learners. These material should be accurate, current and
comprehensive and should cover essential topics and concepts that students need to learn.
Teachers should therefore choose materials that are clear, coherent, attractive and that use
effective pedagogical strategies and methods to facilitate learning.
These materials should be in line with CBC curriculum requirements that learning
approaches should incorporate various learning media and technology in order to stimulate
curiosity and interest of learners.
d)Resource factors
Learning materials to be chosen should be readily accessible, adaptable and that fit in to the
budget and time constraints. Therefore, teachers should consider the resources that they
can customize and modify according to the context and needs of the learners.
e) Evaluation factors
Teachers should choose teaching materials that are evidence based, data driven and
responsive and that allow you to monitor and measure the progress and performance of
students.in regard to the CBC curriculum, materials that provide formative and summative
assessments should be chosen.

(a) People as a learning Resource

This involves human interaction within both formal and informal setting. In Informal settings, students learn
informally from interacting with members of school and the community at large. For instance, students can
provide one another with enthusiasm, collaboration, audience, encouragement, feedback

and evaluation. Under formal settings, people act as resource persons and are knowledgeable in given areas
of interest, they come to school or are visited at their places of work so as to share the knowledge, skills and
other experiences with learners.

People as learning resources can be categorized into two groups;

i) Professional group-people with specialized knowledge, professional by

training; they include teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers among others.

ii) Experience group-refers to people who have gained knowledge and skills by

virtue of the length of service or special experience or encounter. They include

farmers, politicians, traders’ etc.

Students as Community Learning Resources:

Students can also be used as CLRs.

Teachers can develop students in the following ways;

 Encouraging study skills and acquisition of knowledge e.g. through research,

project work, assignment etc.
 Using teaching methods that encourage the development of social skills e.g.
listening, constructive criticism, skills in presentation of work etc. Such
teaching methods include discussion, brainstorming, debate and group work
 Specialized instruction for certain group of students to assist each other e.g.

prefects, peer counselors and team leaders.

 Through team teaching to develop a sense of community in the school where

 virtues such as punctuality, integrity, and loyalty can be acquired through
examples
 Making learning resources available e.g. relevant textbooks, laboratory
equipment, specimens etc.

Advantages of Developing Students as Learning Resources

 Develops self-esteem, self-work among all members of school community.

 Encouragement of lifelong virtues.
 Improves learning (retention, motivation, critical thinking and interest).
 Provides for development of individualized instruction.
 Provides opportunities for remedial learning.

(b) Places as a learning resource

Places are community resources and can be variously referred as natural resources

and learning is accomplished through field trips (class, study, school and field)

excursion, journey, or visit. There are many are many locations within a community around the school that
contain facilities that can be used to demonstrate certain ideas and concepts. Therefore, places are varied
and include; forests, agricultural plantations (tea, coffee, sugar cane), factories, museums, Zoos, landforms,
irrigation schemes/projects, game reserves and parks.

(c) Activities or Events as Learning Resources

Community activities can be referred to as events, they include such activities as play performances,
agricultural shows, farming, field days, cultural festivals, religious gatherings, among others.

The teacher normally has no control over the content, timing and duration of the activity. There is therefore
need for the teachers to familiarize themselves with the activity.

(d) Things as a learning Resource

These can be referred to as objects, artifacts, real things, and specimens. In education technology the term
referred to things is Realia. Things/Realia, are cultural artifacts and other items found within the community
that can be used to illustrate, compare or clarify an idea or concept. The ranges of things that can used to
aid the learning of various topics in various subject areas are enormous.

Examples include animals dead or alive, animal parts, plants, tools antiques, foods, art objects and so on. A
teacher should be familiar with the kind of realia in the community that can be used to teach different topics
in his or her subject area. Learners should be involved in collecting the specimens. Collection of artifacts

should involve;

i. planning.

ii. Research.

iii. Preservation.

iv. Mounting.

v. Displaying in interesting ways.

(e) Mock-ups (Three Dimensional Materials)

These are replications of real situations. They are full-size models. They show operation of tools and
machines and are concerned with the actual process of working or mechanism.

(f) Outdoor Laboratories

The teacher may use exterior learning areas within or adjacent to the school e.g. aquatic (pond, stream),
terrestrial (farm, woodland) and geological (rocks and mineral deposits). They are also referred to as natural
resources.

4.Ways of utilizing community resources for instruction

Community learning resources can be utilized in the following ways to achieve instruction purpose.

 Taking the school to the community.

 Bringing a portion of the community to the school.

a) Taking the school to the community

This can be done through,

I. Field trips
These field trips ca either be study excursion (short trips which do not take a whole day) and field
system study (long trips which take a whole day).
II. Community survey
This involves taking learners to the community to learn through surveys i.e observing different
activities carried out in the community.
III. School camping
 This is a learning experience outside the school. Objectives to be achieved must be earlier stated.

IV. Community service projects

This is an outdoor learning experience where learners are taken to provide some service to the
community and in the process they gain knowledge e.g tree planting, controlling soil erosion,
cleaning environment etc.
Preparations for taking the school to the community
I)Preparation before visiting the community
 In class, the teacher should prepare students psychologically for the trip.
 The teacher should consult with the term calendar and term dates to arrive at the
appropriate date to avoid collision with other important learning activities.
 The teacher should select the date and the place or community site to be visited.
 Seek permission for the trip from school administration
 Prepare learning objectives to be accomplished in the field
 Organize the appropriate data collection methods (interviews, focus group discussion,
observation, photography, videos, surveys, case studies etc.)
 Pre visit can be organized to the community to ascertain the availability of the data sources.
 Organize the appropriate data collection tools in line with data collection methods
(questionnaires, cameras, audio recorders, sample bottles etc)
 Notify the people to be engaged in the field if any.
 Organize for transport services of the learners in consultation with school administration
 Organize a feeding program for learners during the visit.

ii)Follow-up activities after visiting the community

 sorting out of the data collected
 analyzing collected data by describing the main findings
 writing reports by summarizing the analyzed data

b) bringing a portion of the community to school

this involves bringing professionals and experienced persons to act as a source of information to the
learners.

Under the CBC aim of the practical approach to learning;

 learners should be provided with a real world view of learning where they are exposed to the real
world problems in order to develop skills that handle these problems successfully.
 Learners should develop a mechanisms of copying from self and the society.

These skills and knowledge can be obtained by bringing resource persons to the school.

Planning to use people as a resource

a) planning before visit by the resource person

1. Specify the lesson objective to the resource persons.

2. Interact with the guest formally or informally to ascertain whether the guest

meets the expectations.

3. invite them formally for the lesson if they meet your expectations: Invite

them and brief them on the following;

i. Learning objectives of the lesson

ii. Level of the learners

iii. Learners’ expectations, characteristics and interests

iv. Offer suggestions for use of visual aids.

v. Let the guest know how much time is available for presentation

vi. Give the schedule time and date.

Planning during the visit by resource person

On the date of presentation, you must be around to receive the guest; you will

then be required to:

i) Introduce the guest to the class before you invite him. You are required to stay

the entire lesson and lead any discussions if necessary.

ii) After presentations and any other activity including discussions and questions

give a word of thanks. A volunteer student should also thank the guest for the

presentation.

planning after the visit by resource person

Follow up -review the lesson at an appropriate time, let students round up the

lesson, it can be an activity or a task, e.g. a discussion paper or projects.

Potentials of Community Learning Resources

I. It adds meaning and authenticity to what is being learnt, thus enhance precarious learning/learning thro
Benefits of Community Learning Resources (CLRs) in instruction

i. They can lead to effective and meaningful learning-it creates a link

between abstract content taught in the classroom and the textbooks and

the world of reality.

ii. They stimulate the learners’ interests in learning.

iii. They enhance retention of what has been learned or taught

iv. It adds meaning and authenticity to what is being learnt, thus enhance precarious learning/learning
through experience

v. It leads to mastery of important skills pertinent to individual and

social development. Such skills include creativity, observation, leadership, communication among others

vi. Can lead to change of attitude among learners towards the society in which they live

vii. Provides an opportunity to exposure and active participation in real life affairs of the community
exposing them to issues facing them communities

viii. CLRs are readily available within the nearby community.

ix. Links the school to the community.

Limitations of Community Resources

Limitations of community resources are few, and related to the teacher. If a teacher

prepares for the lesson most obstacles can be eliminated. The shortages include;

i. Time factor-spending time out of the class can waste time for other lessons on the school time table.

ii. Some CLRs are expensive, (Costs-travel, entrance, accommodation and food)

CONCLUSION

1. Community resources provide first experience hence should result in effective learning because it is
interesting, concrete, involving and life like.

2.Utilisation of community learning resources is in line with competency based approach CBA where the
pedagogical approach focuses on learning by doing, project oriented, experimental learning and problem
solving activities. Emphasis should be on individual learners rather than textbooks of learners and trainers.
Approaches to the learning process should be flexible and dynamic to suit the interest of learners.

Use of community resources require careful planning by the teacher to ensure appropriate manipulation for
effective learning.
REFERENCES
1. Brown W. J., Lewis R., and Harcleroad F.F. (1985). AV Instruction, Technology, Media

and Methods (6th Edition). New York: McGraw Hill.

2. Collins, J., Hammond, M., and Wellington, J. (2002). Teaching and Learning with Multimedia (1 st ed.) E-
library. London: Taylor and Francis

3. Heinich, R., Molenda, M., and Russell, J.D. (1992). Instructional Media and the New Technologies of
Instruction (4th Edition). Macmillan College Division. ISBN-978-978

4.Wittich, A. W. (1967). Instructional Technology; its Nature and Use. New York.

Harper and Row

5. Grasha, A. (1996). Teaching With Style. California. Alliance Publishers.