Teaching Aids: Types and Importance

What are Teaching Aids?

Teaching Aids are the supplementary instructional resources or objects employed by the teacher to enhance the interest and curiosity about the topic in the students. The teaching aids are generally created considering the psychology of the learner. In other words, we can say that teaching aids are just like props used by the teacher to illustrate concepts to the students. The introduction of multiple types of teaching aids in the lesson plan helps to develop the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills of students.

According to the Collins Dictionary, “Teaching aid is any device, object, or machine used by a teacher to clarify or enliven a subject.”

Significance of Teaching Aids

A few topics are difficult to understand. In that scenario, the usage of teaching aids provides clarity on the topic.

Teaching aids such as quizzes and case studies help to brainstorm the different perspectives about the topic.

To break the monotony in the classroom, teachers can utilize teaching aids and make it lively and interesting.

Teaching aids help to retain the knowledge for a long duration.

Teaching aids help to acquire practical exposure to the concept and students can also apply that knowledge in real-life situations.

It discourages rote learning and encourages critical thinking of students.

Types of Teaching Aids

There are different types of Teaching Aids used in the ideal classroom:

Audio Aids

Audio aids are beneficial in increasing the listening skill. The audio aids are great for auditory learners. Audio aids include radio, phones, tape recorder, audio books, podcasts, gramophones and more.

Radio: Radio helps to increase the general knowledge of the students about current events. Broadcasting educational programs and news on the radio helps to inculcate listening skills.

Podcasts and Audiobooks: Podcasts and Audiobooks are currently emerging audio aids. Students can access recorded lectures on podcasts and audiobooks anywhere, as it is 24/7 available. Listening to educational Podcasts and audiobooks helps to increase the listening comprehension among the students.

Teleconference: Students and teachers can connect through teleconferencing and exchange their perspectives or suggestions on a particular issue.

Visual Aids

Visual Aids consists maps, flashcards, posters, graphs, models, real objects, charts, flannel boards, photographs, PowerPoint Slides, bulletin boards. These teaching aids attract the attention of the students.

Flashcards: Flashcards are used for short answers or for creating interactive quiz sessions. The teacher can use flashcards to show questions and then students have to answer. Then the teacher shows whether the answer is correct or not, which is on the back side of the flashcard.

Real Objects: Teachers use Real objects in the lesson plan to give real-life experiences about the topic to the students and make the concept easy to understand.

PowerPoint slides: Due to technological advancement, nowadays teachers prefer to use PowerPoint slides to explain the concept. As it attracts the attention of the students. Images, content, and assessment relevant to the concept can be showcased by PowerPoint slides.

Models: Suppose the teacher is explaining the functioning of an ATM with the help of a working model of an ATM. Students can practically perform the functioning of an ATM. So, it develops a curiosity in the minds of students to learn the know-how of ATM.

Charts/Posters: The teacher can explain the process, cause and effect, methods, and differentiation of elements by the chart.

Graphs: Techers used graphs in teaching especially to explain the statistical concepts to the students. Suppose a teacher is explaining substitute goods to the students with the help of a graph and showcases the price of tea increases, so the demand for coffee will increase.

Photographs: Teacher can showcase photographs of famous personality and enquire about that personality.

Audio-Visual Aids

Audio-visual aids such as overhead projector, film strips, videotapes, puppet show and so on. These are used to enhance communication skills, listening skills, and social skills.

Overhead Projector: Overhead Projectors are used to showcase videos or movies related to lesson plan in the classroom. It is used to expediate sensory learning experience.

Film Strips and Videotapes: Educational films and Videotapes played in the classroom leave a strong mark on the cognitive skills of the students. Students can easily understand the gist of the concept without recalling things again and again.

Television: Television is one of the most popular teaching aids. As we know, IGNOU broadcasts educational programs on DD Gyan Darshan Channel, especially for their students. So, even students in remote areas can easily get an education from proficient teachers without going to college.

Computer: Nowadays, teachers use computers to make the teaching-learning process effectual and constructive. It arouses interest among students and also makes students and teachers computer savvy.

Traditional Aids

Traditional teaching aids such as textbooks, reference books, journals, newspapers, globes, periodicals, blackboards and many more used in the classroom to make comprehension easy and clear.

Conclusion

While using teaching aids, teacher should consider the knowledge and perception of the students. Due to the effective usage of teaching aids by the teacher, students will be able to remember the concept effortlessly. Now, students will engage more and actively participate in the class.

What does a teacher should consider while using Teaching aids in the classroom?

The teacher should give loud and clear instructions about the teaching aids to the students. So, there will be proper decorum maintained in the class.