Learning aids & Improvised aids -Importance in science leraning

1. ONLINE ASSIGNMENT Submitted by, Amrutha sasi Physical Science

2. LEARNING AIDS & IMPROVISED AIDS-IMPORTANCE IN SCIENCE LEARNING There is an increasing need for scientists, engineers, and innovators. Future of our country depends on the nation’s educators to use hands-on and minds-on activities to make science interesting, engaging, and inspiring. However, a career in education, especially science education, can be challenging. So learning aids and improvised aids has very importance role in science learning. LEARNING AIDS Learning aids are an integral component in any classroom. The many benefits of learning aids include helping learners improve reading comprehension skills, illustrating or reinforcing a skill or concept, differentiating instruction and relieving anxiety or boredom by presenting information in a new and exciting way. Learning aids also engage students other senses since there are no limits in what aids can be utilized when supplementing a lesson. Need of learning aids Every individual has the tendency to forget. Proper use of learning aids helps to retain more concepts permanently. Students can learn better when they are motivated properly through different learning aids. Learning aids develop the proper image when the students see, hear, taste and smell properly. Learning aids provide complete example for conceptual thinking. The learning aids create the environment of interest for the students. Learning aids helps to increase the vocabulary of the students. Learning aids helps the teacher to get sometime and make learning permanent. Learning aids provide direct experience to the students.

3. Types of learning aids There are many aids available these days. We may classify these aids as follows- 1.Visual Aids 2.Audio Aids 3.Audio - Visual Aids Audio Aids The aids that involve the sense of hearing are called Audio aids. Eg: radio, tape recorder, gramophone etc. Fig 2: Radio Visual Aids The aids which use sense of vision are called Visual aids.Eg: actual objects, models, pictures, charts, maps, flash cards, flannel board, bulletin board, chalkboard, overhead projector, slides etc. Out of these black board and chalk are the commonest ones. Fig 1: Chart

4. Audio-Visual Aids The aids which involve the sense of vision as well as hearing are called Audio- Visual aids. Eg: television, film projector, film strips etc. Fig 3: Television Learning aids are classified into two based on projection as; Projected aids Projected visual aids are pictures shown upon a screen by use of a certain type of machine such as a filmstrip projector, slide projector, overhead projector or TV/VCR. Non-projected aids Non-projected visuals are those aids without any projection. So they translate abstract ideas into a more realistic format. They allow instruction to move from verbal representation to a more concrete level. Eg: Chalkboard, Whiteboard, Charts, Posters… etc. Importance of learning aids Learning aids play a very important role in Teaching- Learning process. Importance of learning aids is as follows. Motivation:-Learning aids motivate the students so that they can learn better. Clarification:-Through learning aids, the teacher clarify the subject matter more easily.

5. Discouragement of Cramming:-Learning aids can facilitate the proper understanding to the students which discourage the act of cramming. Increase the Vocabulary:-Learning aids helps to increase the vocabulary of the students more effectively. Saves Time and Money Classroom Live and active:-Learning aids make the classroom live and active. Avoids Dullness Direct Experience:-Learning aids provide direct experience to the student. IMPROVISED AIDS As a science teacher from a developing country, teaching science in these areas becomes very difficult, since it is taught from a more theoretical stand point and lacks the practicality of a concept. This is attributed to the lack of resources in these areas. This project was intended to make appropriate improvised materials in place of the standardized materials for teaching. Improvised aids are teaching aid designed and produced from the available local materials in order to promote effective teaching and learning in schools. They are materials that are used in the absence of the original or the ideal objects to bring about the same learning effect. The use of locally produced instructional materials in teaching and learning has many advantages. The use of improvisation in teaching makes the concept more practical and subsequently reduces abstractions. Again, they are cost effective, because they could be obtained from the local environment. They are generally very safe to use during demonstrations and experiments; it might not be capable of inflicting injuries, which means it could be hazard free. In addition, they serve as a motivation to learners inasmuch as they participate in the activities during the production of the materials and also arouse learners’ interest. Moreover, the use of these materials minimizes concerns about breakage, repair and loss since they are readily available in the environment. It informs both students and teachers that alternatives for some of the conventional science teaching materials are possible. It also

6. shows that people can do scientific experiments with the materials around them. It has some limitations. Most improvised materials lack precision and accuracy in measurement which may eventually undermine the exact outcome of the experiment. Sometimes the cost involved in designing these materials may be more expensive than buying the original ones. Again, the available material may not be suitable or appropriate for the lesson and can subsequently yield unexpected results. This can make learning more difficult and frustrating. Sometimes improvised materials may be expensive, and there may not be enough to teach a big class. Images of improvised aids in science Fig 4: Solar system made from chart papers Fig 5: Structure of chemical compound made from sticks and pearls