Effective Use of Teaching Aids

Take from DCU:http://www.dcu.ie

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Why use teaching aids?

Teaching aids are useful to: reinforce what you are saying, ensure that your point is understood, signal what is important/essential, enable students to visualise or experience

something that is impractical to see or do in real life,

engage students’ other senses in the learning process,

facilitate different learning styles.

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We Learn and Retain:

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30% of what we SEE

10% of what we READ

20% of what we HEAR

50% of what we HEAR and SEE

Higher levels of retention can be achieved through active involvement in learning.

WHITE-/BLACKBOARD

Advantages No advanced preparation

required, except when displaying a

complex table/chart/ diagram.

Technology is not dependent on electricity or other possible glitches.

Can be used by students for problem-solving, etc.

Disadvantages Time-consuming if you have

a lot to write. Handwriting may be difficult

to read (legibility, size, glare, etc.).

Turn your back on audience.

Cleaning the board (chalk dust, permanent marker, etc.)

Can’t go back to something you’ve erased.

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WHITE-/BLACKBOARD

TIPS Get to the lecture hall early to make sure that the

board has been cleaned. Bring your own chalk/markers and eraser. If you have problems with keeping your writing

level, draw horizontal lines in advance using a pencil and metre stick.

Draw complex diagrams, charts, etc. in advance and cover with a piece of newsprint until needed.

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OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

Advantages Allows you to prepare all

your slides in advance. Particularly suited for

complex diagrams, charts and illustrations.

Can build up information point-by-point through the use of overlays.

Don’t have to turn your back on the audience.

Disadvantages A blown bulb or power

failure can spoil all your hard work.

Image quality can also be a problem.

Can be disorienting to manipulate transparencies on projector plate.

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OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

Preparing Transparencies By hand, or Computer application (eg. MS PowerPoint, MS

Word, HTML documents) Printing - colour or B/W Printer (laser or inkjet), or Photocopier

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OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

Selecting Text Avoid overcrowding Avoid continuous prose Bullet or numbered points preferred KILLS

Keep It Legible, Lean and Simple

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OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

Please observe the rules prohibiting the

combustion of vegetable material

and the exhalation of noxious fumes in this

auditorium.

NO SMOKING

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Keep words to a minimum:

OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

1st Qtr. 2nd Qtr. 3rd Qtr. 4th Qtr.East 20.4 27.4 90.0 20.4West 30.6 38.6 34.7 31.5North 45.9 46.8 45.0 43.9

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Tables are best avoided:

OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

0

50

100

150

200

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

North

West

East

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Use Charts/Graphs instead:

OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

Choosing a Font Size - minimum 20pt

(5mm high)

Sans serif fonts preferred

Examples: 14 pt Tahoma

20 pt Tahoma

28 pt Tahoma

36 pt Tahoma

Times New Roman Arial Comic Sans

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OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

Style Notes for Transparencies Allow a margin of 5 cm (2”) all round. Avoid TOO MUCH UPPERCASE TEXT For emphasis, use bold or underlining instead of italics

Keep titles systematic and consistent Justification - left or centred Avoid light text on dark background.

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OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

Beforehand Get to the room early

to make sure the OHP is working.

Check the aim and focus.

Walk to the back of the room to see whether the smallest print is readable.

Relax (if possible).

During the Lecture Keep used and unused

slides in separate piles.

Cover the slide with a piece of cardboard and slide it down to reveal text as you go.

Use a pen on the OHP glass rather than pointing to the screen.

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DATA PROJECTOR (portable)

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Other MediaFLIPCHART

When to USE: if electricity is

unavailable, to enable

students to illustrate group reports,

to provide a written record of points made by students.

TIPS Check the room and

equipment beforehand. Get your own pad of

newsprint. Write out important pages in

advance. Don’t put too much on a

page. Carry a collection of felt-tip

pens and check that they haven’t dried out.

Bring along some Blutack.

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Other Media AUDIO TAPES or CDs

When to USE: Particularly suited for

language learning, media studies, English literature, etc.

Valuable when referring to recorded historical events (e.g. Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech).

Background music can also be played before class starts and during group activities.

TIPS Check the room and

equipment beforehand. Can it be heard from the

back of the room? Find the right spot on the

tape/CD and queue it up in advance.

Don’t play more than a few minutes of audio at one time.

Break up longer clips into segments, interspersed with discussion or other activities.

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Other Media VIDEO TAPES or DVDs

When to USE: Adds a dimension not

available through audio alone - helps students to visualise.

Essential when illustrating things that are impractical to do in real life.

Particularly suited for language learning, media studies, engineering, etc.

Valuable when referring to recorded historical events.

TIPSSame as for CDs/audio tapes Check equipment

beforehand. Can images be seen from

the back of the room? Queue up the tape in

advance. Break viewing into short

segments, interspersed with discussion or activities.

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