After going through this topic, you will be able to:
Identify and evaluate the most appropriate materials to support the achievement of learning outcomes.
Adapt available materials to suit your specific needs or produce new ones.
Use appropriate learning materials effectively, combined with relevant teaching content and methods.
There are many things to consider when developing, choosing and using learning materials. This topic helps you to think of some key issues when developing learning materials such as written materials, posters, charts, handouts, overheads, etc. It also relates to topic 5, which focuses on the relationship between content, methods and materials and gives some guidelines on how you may choose which materials to use. Finally, developing and choosing materials effectively are important, but using them is the real test. The best materials can be wasted if the trainer has poor communication and presentation skills, and so this topic has a very close link to topic 6 on methods of teaching and learning. As with teaching methods, you should not expect to have perfect materials the first time you use them. Always encourage feedback on your materials, and adapt them as needed, either to improve them, or to meet the learning needs of a specific group of participants.
If you are training other participants to develop, choose and use learning materials, you should ensure that they can go through a full process of developing an example of a learning material and then use it within a sample lesson in front of other participants for their feedback. Dealing with this topic only in a theoretical way will not enable participants to use materials effectively in practice.
How do we identify training materials?
Based on clearly articulated training needs.
Reflecting the curriculum a guide for learning which integrates the philosophy and orientation of a trainingprogramme, expected learning outcomes, key content, methodology and evaluation for the teaching and learning process. developed for the learning activity
Using available sources of information a source of data or sensory input, organized or arranged into a pattern which can be interpreted.
What types and formats of training materials exist?
Written or printed materials (manuals, textbooks, lecture notes, handouts…).
Audio-visual materials – projected (slides, film, video, transparencies…) or not-projected (drawings, models, objects…).
Advances in information and communication technology nowadays also allow people to develop electronic training materials using computers and the internet-world wide web.
How do we select training materials?
— Experience shows that:
§ Trainers often use ‘available’ training materials in support of their topic.
§ The content of the materials often determines the instruction.
§ Materials are mostly not ‘field-tested’.
§ Little time and effort are spent on the selection of available materials.
§ Little is known about evaluation criteria to assess the usefulness of available and new materials.
— People learn mostly by what they see and experience.
— Good training materials must thus focus on participants gaining access to real or contrived experiences and visuals rather than on writing or hearing even though time availability often favours the latter.
What are the characteristics of ‘good’ training materials?
— They are developed for a specific purpose.
— They target a specific audience (educational level, experience, existing or desired knowledge A complex construction of information and individual experience with an interrelatedsocial and environmental dimension. (N.B. many different interpretations of knowledgeexist, and this is one preferred in this Toolkit)).
— They reflect clear teaching/learning objectives and outcomes.
— Their content is technically correct.
— They are enhanced using various ‘instructional components’.
— They are presented logically and systematically.
— They have been field-tested and evaluated.
— They are attractive to the users.
How to evaluate existing or new training materials?
— Content is evaluated from the points of view of:
§ Target audience
§ Technical correctness
§ Instructional components included
§ Organization
§ Illustrations
§ Propaganda and bias
— Format is evaluated from the points-of-view of:
§ Equipment and infrastructure required
§ Practical use and quality
§ Ease of use
§ Overall attractiveness
Tips for trainers:
— Time and timing are crucial for any training materials development effort in the context of a specific training event.
— In agroforestry and natural resources management, materials often need to be produced by teams of resource persons and this will require some coordination.
— Resource persons must be subject matter specialists and focus on content whereas a training materials coordinator will need to add value through a series of services such as editing or proof-reading, peer review, desktop publishing, illustrations, translation, printing, etc.
Beniest J. 1994. Some guidelines on the preparation and use of audio-visuals in presentations. ICRAF Working Paper. Nairobi: ICRAF.
Bradbury A. 2000. Successful Presentation Skills. 2nd edition. London, UK: Kogan Page.
Brandt RC. 1986. Flip Charts: How to Draw Them and How to Use Them. San Diego CA, USA: Pfeiffer and Company.
Ellington H and Race P. 1994. Producing Teaching Materials. A Handbook for Teachers and Trainers. New Jersey, USA: Nichols Publishing.
Hartley J. 1994. Designing Instructional Text. New Jersey, USA: Nichols Publishing.
Minnick DR. 1989. A guide to Creating Self Learning Materials. Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines: International Rice Research Institute.
Petit A.1994. Secrets to enliven learning; how to develop extraordinary self-directed training materials. Oxford, UK: Pfeiffer and Company.
Stoneall L. 1991. How to Write Training Materials. San Diego CA, USA: Pfeiffer and Company.
Thorpe R. 1987. Projected Still Images in Training. UK: Training Technology Programme, North West Consortium, Parthenon Publishing.
Youdeowei A and Kwateng J. 1995. Development of Training Materials in Agriculture. Ibadan, Nigeria: West Rice Development Association.