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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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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