Essay on the Uses of Audio Visuals Aids in Teaching Science

Audio Visuals Aids used in Teaching Science

These aids involve the use of sense of hearing and seeing. They provide better impact in teaching learning process when compared to audio or visual aids individually. They provide variety to teacher and students and stimulate the students to learning in a way that the teacher at times cannot.

In short span of thirty minutes of filmed documentary the student may learn more about a lesson like history of science than he could in three hours of reading or similar hours of oral lecture. Further, the student may remember it for longer time. The audio-visual aids expand the reach of the ordinary classroom.

It exposes the student to places which are either inaccessible or too dangerous for the ordinary man to visit. Some of the audio-visual aids which can be effectively used in teaching science are:

a. Television:

Television is an effective and good audio-visual aid in teaching of sciences. The importance of television in the communication of information, ideas, skills and attitudes cannot be undermined. Programmes on science education are one being telecasted or relayed on the different channels through satellite television. These are not only proving interesting but also beneficial from the point of view of science education.

Television channels are competing to produce best educative programmes on health, natural phenomena, wild life, life in extreme climate, medicines, human physiology, environment, agriculture, yoga, fitness exercise, food habits etc. Besides the slotted presentation by few channels some channels like National Geographic channel and Discovery channel are dedicated to science education programmes.

With the development in satellite communication, taking advantages of these programmes is also very easy. Television has now been a necessity of every house and the access to these programmes is quite easy. One has only to be careful about the tunings and schedule of these programmes for getting advantage of this vast source of information and education.

The major educational values of Television are:

i. It can heighten the interest in the topic. This is achieved through the zoom shots, magnification and split screen as the students get a good view of whatever is being demonstrated or shown on television.

ii. Television is a great equalizer of educational opportunity.

iii. A good television programme can bring the world of reality to the classroom

iv. It gives the student access to excellence. One can see and hear the gifted artist, the great scientist in television. The science programmes on television provide rich content to students and excellent instructional practices to the classroom teachers.

v. Communication using the television can be effective because it can transmit a wide rant of audio­visual materials like films, objectives, pictures etc.

Although, the television has significant educational values but the possible limitations of television as teaching aid are:

i. It may pose administrative problems in some schools.

ii. The students do not have a personal contact with the presenter or even with a teacher.

iii. Students cannot pace their learning as the television moves ahead at a constant speed.

iv. It could lead to a class of passive students.

In order to derive maximum benefits from this audio-visual aid for the good of the pupils, emphasis will have to be placed on well-conceived instructional programmed and provision made for the teachers to understand the new technology and its relationship and role in education.

b. Educational Films of Cinema:

It is prove that motion pictures are more educative than the still pictures projected through sliders or filmstrips. This more effective way by utilizing both auditory and visual senses. The films of varying scientific interest on different themes and topics are now proving a valuable aid in teaching of sciences.

The impact and advantages of the display of these films as an educational aid. These educational aids are available on wild life, marine life, human physiology, health education etc. Films of similar type can be used to explain the mechanism and application of all the important laws and principles related with all branches of science.

The films on general interest, scientific inventions, biographies and life events of the scientists are also available for deriving useful educational advantage. Considerations of length, content and overall quality will figure in the selection of any film for teaching a particular subject or topic. The various types of films which can be used ad educational aid are:

i. Newsreel which gives details of current events.

ii. School-made films depicting the activities of the school science club, science fair etc.

iii. Documentary films which gives the details of industrial plants, machines and their operations etc.

iv. Process films, review films or films on general information.