INTRODUCTION

Audio-visual (AV) aids, or instructional aids, or audio-visual media, communication technology,

educational or instructional media, and learning resources are synonymous terms. Earlier, the
term used was audio-visual aids; with the advancement in the means of communication and that
of technology, educators coined these new terms. The use of newer terms “educational
technology” or “instructional technology” is primarily due to the dynamic expansion of
programmed learning, computer assisted instruction (CAI) and educational television. Research
effectiveness of AV aids in teaching–learning has been researched extensively and findings
suggest that learning is directly proportional to the number of senses which are stimulated with
the help of AV aids during teaching–learning process.

“If I hear I forget, I see I remember, I do I learn”

A Chinese proverb

Ninety percent of information going to the brain is through the eyes, eight percent of information
is through the ears and two percent of information is through other senses. This educational
technology of AV aids evolved a century back when chalk with talk was the only visual aid. The
inventions of projectors, liquid crystal displays (LCD) and computer has revolutionized the use
of AV aids in educational setting.

1
2
DEFINITION OF AV AIDS

AV aids can be defined as stimulating material and devices which aid sound and sight in
teaching to facilitate learning of the students by activating more than one sensory channel. It
helps to improve the quality of teaching by making study material more interesting and concrete
to the learners.

These are educational material which are used in classroom instruction, directed at the senses of
hearing as well as sight of the learner (films, recordings, photographs, etc.) to enhance learning
by increasing the attention span and interest of the learner.

AV aids are “all material used in the classroom or in other teaching situations, to facilitate
the understanding of the written or spoken words”

—Dent

“Audio visual aids are those devices by the use of which communication of ideas between
persons and groups in various teaching and training situations is helped”

—Edgar Dale

“Audio visual aids are any device which can be used to make the learning experience more
concrete, more realistic and more dynamic”

—Kinder S. James

“Audio visual aids are those sensory objects or images which initiate or stimulate and
reinforce learning”

—Burton

3
4
PURPOSES AND ADVADVANTAGES OF AV AIDS

Use of AV aids serves some important purposes in teaching–learning process which are as
follows.

o Clear images: clear images are formed when we see, hear, touch, taste and smell as our
experiences are direct, concrete and more or less permanent.
o Antidote to the disease of verbal instructions: they help to reduce verbalism. They help
in giving clear concepts, and thus help to bring accuracy in learning.
o Vicarious experience: it has always been seen that the first-hand experience is the best
type of educative experience. However, sometimes it is neither practicable nor
desirable to provide such experience to pupils. Substituted experiences with the help of
AV aids may be provided under such conditions.
o Variety: more chalk or talk does not help. AV aids give variety and provide different
tools to the teacher.
o Retentive: they contribute to increase receptivity as they stimulate the response of the
whole organism to the situation in which learning takes place.
o Based on maxims of teaching: it enables the teacher to follow the maxims of teaching
like “concrete to abstract”, “known to unknown” and “learning by doing”.
o Helpful in attracting attention: it helps the teacher in providing proper environment for
teaching and learning.
o Conservation of energy and time: it saves a good deal of energy and time of both the
teachers and students as most of the concepts and phenomena can be easily classified,
understood and assimilated with the help of AV aids.
o Realism: it provides a touch of reality to the learning situation.
o Spread of education on a mass scale: it helps in providing opportunities for education
to people living in remote areas, and thus helpful in promoting adult education.
o Encouragement to healthy classroom interaction: it encourages healthy classroom
interaction for effective realization of teaching–learning objectives.
o Promotion of scientific temper: it helps the students to observe demonstration and
phenomenon, and thus cultivate scientific temper among them.
o Positive transfer of learning and training: it helps in the learning and solving of real-
life problems by making possible and appropriate positive transfer of learning.
o Reinforcement to learner: it proves effective reinforcement by increasing the
probability of re-occurrence of the response associated with them, and thus helps in the
teaching–learning process.
Best motivators: they are best motivators. The students work with more interest and zeal and are
more attentive.

5
6
PRINCIPLES OF AV AIDS

While using AV aids in the classroom, certain principles should be kept in mind to enhance its
effectiveness to facilitate learning.

o The teacher should be well prepared with the particular AV aid which he or she is
supposed to use with a particular lesson. For example, if a teacher is supposed to use
transparency as an AV aid then he should prepare it in advance, systematically arrange
the transparencies in order and keep it ready to use in the classroom.
o Check in advance whether the slide/LCD/filmstrip projector is available in the
classroom and is functioning.
o Make sure that technical support is available whenever required.
o Selection of the AV aid should be as per the requirement of the content to be presented
to the students.
o Make sure that every student is able to see or hear the AV aid without any difficulty.
o AV aid should be prepared as per the prevailing guidelines for that particular aid and it
should be attractive enough to draw the students’ attention.
o As far as possible, students should be involved in preparation and preservation of AV
aids.
o AV aid should be economical.
o Principle of stimulus variation and feedback reinforcement should also be considered
while preparing and selecting an AV aid.

Characteristics of Good AV Aid

Those AV aids which are fragile and costly should be kept under lock. TV, LCD projector and
overhead projector can be installed permanently in each classroom depending on the number of
devices available in a college.

The teacher has to involve the students in preparation of the AV aids. It will enhance their
creativity; imagination, critical thinking as well as help them learn the concerned study material
while preparing these teaching aids. The teacher should act as a guide and facilitator in the
development and use of AV aids by the students.

Evaluation of the AV education program should be made at regular intervals and budget
appropriation should be made regularly for the program.

Classification-

AV aids can be categorized into three broad categories, that is, audio aids, visual aids and audio-
visual aids.

7
8
 Blackboard or Green Board

The blackboard or green board is the commonest and oldest visual aid used for teaching. It is so
commonly used that it has become a compulsory part of a classroom. A blackboard can augment
the lecture- cum-discussion teaching method. It can serve as an effective visual aid if used
properly and systematically. Guidelines for the effective use of blackboard in a classroom are as
follows.

o Make sure that board is clean before starting the class; erase any material as it will
distract the students.
o Divide the board into two equal halves and start writing from the first half of the board;
when it is full, continue writing on the second half; when the second half of the board
is full, then erase the first half and so on (see Figure 8.2). This writing and erasing
sequence will not interrupt the students from taking notes from the blackboard.
o Write only the key points that make the skeleton of your lesson. Don’t overcrowd the
board with too much written content on it.
o Develop the concepts of your lesson on the board as you progress through your lesson.
o The size of the written letters on the blackboard should be large enough so that every
student can read it. Ensure their legibility from the last row before the lecture.
o Use white or yellow color chalk for writing on the board as other colors may not be
clearly visible to the back-row students.
o It is better to write in bold letters because thin letters are difficult to read.
o Use sufficient pressure while writing on board.
o Avoid writing on those areas of the board which may not be visible to all students,
such as the sides and the bottom of the board.
o Switch on the light above the board to ensure good visibility of the board. Avoid direct
glare on the board.
o Avoid speaking while writing on the board.
o Use colored chalks to highlight or differentiate.
o Stand clear of the written word.
o Don’t show your back for a prolonged time while writing on the blackboard.
o Clean it completely after the class is over.

9
10
Flannel Board-

A flannel board is simply a board covered with flannel which is a soft cloth that is made of
cotton or wool. Flannel board can be used as a visual aid as it facilitates placement of shapes,
symbols, and cutouts on it. It helps the students in comprehension by its attractiveness and

Cut-outs or shapes should be created with the material that can adhere to the board easily.
Attaching some pieces of sandpaper to the back of the cut-outs of paper will ensure good
adherence to the board. Students should be instructed to avoid glue while displaying cut-outs on
the flannel board. A flannel board provides an opportunity for original, colorful, eye-catching
displays.

Advantages

1. Provides a scope for creativity and originality.

2. Students are more attracted and learn the content on the board with interest.
3. Contents of the board can be preserved for a long time and can be reused.

Disadvantages

1. It is time consuming to prepare the content to be displayed on the flannel board.

2. Materials have to be adapted to make it useful for flannel board.

11
12
Bulletin Board

It is the board on which current news, study material and quizzes etc., can be displayed by the
students.It is a visual aid which stimulates the students to prepare and display interesting learning
material for the class. It provides a unique teaching–learning experience to the students and
results in active learning as students are responsible for preparing and displaying the learning
material on the board. The teacher must delegate the responsibility to the head student to
regularly check and maintain the bulletin board. A teacher can also use it in a classroom to
display illustration, steps of a process, photographs, newspaper cuttings relevant to the lesson
content and any other creative work to enhance student learning.

Guidelines for Effective Use of Bulletin Board

o A bulletin board should be installed at a well-lit place.

o Neutral color should be used as background color of the bulletin board.
o It should not be over crowded, else it will lose its attractiveness.
o Items should be displayed creatively, systematically and logically which will create an
appeal and attract attention of the students.
o A suitable title should be given to each group of items placed on the board.
o Replace the items after a period of time with newer ones.

Advantages

o Cheap and effective visual aid, if used properly.

o Material displayed on the board can be stored in files and reused whenever required.
o Stimulates the student to search for or prepare creative work to display on board.
o Useful aid to display various announcements and classroom rules.

13
14
Flash Cards

Flash card, as the name indicates, is a card which is made of hard or compact paper of varying
size on which brief content or illustration is displayed. A series of cards are sequentially arranged
and flashed one by one for a few seconds in front of a small group of students to depict a concept
or step of process or list of clinical manifestations of a disease, which attracts the students’
attention and enriches their learning experience.

The teacher should hold the card on the chest or use a folding case to show the card one by one
to the students while making sure that each student is able to see the card. The teacher should
provide running commentary of the content while showing the card. Ten to twelve cards for one
talk can be used. The messages on the card should be simple and brief line drawings or
photographs, etc. In nursing education flash cards are frequently used in the clinical setting
during case presentation, drug presentation or during planned health teaching. However, it can
also be used in classroom teaching, provided that the size of the group is small.

Advantages of Flash Cards

o Easy to prepare and use.

o Portable, so can be used whenever required.
o Effective aid to teach a complex process.

Disadvantages

o Cannot be used for larger group of students because the size of card is not large enough
to be seen by all students.
o Time consuming to prepare the cards.

Flip Chart

It is made of compact sheets or large pads of papers which may include picture maps, cartoons,
handmade diagrams and photographs, etc. A flip chart is used as a visual aid in which
information is provided in sequence with the help of clipped compact sheets which are arranged
in sequence, and each paper sheet is flipped up after it has been shown to students.

Poster

Posters are a widely used visual aid to communicate messages to the mass. A poster should be
dramatic to attract attention of the target group with any prominent or central feature standing
out sharply. You might have seen posters of pulse polio program; can you recall what the
message in that poster was? Was it too long or too short? It was a short easily communicable
message “do boond zindagi ki”. It is noteworthy that many students wrongly consider poster and
chart as synonyms. Posters are usually used for communication with very large groups and the
message on it is short and crisp while charts rae used for small groups with slightly more content
written in technically complex language on it.

15
A poster is usually prepared on a very large size tuff sheet and is displayed at a well-lit place
where most of the students or the target group can see it. A lot of creativity and imagination is
required to prepare a good poster. It is better to have a few trials before finalizing the layout of
the poster. Background and the color combination should be impressive and attractive with a
clear and concise message written on it. Jargons, technical and sophisticated words should be
avoided in the message or text of the poster.

One picture is worth a thousand words: Chinese Proverb

Advantages

o Effective mean to communicate with large groups of people.

o Attracts attention of the audience.
o Does not require detailed study of the topic to prepare a good poster.
o Relatively cheap and easy to use.

Disadvantages

o It does not communicate enough information.

o May become ineffective when it becomes part of the routine environment.
o Time consuming and requires a lot of creative work and imagination to prepare a good
poster.

16
17
 CHARTS

Charts are an effective and simple visual aid frequently used by nursing students and teachers to
explain steps of a process, a concept or for comparison of two contrasting ideas that are too
complex to explain in words alone.

Similarly, a teacher can draw some pictorial on a chart to facilitate learning of a difficult concept.
The one difference between a chart and a poster is that while using the chart, the teacher has to
explain the content which is written or drawn on it in technical language; in contrast, in the
poster the message is clear and concise and self explanatory.

Guideline to Prepare Charts

o Select a good quality chart of appropriate size (20″ × 30″ or 30″ × 40″) and type (table
chart, wall chart, flow chart) as per the requirement.
o Give a clear and concise heading to the chart which describes what the chart is meant
to depict. For example, “Clinical manifestations of congestive heart failure”,
“Pathophysiology of MI”. The heading should be written in sufficiently large size
letters that is eye-catching.
o Prepare a dark or light background as per your requirement and accordingly select the
color of text and other material which will be presented on the chart.
o Use imagination and creativity to provide good color combinations in the chart while
depicting contents or pictorial material. Contents should be arranged systematically.
o Do not use a number of different color shades unless it is a must.
o Enhance the esthetic look of the chart by systematically presenting information on it.
o Display the chart at a well-lit place and at appropriate height and distance from where
students can see it easily.

Advantages

o Easy to prepare and handle.

o It is portable, therefore can be used in any setting for a small group of students.
o It is not costly, hence can be used widely to explain comparison, process, and sequence
of events.
o Can be reused when required.
o Easy to store.

Disadvantages

o Useful to teach only small group of students, not for large groups.
o May not attract students’ attention if it is not carefully planned, designed and is
jumbled with information.

18
 PIE- CHART

For example- Pie Chart Showing Percentage Distribution of Students in Various Nursing Programs in
Punjab-

BAR GRAPH

For example- Bar Graph Representing Prevalence of Obstructed Sleep Apnea (OSA) in CHF Versus
Control Group

LINE GRAPH

For example-Line Graph of Rank Order of First 10 Risk Factors of Fall Among Older Persons

19
 GRAPHS

Graphs are visual aids that are most commonly used to present statistical data as well as the
trends of certain characteristics. Undergraduate and postgraduate nursing students use this aid to
present their research findings before research committees. There are certain types of graphs that
can be used to depict a group of data.

Pie Graph

It is also known as circle diagram. The data are presented thorough the sections of a circle. The
total frequencies or value is equated to 360 degrees and then the angles for the corresponding
components are calculated. After determining their angle, the required sectors are drawn in the
circle.

Bar Graph

Horizontal or vertical bars are used to represent the data in this type of graph. Before
constructing bars, scale is prepared according to the type of data, which determines the length of
bars. Equal spacing is necessary between two consecutive bars. There is a wide variety of types
of bar graphs which you can explore in Microsoft excel utility (Figure 8.5).

Line Graph

Line graphs are used to show trends or relationship between two or more variables. Quantitative
data are plotted as dots in between horizontal and vertical axis and the dots are connected with a
line which makes a curve.

20
SPECIMENS-

21
 VISUAL AID (THREE DIMENSIONAL)

Objects

An object is a three-dimensional visual aid. It is a sample of a real thing, which is visible and
tangible to the students. For example, a syringe, thermometer, Swan–Ganz catheter and
stethoscope are objects.

The object can be used as a real visual teaching aid to explain the various parts or the structure
and its proper use. Students become excited and attentive when they see the sample of a real
thing, which leads to permanent learning about the focused instrument, item or material.
Sometimes, it is difficult to present the real object in the classroom because of some constraining
factors, for example, the object is costly, inaccessible and fragile. In this situation it is better to
use a replica instead of the real object.

o Replica: It is the exact copy of the real object. The size, shape and feel of the replica
are the same as the real object. For example, fetus dummy, pelvis, skeleton system, etc.
o Facsimile : It is the same as a fax. It is the true copy or duplicate of the written or
printed document.

Specimen

A specimen is a three-dimensional visual aid which is most commonly used in teaching of

anatomy, zoology and botany. It is a representative of the whole thing. For example, a specimen
of human lung or heart is representative of all human lungs or hearts in terms of structure and
function, hence can be used for the study of the human lung or heart. Likewise, a handful of
black gram or rice or wheat is representative of their grain species and can be used for the study
of the same.

Advantages

o Specimens provide first-hand information to the students, hence they are an effective
visual aid widely used in study of anatomy.

Disadvantages

o Very costly teaching aid as it requires organ donation to get a specimen in an anatomy
lab.
o Difficult and costly to preserve and store the specimen.

22
23
Models

Models are three-dimensional (height, width and depth) visual aids which are not same in size,
shape or function of the real object. Although models are not the same in size and shape or other
physical parameters to the real objects, still they imitate the real object, and hence can be used as
effective visual aids. Models are more creative and attractive, and therefore catch the eye of the
students easily.

In nursing sciences models are most frequently used to teach the physical setup of an institution,
for example, water sanitation plant, hospital, cath lab etc., or to teach structures of various body
organs, for example, model of heart, lung, kidney etc., or to teach a procedure, for example,
model of three-bottle water-seal drainage system.

Advantages

o It is a useful visual aid for small as well as large group sizes.

o Models can be used to reduce very large objects and enlarge very small objects to a
size that can be conveniently observed by the students.
o It can be helpful to teach anatomy, nursing procedures and physical setup of various
departments in a hospital.
o Help to stimulate reality when it is not possible to access the real object or replica.
o Models are useful for demonstrating the interior structures of objects or systems with a
clarity that is often not possible with two-dimensional representations.
o Models can be stored and reused whenever required.

Disadvantages

o Can convey wrong information to the students if not prepared carefully.

o Costly and time consuming to prepare good models.
o Require a lot of space and caution to store the model.

Puppets

Puppets have been used as a visual aid for teaching in India and China for the last 4000 years.
Puppets are an inanimate object used in the art of puppetry, popularly known as “Kathputli” in
India. It is a three-dimensional AV aid usually made of wood but any other material can be also
be used to prepare it. A puppet enacts a particular character in a puppetry show, which can be
planned to teach some principles, attitude toward specific health-related issues like HIV/AIDS
and contraception in specific communities. History of nursing and changing trends in nursing
education can also be taught with the use of puppets. It requires a well-written script to make the
teaching effective and interesting. Students learn by viewing the performance of the puppets
during the show as well as by making the puppets, and acting as puppeteers.

24
Puppets can be of various types; for example, hand/glove puppet, string puppet, rod puppet,
shadow puppet. String puppets are very popular in north-west part of India while rod and shadow
puppets are common in southern India.

Advantages

o Students learn by doing (making puppets, script writing, and organizing puppet
shows).
o Puppets can be stored and reused.
o Puppet play provides the opportunity to the students to get comfortable in situations
that are unfamiliar or challenging.

Disadvantages

o Time consuming and difficult to make good puppets.

o Requires special training to become good puppeteers.

25
26
 VISUAL AID (PRINTED)

Leaflets

Printed material, which includes leaflets, pamphlets and magazines are the major means of
conveying propaganda. Leaflets were initially used in military settings to communicate a
message rapidly among soldiers. Once printed and delivered, it can be retained and readily
passed from person to person without distortion of information.

A leaflet is a written or pictorial message on a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides
and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths; however, it has no standard size, shape, or format.
While selecting the size, shape and weight of the paper, the primary consideration is that the
paper accommodates the message and be easy to distribute. The most commonly recommended
size of leaflet is 6″×3″. The major factors which affect the leaflet sizes are the length of message,
artwork required, and the purpose of the leaflet. A properly developed and designed message on
a leaflet can have a deep and lasting effect on the learner, and hence it is commonly used as an
effective AV aid in a teaching–learning situation.

Guidelines for Making Effective Leaflets

o The teacher must persuade the students with the reasonableness of the message so that
the reader will be motivated either to pass it on to others or to relay the message by
word of mouth.
o The heading of the leaflet must be brief, summarizing the theme by using short and
effective words.
o To gain the interest of a target audience within the first few words, the first sentence of
the text should contain the essence of the message.
o While using pictures in leaflets the picture and the text must complement each other.

Advantages

o A leaflet can be passed from student to student without distorting the information on it.
o It allows for the use of photographs and graphic illustrations which can be easily
understood by all level of students.
o It is permanent and can be stored and retrieved whenever required.
o It can be useful to communicate messages for a very large as well as small group of
students.
o It reinforces learning by providing chances of rereading as and when required by the
students.

Disadvantages

o Dissemination of the leaflet is time consuming and costly.

o It is less timely than other means of communication.

27
 o It can be altered by overprinting.
o Development and design of effective printed material requires trained and
knowledgeable personnel.

Pamphlet

The pamphlet has been used for centuries as an economical AV aid for broad distribution of
information. A pamphlet is a booklet which is unbound or without a hard cover. It typically
consists of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple
book. In order to count as a pamphlet, UNESCO requires a publication to have at least 5 but not
more than 48 pages, exclusive of the cover pages; a longer item is a book.

Pamphlets can contain anything from information on emergency management of heart attack to
the steps of basic life support, warning signs of cancer and warning signs of stroke etc. It may
also describe particular drugs, steps of some emergency conditions which will help the students
to learn by providing them rapid access to the material as and when required.

28
29
 VISUAL AIDS (PROJECTED)

Overhead Projector

Overhead projector (OHP) is one of the most frequently used visual aid in nursing education
which has replaced the blackboard in most of the classrooms. As the name indicates, it is a
projecting device that is made of a lamp, lens and mirror arrangement which projects material,
which is written or drawn on a transparent plastic sheet (transparency), on a screen.

The size of the plastic sheet is usually 25 × 20 cm. Although it is not a sophisticated instrument
like the data projector but it still requires some guidelines to be followed to make it an effective
teaching aid.

Guidelines for Overhead Projector

o Make sure that every student in the class can see the screen easily without any
obstacle. The OHP should be set up for optimum image size and focused before the
class starts.
o The stage of OHP where the transparency is placed should be clean so that it will not
obscure the images of the transparency.
o Follow the general rule of one idea-one transparency.
o The transparency must be covered with a opaque sheet while putting it on the OHP
stage then progressively disclose one point at a time.
o While using a transparency don’t talk to the screen, but talk to the students and use a
pointer on the OHP stage to point out on the transparency.
o Be creative while preparing a transparency; for example, to build up a complex
diagram three or four transparencies can be used as overlays on the original
transparency or you may employ cutouts to build visuals in stages.
o Radiographs can be projected successfully with the overhead projector. For this
purpose, the classroom must be darkened.
o Switch off the projector light when you are not using the OHP because the bright
screen will distract the students and also it is not good for the health of the OHP
(projector may overheat).
o Black, blue and green colors are considered good for transparency preparation. Avoid
yellow, orange and red (not projected well by OHP).
o Not necessary to write text content in running CAPITAL LETTERS.
o Write in legible letters.
o While preparing transparencies, follow the rule of seven or eight lines per transparency
and seven or eight words per line.

30
Advantages of the Transparency

o Transparencies can be prepared well in advance and can be stored and reused
whenever required.
o Progressive disclosure of a transparency is helpful to gradually build up the concept
under study.
o Material can be prepared by the teachers themselves.
o It is a time-saving and cost-effective visual aid.

Disadvantages of the Transparency

o Novice teachers may feel difficulty in proper use of transparency.

o Creativity and imagination is required to make good transparency.
o Students may read on the transparency if the teacher exposed it entirely in the
beginning, creating disharmony in what the teacher is teaching and what the student is
reading.
o Difficult to handle and preserve the transparency.
o Electricity is a must for its use.
o Teachers usually tend to talk to the screen instead of students.
o Inappropriate teacher's position may cause difficulty in watching the transparency.
o Printed transparencies which teachers use because of lack of time to prepare a
transparency cannot be considered as good approach.
o Students require notes or handouts if class is taken with the help of transparency
because most of their time is spent in reading the transparency.
o Not useful for students with visual impairment and dyslexia.

Slides

A slide is a small piece of transparent material on which a single graphical image is placed or
photographed. Slides are an important visual aid which is commonly used to provide high-
quality images to the learner with the help of a slide projector. It projects still images in sequence
on the screen which enriches the learning experience of the students. Slide projectors and
filmstrip projectors are AV devices which are used to project slides and filmstrips on the screen.

Slides are small-format photographic transparencies in color or black and white which are
projected with the help of slide projectors. On the other hand, filmstrip projectors project images
contained in filmstrips, which are a series of small slides photographed in permanent sequence
on a 35mm or 16mm film, either in color or in black and white.

Each film strip usually contains 12 to 18 films in a sequence. They are less expensive, easily
handled and can be stored for future use. They are adaptable for use in every subject area. There
are two types of slides which are as follows.

31
 o Photographic slides: they may be black and white or colored. The size may vary
between 2″ × 2″ and 3″ × 4″.
o Handmade slides: this type of slides can be made by using different types of materials
(acetate sheets, cellophane, etched glass etc.).

Advantages

o Attracts the attention of the students.

o Makes learning easy.
o It is a portable visual aid, can be used in variety of settings.

Disadvantages

o It is a costly visual aid.

o Handling of the slide and slide projector is difficult.

32
33
 AUDIO AIDS

Radio

A radio is an auditory aid which is used to present teaching material in the form of voice only. Its
primary purpose is to entertain public but it can be exploited as a teaching aid. The broadcasting
of radio programs is done by “Akashwani”center, which reaches the public direct in their homes.

As a teaching aid it can supplement classroom teaching and may be useful in improving
pronunciation and language of the students.

Tape Recorder

A tape recorder is a portable electronic device that can play pre-recorded sound as well as record
the sound on a magnetic tape. It provides functions to play, forward, rewind and pause a
particular tape. It can be used to teach verbal communication skills and counseling skills to the
nursing students. Nowadays, CD and DVD players have replaced the traditional tape recorder, as
they are more convenient and have a large storing capacity on a single CD-ROM or DVD-ROM.

34
35
 Audio Visual Aids

Multimedia

When two or more different types of media are used sequentially in a single instruction or for
self-paced learning package, the term multimedia is used. Using multimedia or multi-image, a
large amount of information can be passed across to students, and high interest can be created in
students. Furthermore, different media can be tailored towards different objectives outlined for
the lesson.

LCD Projector

LCD projector is the latest technological innovation which has revolutionized the world of AV
aids. It is a versatile teaching aid (multimedia) which is useful in almost all educational
disciplines. Content is projected with the help of a LCD projector, which can project everything
on the screen, whether it is still or moving (Figure 8.9). With the help of a LCD projector, a
teacher can use video, audio, PowerPoint presentation, slide show, puppet show, films, motion
pictures etc., as teaching aids. It has the capacity to hold the student's attention for a prolonged
period of time if used correctly.

Advantages

o Attracts the attention of the students.

o Makes learning easy.
o Can use a variety of presentation modes.

Disadvantages

o It is costly and sophisticated equipment.

o Requires careful handling.
o It is not a portable device.

PowerPoint Slides

PowerPoint is a utility of Microsoft office which can provide high quality, high-tech delivery of
teaching materials through the use of slides on a computer screen (Figure 8.10). Being a versatile
AV aid it can incorporate anything, like pictures, audio, video, animation, text, graphs etc. on the
slides, thereby increasing the student interest and attention through stimulus variation.

Guidelines to Make Effective PowerPoint Slides and Presentation

o Choose dark or light background of the slides as per your requirement. Select dark
color font if your background is light and vice versa.
o Choose an appropriate layout for each slide as per the requirement (comparison,
picture, video, audio layout slide).

36
 o Projected text should be large enough so that everybody in the classroom can see it
without any difficulty. Ideally, headline font size should be 36–44 font size and rest of
the text should be in 32–36 font size. It should never be less than 24 font size. Select
Sans Serif font type as it is considered best for PowerPoint presentations. All
CAPITALIZED letters are difficult to read and should be avoided.
o Use images to emphasize a particular point or concept but it should never be used just
to occupy free space on the slide. Images must be relevant to the content of the slide,
otherwise it may distract the students.
o Use simple animation whenever necessary, it is better to use it sparingly.
o Follow the rule of eight (eight lines in each slide, eight words in each line.)

Disadvantages

o It easily becomes a replacement for the presenter, not reinforcement.

o More chances of misuse; presenter may just read on from slides, spoiling the purpose
of the AV aid.
o The teacher may dare to take a class without enough preparation by putting all the
content material on the slides and just reading from it in the classroom.

Advantages of PowerPoint

o Greater flexibility in selection of slides and illustration of teaching points.

o Picture quality can be improved and pictures can also be edited as per requirement.
o Safe, clean and minimal storage space required.
o Textual information can be copied and retrieved any time and can be converted into
hard copy.
o Capable to provide maximum stimulus variation, e.g., photographs interspersed with
models and data, audio, video and animation etc.
o Cartoon slides or fun slides can serve an educational purpose as well as lighten the
teaching–learning environment.
o Maintain a high level of interest in the lesson.
o Promote greater student participation.
o Can be used at all levels of learning.
o It is time-intensive to create PowerPoint slides but it is an investment which can easily
be updated and reused once teaching and learning patterns develop.

37
38
Films

Films are AV aids which communicate through sound and sight simultaneously. It blends
pictures, colors, objects and graphs to suits its purpose. It may be fixed filmstrips or slides, and
motion picture films.

Types of Films

There are many types of films which are available commercially but the following types are
more frequently used as teaching aids.

o Instructional films: it pertains to specific instructional subjects and the duration of a

film is usually 10–20 minutes. Films division of government of India in cooperation
with ministry of education has produced many instructional films on different subjects.
o Documentary films: it presents actual truthful material in a cinematically interesting
way.
o Discursive films: a topic or series of related topics are presented in a systematic,
logical way through this type of films.
o Drill films: useful to teach disaster drills to nursing students.

Advantages

o Direct the attention of the whole class to the screen and to the pictures and words on it.
o Can depict the situations which the teacher cannot present in the class room.
o It can be shown over and over again if required.
o Attracts high degree of attention of the students, and hence can teach a large content
material in short time.
o Motion pictures are able to communicate emotional experience and attitude.

Disadvantages

o Films are costly.

o Trained staff is needed which is generally not available.
o It is difficult to discuss important points during the projection of a film.

Television

Television is considered as the electronic blackboard of modern society as well as a medium of

mass communication. It activates the sense of hearing and vision, and hence results in better
learning. It attracts the students and creates interest and desire to learn among students.

Advancement in technology has changed the size and shape of television, refining its quality as
an educational media. Television can be used to show video, seminars, demonstrations and
lectures from an expert who is otherwise inaccessible in the classroom. Its use as an AV aid is

39
versatile and is considered very important in nursing education. It is a boon for distance
education as it broadcasts a number of educational programs through satellite into the homes of
students.

Advantages

o Can be used for large group of students.

o Saves the time of teacher and is an economical device.
o Reduces teacher's workload.

Disadvantages

o Requires electricity for operation.

o Requires maintenance as well as a suitable place for installation.

REFERENCES-
1. Farrow R. ABC of learning and teaching in medicine. Creating teaching materials. BMJ.
2003;326:921–3.
2. Cannon R, Newble D. A handbook for teachers in universities and colleges. London: Kogan.
3. Newble DI, Cannon R. A handbook for medical teachers. Dordrecht, Netharlands: Kluwer
Academic.
4. Kemp JE, Dayton DK. Planning and producing instructional media. New York: Harper and
Row.
5. Hartley J. Designing instructional text. London: Kogan.
6. Loretta E. Heidgerken's “Teaching and Learning in Nursing Education” twelfth impression,
2003, Konark publishers ltd, Delhi.
7. Francis M. Quinn's “The principles and practice in nursing education”, third edition, 1997,
Stanley thrones publications ltd., United Kingdom.

40