Effective Learning Activities
There are a wide range of activities used both inside and outside the classroom that
promote active learning. While each discipline has traditional ways of teaching
certain subject matter, and activities used in seminars and large lectures may vary,
the concept of "active learning" applies in every discipline, in every class size. The
types of activities you choose to use, however, might be more applicable in some
types of courses than others.
Some more complex forms of active learning include service learning, problem-
based learning, collaborative learning (team based) and simulations. These can all
be very effective, especially in upper level undergraduate and graduate courses
where holistic learning is emphasized and students are encouraged to think about
solving problems in “real world” situations and learning skills relevant to their field.
However, there are many low risk , high benefit activities that you can use that
require less time, and can also be very effective, as demonstrated in the list below.
Some are individual in nature, some involve groups, some might progress from
individual activity to group activity.
Some Examples
Dig Deeper
Effective questioning
Something as simple as asking good questions can be as effective as any other
method of facilitating active learning if you follow some simple guidelines. Pause
after asking any question and wait for a response. Ask only one question at a time.
Perhaps let students write their response for a minute or two before sharing. Gather
a few responses before leaping into the answer – let other students respond, or build
on the student response.
Case studies
Using case studies can be a very effective way to explore complex topics, and can
be completed in one class session or a part of one, depending on the case and your
goals. You can do this in small groups and/or as a whole class. You can either
develop your own cases, or often find ready to use case studies online. Current events
can also be a source of material for teaching with this method.
Break it Up
Collaborative learning Very simply ask your students at some point during class to
form small groups for discussion and ask some or all groups to report back to the
larger group.
Think Pair Share At some point in the lecture, ask students a key question – have
them first sit quietly and write down some notes on their own, then pair them up to
discuss the question with another student. Lastly, have a few groups or all groups,
depending on the class size, share their thoughts with the larger group.
Keep it Interesting
Debates Well-structured debates can raise a large number of issues for discussion,
and help students learn not only about the material, but critical thinking and
presentation skills among others.
Games and simulate ons Involve students in demonstrating a concept by using
games that either you or they create. Using a base like jeopardy or crossword puzzles
can be fun and effective.
Gauge where your students are
Minute Paper This is a classic formative evaluation process where students are asked
at the end of a class to summarize the key points in writing in one minute.
Reflection papers Asking students to develop a reflection paper based on readings
or an out of classroom assignment can help them to understand their own learning
process better. Let them walk in your shoes Learn by teaching Ask a student or
small group of students to read and synthesize material to teach their peers in class.
Student-led review sessions Have the students create the review questions. Each
student should ask at least one question related to the material he or she doesn't
understand, and to try to answer a question raised by another student.
Student generated exam questions Sometimes asking students to generate an exam
question can help them review material and practice for the exam, and can also be
an indicator to you of points you might need to review.
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Education is an integral part of the society. Everyone must get an education and
teaching students is not an easy profession and even to get knowledge is not easy as
it sounds. So, teaching aids are necessary today. It promotes students to learn and
engage them in learning in various engaging ways. With the help of different types
of teaching aids, the teacher makes teaching and learning interesting and attractive.
It helps students in their mental development. With its help, the teacher saves time
in explaining any topic. So, teaching aids are important tools in the education system.
Definition of teaching aids :
Teaching aids can be defined as any object used in the educational environment to
support learning and to make life easier for the teacher – they support the
professional practice of teaching.
Examples of teaching aids
There are so many examples of teaching aids:
• Actual objects
• Flash Cards
• Slides
• Charts
• Pictures
• Maps
• Bulletin Boards
• Models
Thus, these are examples of teaching aids, it is very helpful for teachers and also
students.
Characteristics of Good Teaching aids:
o They should be meaningful and related to the learning objectives.
o They should be accurate in every aspect.
o They should be simple.
o They should be cheap.
o They should be improvised as for as possible.
o They should be large enough to be properly seen by the students for
whom they are meant.
o They should be up-to-date.
o They should be easily portable.
o They should be according to the mental level of the students.
o They should motivate the learners
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Classification of teaching aids:
Different list of teaching aids classified as follows:
• Traditional Teaching Aids: Traditional teaching aids include learning through
Books, Periodicals, Blackboard ,etc.
• Visual Teaching Aids: Visual Teaching aids include posters, model, figure, charts
(Outline charts, organization charts, tabular charts, flow charts), graph etc. It also
includes graphics such as diagrams, cut-outs, objects, cartoon, info-graphs, bulletin
board, flannel board, picture, map and others.
• Mechanical Teaching Aids: Mechanical teaching aids include an Audio teaching
machine, tape recorder, radio, motion picture, Projector, epidiascope, filmstrips.
• Audio-Visual Teaching Aids: This type of teaching aid includes video, Cassettes,
Films, television, and others.
Types of Teaching Aids
Following are the different types of teaching aids:
1. Visual Aids
Teaching aids which include learning through visual representation is called visual
aids. Visual aids are the kind of material that we can see with our eyes. It is the most
important teaching aid that teachers always use in their teaching-learning process
everyday like book, blackboard, chalk, duster, indicator, picture, map, graphs,
charts, posters, bulletin boards, museums, projectors and also important visual aids.
• Ground substance: The ground substance is the substance that the student can see
and touch. The student inspects and examines by touching and observing matter,
which develops the students’ senses, as well as the development of thinking,
understanding and observing power.
• Model: When the actual substance cannot be brought into the classroom or its size
is so large or it is not available then teachers prepare its sample or model which is
shown in the classroom so that the student can easily be explained.
• Image: Pictures affect students very much. Students are lost in reality by seeing
pictures, so teachers also present any story or science or any other subject related
picture to the students so that they can be shown and explained. The things taught
through the picture can be remembered by the students for a long time, as well as
the pictures can be easily shown in the classroom.
• Map: We use the map only when we have to teach the students about historical
events and geographical elements or places. While using the map, teachers should
take care of some points such as names, titles, directions and signs etc. should be
written on it.
• Sketch: We need a drawing only when we do not have any real substance or model
or map. In such conditions, we show students by drawing a drawing or sketch on a
blackboard or on a whiteboard, like making a map of India, showing any state etc.
• Graph: A teacher uses graphs only when he has to show any increasing or
decreasing pattern. A graph is used in many subjects such as geography, history,
mathematics, science, or also to explain climate. And graphs are used to give
information about population etc. as well. Also, the graph is most commonly used
in teaching mathematics and science.
• Chart: The chart is used in Hindi, English, Geography, History, Economics, Civics,
Mathematics and Science. For example, to show various forms of nouns in grammar
in English .
• Bulletin board: A bulletin board is a board where students display pictures, villages,
figures, articles or essential information in relation to the country’s political,
economic and social problems. Bulletin boards continuously increase the knowledge
of the students.
• Museum: The museum is also an important tool of education to increase the
knowledge of the students in which all the objects are kept in one place, making the
text more interesting and alive with these objects. The museum collects items that
are very helpful in subjects like geography, history, mathematics, science.
• Projector: Projectors play the most important role among the most used tools in the
modern education system. Teaching-learning is made more simple and interesting
through projectors. Through the projector, the students get a different kind of
enjoyment and memory, development of observational power, curiosity etc.
• Slides and Films: Slides and film are used as teaching aids and a projector is used
for this. Slides of pictures or film strips can be shown by the projector in a
sequence to give students knowledge.
• Globe: With the help of the globe, children are shown the boundaries of continent,
ocean, river, mountain . In the topic of geography, the globe is used for the most
part, to tell students about the shape of the earth, northern and southern hemisphere,
latitude and longitude lines.
Audio Aids
This teaching aid targets to enhance the listening and communication skills of the
students. There are some students in every classroom who are auditory learners ,
such students can get benefit with audio aids. Audio aids are included in audio
content such as gramophone, radio, telephone, teleconferencing, and tape recorders
in which students develop their mental powers and hearing powers by listening to
contents.
• Radio: Through radio, children are informed about the latest happenings and
information. Teaching programs related to different subjects of different classes are
narrated on the radio which develops the ability of the students’ learning, listening,
understanding and remembering as well.
• Tape Recorder: Tape-recorder is a popular tool in the education world. With the
help of a tape recorder, students can enjoy and learn through speeches of great
leaders and poems of famous writers, their stories and the music of famous artists. It
helps to correct all errors and thoughts related to students’ speed of speech.
• Teleconferencing: With the help of teleconferencing, students can be informed.
Teleconferencing is a medium through which many schools can be linked together.
Different teachers and different children can gain important information by talking
through teleconferencing.
3. Audio-Visual Aids
Technology has developed and enhanced the experience of students with the
addition of Audio-Visual educational aids.
• Films: There are many advantages of movies or cinema in the field of education.
The knowledge gained by it is more useful than other mediums because students
can learn well by watching and listening. By showing movies, documentaries, and
films, children can be easily given knowledge of different countries, places and
events.
• Television: All the benefits from cinema or film can also be derived from
television, but its scope is much wider than cinema. In today’s modern era,
television broadcasts many types of educational programs in addition to
entertainment programs to increase the knowledge of children.
• Computer: The use of computers is one of the most used tools in the modern
education system. With the help of this electronic device, the education world has
got a golden opportunity of learning. The use of computers can be seen not only in
the education world but also in different areas of their life.
Need of Teaching Aids for the Learners
1. Teaching aids elicit the learners’ attention, create an urge to learn and sustain their
interest in learning.
2. Teaching Aids make teaching learning process interesting.
3. Its use facilitates learning.
4. Use of Teaching Aids brings affectivity in learning.
5. Their use enriches the teaching learning process by bringing variety, diversity
and newness in it.
6. Teaching aids keeps the learners driven and motivated to learn.
7. Teaching aids concretize learning experiences for the learners. They enable them
to understand the most difficult and abstract concepts.
8. They provide direct purposeful experiences to the learners.
9. Learners have a tendency to forget. If used properly teaching aids can help retain
concepts permanently.
10. Teaching aids can reinforce learning.
11. Teaching Aids can reach the learners irrespective of their level of literacy and
language.
12. The teaching aids when used in groups, helps promote increased group
interaction.
Need of Teaching Aids for the Teacher/Facilitator
1. Use of Teaching Aids helps teachers/facilitators create a lively and interesting
teaching- learning environment.
2. By their use teachers can break the monotony in teaching caused by the rampant
use of verbalism (Lecture method).
3. Their use leads to an interactive learning environment and hence brings affectivity
in teaching.
4. Helps teacher use innovative materials and methods to clarify concepts and hence
become more effective and efficient teachers
5. It enables the facilitators to determine learners pace of learning.
6. Their use helps in monitoring the progress of the learners.
7. They help minimize the efforts of teachers and facilitators too in the process of
teaching
8. Save time and energy expended both by the teachers in transacting concepts and
learners in understanding them.
9. By use of Teaching Aids the teachers can cater to the needs of diverse groups of
learners, diverse learning styles by use of variety of materials, aids and devices
intertwined in the teaching- learning process.
10. Teaching aids help the facilitators in the skilful achievement of teaching
objectives and goals.
11. Teaching aids help the teachers/facilitators in spread of awareness and education
on a mass scale ( Kapur,2018).
