CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter consists of information culled from studies and literature, from which this particular study is premised. This will certainly help in giving the reader a better understanding of what instructional media is and how teachers use this as a tool in enhancing the teachinglearning process.

On Instructional Media Instructional media encompasses all the materials and physical means an instructor might use to implement instruction and facilitate students' achievement of instructional objectives. This may include traditional materials such as chalkboards, handouts, charts, slides, overheads, real objects, and videotape or film, as well newer materials and methods such as computers, DVDs, CD-ROMs, the Internet, and interactive video conferencing (Craig L. Scanlan).

On Chalkboard A chalkboard is a reusable writing surface on which text or drawings are made with sticks of calcium sulfate or calcium carbonate, known, when used for this purpose, as chalk. Blackboards were originally made of smooth, thin sheets of black or dark grey slatestone.

Modern versions are often green because the color is considered easier on the eyes (Wikipedia, 2008). Many educators assert that the grit texture of the chalkboard surface adds just enough resistance to help children when writing on the board. The effect of the slickness of whiteboards for young writers, on the other hand, has caused some concern (James Pillans, 2001).

On Printed Materials The medium of print is the principal form of educational communication. So acknowledged, one might expect to find and abundance of research evidence of the characteristics of the medium, its effectiveness under varying conditions and different purposes, its improvements, its role and impact in the school process, and its relationship with other media (McLuhan, 2002) Handouts and materials are sometimes still appropriate and necessary to help improve your teaching. You are the best judge of the situation. The relevancy and effectiveness would depend on your instructional strategy, objectives, design and utilization of your materials. Once you have concluded that the handouts and materials would help you improve your teaching, you should then proceed to give thought to the purpose, content and design of the articles you plan to distribute (National University of Singapore, 2006).

On Bulletin Board

Walk into most classrooms and you'll see one or more bulletin boards. Some will be creatively designed with eye-popping colors, dynamic illustrations, and three-dimensional letters. Others will simply be a hodge-podge of old, faded, and worn-out bulletins.

The difference is clear. Classrooms that are visually appealing and intellectually stimulating are those in which teachers have devoted considerable attention to their classroom bulletin boards. Your students will spend a significant portion of their waking hours in your classroom. It's important, therefore, that your classroom be one that excites, stimulates, and motivates students in a host of learning opportunities (Fredericks, 2005).

On Radio

Radio has been a relatively untapped teaching resource. In developing countries, however, radio has been used extensively as a vehicle for health, nutrition, and agricultural education.1 Some of the new challenges facing Cooperative Extension in the United States include the need to serve a culturally diverse population and the need to reach larger geographical areas with the same or reduced staffing. Radio is an effective resource to present subject matter of general interest as well as specialized content directed to specific target groups (Marshall, 1999).

On Instructional Television

Instructional television is used for many different types of lesson. Instructors can deliver their lectures via instructional television and they're able to do so using descriptive narration. They can transmit guided instruction and they can use it for brainstorming and for presenting case studies. Instructional television is great for role playing, panel discussions, simulations, demonstrations and lesson practicing and drilling.

With the proper equipment, students are able to fully interact with a learning session. Students can ask the instructors questions and they can interact with other students. In other words, students can feel like they are actually part of the class even though they are not physically present in the classroom. Instructional television supports a synchronous learning environment meaning that students are able to get timely responses to their questions (WOW Content Club, 2011).

On Mock- ups

A mockup, or mock-up, is a scale or full-size model of a design or device, used for teaching, demonstration, design evaluation, promotion, and other purposes. A mockup is a prototype if it provides at least part of the functionality of a system and enables testing of a design. Mock-ups are used by designers mainly to acquire feedback from users. Mock-ups incite criticism from users because they are low-cost (can be made of cardboard) and low-fidelity. If a user is presented with an early version of a system that has required substantial work, he/she is likely to be more reluctant (as well as able) to critise it. When using mock-ups of cardboard or

similar materials, the user and designer can collectively change the design using familiar tools such as pens, scissors etc. As such, mock-ups are a discussion medium and a discussion facilitator between designer and user. Not only can the mock-up function as a discussion medium between designer and user but also between the members of the design team. Thus, mock-ups may help facilitate work across disciplinary borders, bringing together a disparate team. Mockups make it possible to do usability testing early in the development process (Soegaard, 2004)

On Realia

Realia are objects from real life used in classroom instruction by educators to improve students' understanding of other cultures and real life situations. A teacher of a foreign language often employs realia to strengthen students' associations between words for everyday objects and the objects themselves. In many cases, these objects are part of an instructional kit which includes a manual and is thus considered as being part of a documentary whole by librarians. Realia are also used to connect learners with the key focal point of a lesson by allowing tactile and multidimensional connection between learned material and the object of the lesson. They are best utilized for simple objects lending themselves to classroom settings and ease of control with minimum risk of accident throughout the student object interaction (Harmer, 2010).