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LESSON 4: Digital and Non- Digital

Learning Resources

Intended Learning Outcomes: At the end of the unit, the students shall be able
to:
a. Discriminate Digital from Non-Digital Learning Resources;
b. State the roles and importance of digital and non-digital learning resources in
teaching and learning; and,
c. Create sample of digital and non-digital learning resources suited to each
discipline in the elementary level.

Introduction: Non-Digital and Digital Skills and Tools in Delivering

Technology-Enhanced Lessons serve as guide for every teachers on what to teach and
how to teach. What to teach in the manner of what non-digital or digital tools you are
going to use in an appropriate learning or topics. How to teach in where how can we
integrate this following digital and non-digital tools to facilitate and enhance learning. It
also gives us a strategies on how can we teach better in facing new generation in where
advanced technology is commonly used

Discussion:
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Non-Digital and Digital Skills and Tools in Delivering

Technology-Enhanced Lessons
Digital Learning Resource
The term 'digital learning resource is used to refer to materials included in the context of a course that
support the learner's achievement of the described learning goals. These materials consist of a wide variety
of digitally formatted resources including:
 graphics images or photos
 audio and video
 simulations
 animations
 prepared or programmed learning modules
Digital Learning Digital Teaching and Learning Resources
 Digital Camera
 Laptop / Computer
 Data Projector
 IPod
Another term frequently used to refer to the digital learning resources as a single unit is learning object.

Learning Object is any entity, digital or non-digital, that can be used, re-used or referenced during
technology-supported learning (Duval, 2002).

 Examples of learning object are multimedia content, instructional content, instructional software
and software tools that are referenced during technology-supported learning.
 Smaller reusable digital resources include digital pictures or photographs, animation and video
clips, small pieces of text, animations and smaller applications available via Web, as for instance
is a calculator developed in Java.
 Web pages that combine text, pictures and other means, or applications that offer a complete
educational experience are example of bigger reusable digital resource.

There is still much debate about what exactly constitutes a learning object but suffice to say the term
implies smaller, more easily accessible digital resources used in an educational setting. This may include
digital and non-digital materials.

 For example, textbooks, study guides, journal articles and reading packets are often made available
as part of the learning system and play an important role in providing the learner with the necessary
course information and content.

Digital learning is part of a modern system of learning and can be seen as an enhancement tool for
learner’s experience (Ian Reece and Stephen walker, 2003). Integrating technology in learning and teaching
(Pat Maier and Adam Warren, 2000) presents a downside to the use of technology tools to aid learning.
This includes financial investments, technical support, software etc.

The Growth of Digitalization

Digital learning incorporates the use of technology into a lesson as a means to learning by use of
digital teaching and learning resources. Digital teaching resources can be web based to combine both audio
and visual to enhance understanding and memory such as computers which offer PowerPoint slides or data
projectors used to incorporate TV and video into a lesson for the use of the teacher.
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Moreover, teaching aids can be digital and stored on computers which can be seen as an easier way
to access and disseminate information or more so, ensures material is permanently available. Digital
learning resources can include the use of IPods, digital cameras etc for the learners. Reece & Walker, S
(2003) explain that effective use of digital learning can really enhance your students’ learning experience.

Digital learning reflects the wider world outside the classroom where learners are used to more
sophisticated presentations and productions which is the media, TV, internet etc therefore the teacher has
to compete to engage learners (Reece, Walker, S, 2003). Although we are commonly exposed to digital
presentations and productions on a daily basis it is important to decide whether it is necessary for basic
literacy learners who are in need of reading and writing skills to communicate confidently and effectively
in the wider world. As such learners still exist, it is necessary to say that such exposure to technology on a
daily basis is not always encouraging learning but possibly distracting learning from learners as their
response is to watch, listen but not to learn from it as it is simply for entertainment, commercial or news
purposes. On the other hand, learners and teachers learn how to use different technologies but at what
expense?

For teachers, they simply have to be experts in knowing how to teach using technology as there is
many material available online ideal for teaching purposes (Reece & Walker, S, 2003). However, there is
no guarantee that teachers will be good at using technology and as a result, the students learning experience
is not ‘enhanced’. In a literacy class it could be seen as a distraction from the aim, becoming a technology
class as students fiddle with cameras and IPods taking the attention away from the tutor and interrupting
the communicative process. Nevertheless, Walklin, L (2000) makes clear that all teachers, eventually, will
need to come to terms with the fact that technology is here to stay and will need to know how to use it. This
is apparent as digital learning has rapidly evolved and has become integral in many social institutions.

Non – Digital Teaching and Learning Resources

 Whiteboard
 Flipchart
 Paper
 Handouts

Information is easily obtained online that encourages the incorporation of technology into literacy
classrooms but rarely highlights the benefits of non – digital learning. Reece & Walker, S (2003) make
clear that non digital teaching resources such as boards are the most popular and useful visual aid as they
are quick and easy to use and available in 99% teaching accommodation. It is possible for teachers to get
more work done as points are seen as simple, to the point and interesting with quick stimulating activities
such as brainstorms.

Furthermore, they are also reliable and guaranteed to work when in use as tutors can alter and amend
work easily. Technical boards and use of PC connectivity can be frustrating when technical support is
required for a loss of connectivity, computer freezes, power cuts or even light reflecting onto the computer
screens which can cause a distraction. This can be time consuming and frustrating for both the tutor and
learner. Alternatively, Whiteboards can give the classroom a brighter atmosphere and tends to have steel
backing to become magnetic and depict movement.

This freedom of use can encourage creativity for tutors as they can build diagrams which lead into
interesting topics of discussion to stimulate the learners mind and begin the thinking process. An online
article on digital learning mentions that Traditional models of ‘transitreceive’ when applied to multimedia
learning, so far, has failed to engage learners in meaningful learning (Scardamalia and Bereiter, Framework
of TSOI model, 2003). In view of this, meaningful learning takes place through good communication
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practices between the learner and tutor as to why digital resources can prohibit interaction between student
and teacher and cannot be seen as a substitute for a proficient teacher (Walklin, L, 2000). Meaningful
learning is taking the time out to teach learners which can involve and should involve individual attention
when necessary.

Non digital learning resources are still apparent in literacy classes today such as handouts which can be
used to provide learners with data and facts. There are many different forms of handouts such as;
 Worksheets
 Operation sheets
 Assignment sheets etc.

These sheets can be worked on as part of a group or individually as learners are able to work on their
writing and reading skills as part of an activity and encourages learner’s feedback. It is important to note
that digital learning resources can be seen as unreliable and when technical support is required and cannot
be resolved, non – digital learning resources are needed to continue the lesson. Eliciting, reflecting upon
and responding to student feedback should be a necessary and integral part of a teacher’s professional
practice (Susan Wallace, 2001). This option offers qualitative feedback as it is possible to create an open
environment for students to verbally express their concerns amongst other students who may share the same
feelings. The teacher is then able to gain a general understanding of her performance on a whole and also
have the opportunity to resolve or address any problems that have been stated.

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54cb2e66e4b049ee78a97b14/t/54cd0661e4b0a212071db675/1422722657665/Digital-
Learning1.pdf

Teaching becomes rewarding when learners get the most from instructions as manifested in their
performance. An important element in engaging learners is when the strategy used in delivering the lessons
uses an instructional material. When properly and appropriately used, it can spice up a classroom activity.
These instructional materials may come in varied forms. One group refers to the conventional and non-
digital tools. A classroom will always need a chalkboard or a writing board that may come in varied forms
and shapes. Bulletin boards, flip charts, dioramas, puppets, terrarium, and the like, will always find their
significance in any classrooms. However, nowadays, lessons can be made more relevant and engaging for
learners as digital tools are integrated.
This lesson presents both non-digital and digital tools. Explore the possibilities of learning about
these tools and how to effectively integrate them in instruction. The teachers need instructional materials
to enhance teaching and learning. Instructional materials are defined as print and non-print items that are
rested to impact information to students into educational process (Effiong and Igiri, 2015). Examples of
instructional materials are drawings, kits textbooks, posters, magazines, flipchart, newspapers, diorama,
pictures, recording videos and like.
It is also known as Teaching/Learning Materials, are any collection of materials including animate
and inanimate objects and human and non-human resources that a teacher may use in teaching and learning
situations to help achieve desired learning objectives.
Instructional materials have several roles in teaching and learning which include the
following:
(1) they promote meaningful communication and effective learning;
(2) they ensure better retention, thus making learning more permanent;
(3) they help to overcome the limited classroom by making the inaccessible accessible;
(4) they provide a common experience upon which late learning can be developed; and
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(5) they encourage participation especially if students are allowed to manipulate materials used (
Brown et al.,2005; Effiong and Igiri, 2015).
Instructional materials are the supplementary materials, which help the teacher to make his/her
presentation concrete, effective, interesting, meaningful and aspiring. Instructional materials are a great
help in stimulating and facilitating the learning of the learners.
According to Wright (1976:1) as cited in Cakir (2006) many media and many styles of visual
presentation are useful to the language learner. All audio-visual materials have positive contributions to
language learning as long as they are used at the right time, in the right place. In the teaching and learning
process, learners use their eyes as well as their ears; but their eyes are basic in learning.
1. Diorama

It will make the classroom to be creative and innovative. It is a fun way to build an exciting scene
a small space .Dioramas are small scenes created of layers of materials, all depicting a similar concept or
theme. They usually display a historical time period, a nature scene, or a fictional situation.
2. Nature table

This is a table that contains objects and/or scenes related to the current season, or upcoming festival
or a symbol of an ecosystem. Children love to follow the natural changes that the world offers each month
and classroom decorations reflect these.
3. Writing board
A writing board can display information written with chalk (chalkboard or blackboard) or special
pens (whiteboard).Although there are usually more effective methods of transmitting information, the
writing board is still the most commonly used visual aid.
4. Flip chart
It is a large tablet or pad of paper, usually on a tripod or a stand.
5. Zigzag board
It is a multi-board series of three or four rectangular boards. They are joined together along the
sides by hinges so that they can be easily folded up and carried. Each board can be of a different type, for
example, a whiteboard, a chalkboard, a flannel board and so on. The size of the boards for the zigzag multi-
board depends on what you want to use them for.
6. Wall display
Displaying items on a classroom wall is a well-known, tried and tested educational method. A wall
display is a collection of many different types of items and materials put up on a wall to make an interesting
and informative display. In a classroom, the display can consist of the students' own work. In development
work it can be used to convey information to the community.
7. ROPE and POLE display board
This board consist of two parallel, horizontal poles tied loosely together with rope. Visual aids such
as posters can be pinned to the rope. This kind of display board is invaluable where there are few solid
walls for displaying information. It has no solid backing and can be made quickly for teaching, training and
when working with community.
GUIDLINES when designing conventional instructional materials;
 Unity - Use only one idea for each visual aid include a headline.
 Simplicity - Make ideas and relationships simply and easy to recall.
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 Legibility - Make letters big and readable for all in the audience.
 Consistency - Use the same type style and art style.
 Clarity - Avoid type that is too small to read; avoid all caps.

Student attention and engagement with these resources helps them to process the information into
working memory. When students meaningfully interact with the multimedia information, they encode this
information into their long-term memory. This meaningful interaction might involve learning activities
within the digital resource itself and/or as a lesson that is created by the teacher.
However, not all information presented in multimedia form support learning. For learning to occur, the
resources themselves need to be designed using sound educational principles, and need to be purposefully
integrated into the learning experience by the teacher. Educational theory provides direction for both the
effective design of the resources and how a teacher can best use those resources with students. Cognitive
load theory, developed by John Sweller (1988), tells us that learning resources must be designed to reduce
the load on our working memory in order for us to be able to construct schema. Effectively designed digital
learning resources:
1. exclude information and activities that are not directly related to schema construction
2. focus on information and activities that directly relate to schema construction
3. clearly identify the complexity of learning materials and experience of learner.
These principles guide teachers in evaluating the digital learning resources that they might want to use
with their students. Teachers can assess resources for how directly they cover the topic being taught, how
clearly the information is conveyed and how directly activities within the resources support student
learning. And teachers can ensure that the lessons they design using these resources are also focused on the
topic and take their students’ abilities and experience into consideration.
Teachers use digital resources for a variety of purposes and in many ways, including:
 As a way to introduce students to a topic
 As part of a teacher lecture or demonstration
 As a stimulus to group or whole-class discussion
 To provide students with access to different text types
 To engage students in activities that are not possible in the classroom
 To allow students to work at their own pace as a review or extension activity.

Since the development of the worldwide web in the mid-1990s, the ability to create, store and share
digital learning resources has expanded exponentially. Globally, significant effort has been put into creating
collections, or repositories, of these resources, so that teachers can draw upon them for their lessons.
In Australia, the national and state/territory governments have collaborated to develop digital learning
resources that meet the content and learning objectives curricula for all stages of schooling. The National
Digital Learning Resources Network (NDLRN) contains thousands of online curriculum resources that are
made available to all Australian schools, free of charge. For more information, see the National Digital
Learning Resources website.
Consider how digital learning resources can be used in teaching.
Webquests
WebQuests were created as a learning activity not long after the initial development of the worldwide
web. A WebQuest is an inquiry based activity that embeds the use of a variety of learning resources – with
most being digital learning resources available on the internet. The inquiry activity may take the form of
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tasks such as a problem to be solved, a position to be taken, a product to be designed or a work to be created.
Teachers can create their own WebQuests that address curriculum outcomes and draw upon resources they
have identified and evaluated. Or teachers can choose to use a WebQuest that someone else has created.
WebQuests have a consistent structure:
Introduction: Orients students to the activity
Task: Clearly and concisely describes the outcome of the learning activity
Process: Lists the steps learners will take to accomplish the task and the digital, web-based and other
learning resources that support learners in this process Evaluation: Provides a rubric to indicate how
learners’ performance will be assessed
Conclusions: Summarises what students will have covered and learned.
Think about your recent or forthcoming practice-teaching experience. Can you identify a WebQuest
that would cover some of the curriculum for the students in this class? Can you create a WebQuest of your
own? Could you ask the students in the class to make WebQuests?
Tools for analysis
Analysis and simulation tools support knowledge construction by allowing learners to manipulate
information and visualise information in different ways. The Australian Curriculum in History,
Mathematics and Science includes learning elaborations that involve students collecting, organising,
analysing and interpreting various forms of data and information. Some examples of technological tools
that support these processes include:
• Concept or mindmapping tools: These tools help learners to identify and link relevant concepts and
represent those concepts visually.
• Database software: This type of software allows learners to record, sort and report on a variety of data
in numerical, textual and media forms.
• Spreadsheet software: This type of software allows learners to record, sort, mathematically analyse
and represent numerical data in tabular and/or graphical forms.

Non-Digital Remote Learning Ideas

These are some ideas that can be used to support students with limited or no digital resources available.
 Scaffolded questions and tasks: Piling on low-level questions that are recall and knowledge-based
don’t constitute learning. It’s what a student does with this information to construct new knowledge
or apply it that matters. Consider using the Rigor Relevance Framework as a tool to accomplish
both of these preferred outcomes through scaffolding.
 Guided and independent practice: Considering the two items previously addressed, practice can be
chunked (guided) in ways that steps are followed until students are asked to do it on their own
(independent).
 Authentic challenge problems: Knowing that digital resources are limited, reference materials can
be provided for kids to engage in inquiry-based learning. As you structure lessons and or extended
projects, contemplate about how you will get students to think at the highest levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy while solving unpredictable real-world problems, also referred to as Quad D learning.
 Independent reading and reflective questions: To assist students who are at a lower reading level,
consider providing suggestions.
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 Playlists and choice boards: These powerful

blended learning strategies can easily be converted
to non-digital options to keep students engaged for
days to even a week. Choice leads to more
empowerment. With a playlist students choose the
order they want to complete all the activities.
With choice boards, students choose to complete a
set number of activities but don’t do all of them. No
matter what you decide, you can incorporate all of
the strategies addressed above. Below you can see
an SEL choice board shared by Keri Powers Pye.
 Movement: Any type of remote learning tends to
be sedentary. Think about activities that get the
blood pumping, which will help students maintain
focus while providing needed brain breaks. Movement matters more than ever if learning is the
goal. Below is a great fitness activity shared by M. Robinson PE using the game Uno.

 Reflective writing journals: No matter the

strategies employed, getting kids to reflect on
their learning each day can empower them to
make connections between concepts and
content areas as well as identify what they
need to work on going forward. It can also
function as a form of closure.

With everything listed above, there has to be a way to disseminate lessons and materials as well as
review them to provide feedback. As part of your remote learning plan, think about the best way to
accomplish this that minimizes contact. http://esheninger.blogspot.com/2020/03/8-non-digital-remote-learning-
ideas.html
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ASSESSMENT

Activity 1: REFLECTION (Based on your understanding on the discussion on this chapter, Give your
perceptions on the importance of Learning Materials in teaching)

Activity 2: APPLICATION (As a 21st century educator how can we apply and at the same time integrate
the use of Non-Digital and Digital Skills and Tools in Delivering Technology-Enhanced Lessons? How can
we enhance learning using this digital and n0n-digital tools?)