MEANING AND ADVANTAGES OF AUDIO- VISUAL AIDS

Effectiveness of teaching – learning process does not depend only on teacher but also upon the
different types of equipments available in the classroom. The different equipments generally called audio-
visual aids makes teaching–learning process more interesting, more stimulating, more reinforcing and
more effective. According to Indian Education Commission (1964 – 66), “the supply of teaching aids to
every school is essential for the improvement of the quality of teaching. It should indeed bring about an
educational revolution in the country.” These are those instructional devices which are used in the
classroom to encourage learning and thereby make it easier and interesting. Albert Duret rightly said, “it is
easier to believe what you see than what you hear, but if you both see and hear, then you can understand
more readily and retain more lastingly.” They are called so because they call upon both the auditory and
visual senses of the learners.
Definitions:-
i. Carter V. Good:- “Audio – visual aids are those aids which help in completing the triangular process of
learning i.e; motivation, classification and stimulation.”
ii. Edger Dale:- “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. These are also termed
as multisensory materials.”
iii. Burton:- “Audio – visual aids are those sensory objects or images which initiate or stimulate and
reinforce learning.”
iv. Mcknown and Roberts:- “ Audio – visual aids are supplementary devices by which the teacher, through
the utilization of more than one sensory channels keeps to clarify, establish and correlate concepts,
interpretations and appreciations.”
v. S.P. Ahluwalia:- “Audio – visual materials reinforce the spoken or the written words with concrete
images and provide rich perceptual experiences which are basis of learning. These material make learning
less non-verbalistic and reduce the boredom of mere verbalism.”

Thus audio – visual aids are those instructional devices which makes teaching – learning process more
interesting and effective. They use multi – sensory organs like hearing, seeing in order to make the process
more vivid and impressionable. It reduces the rate of verbalism by providing content material in the form
of concrete
forms.

Advantages:-
National Policy on Education (1986) has recommended the use of teaching aids, especially improvised
aids to make teaching – learning more effective, durable and realistic. They have great educational value
from the point of view of teachers as well as of students. The following points highlight the need,
importance and advantages of audio – visual aids in the teaching – learning process.
1. Audio – visual aids helps in the maximum utilization of sense organs in the teaching – learning
process. According to Gandhiji, “True education of the intellect can only come through a proper exercise
and training of bodily, organs – hands, feet, eyes, ears and nose.” The use of sense – organs in any process
helps us to gain maximum knowledge. Empirical as well as rational knowledge is easily gained by the use
of senses.
2. They help us to make teaching – learning process more effective and interesting. The use of
different audio – visual aids reduces the passiveness of the classroom interaction and makes it lively and
interesting.
3. They help us to recognize and meet the individual requirements of the individuals. Some learn
better through demonstration and some learn better through doing. So they recognize the individual
differences of the learners.
 4. They make the abstract ideas concrete and thus help in making learning more effective. It results
into more clarity and better understanding.
5. It reduces the rate of verbalism by providing concrete materials in the form of charts, models, maps
etc. It clarifies the abstract concepts by the use of different aids and thus helps us to make things more
clear and meaningful to the students.
6. They help us to provide first hand experiences to students. For example it is not possible to bring
the object in the class like lion, elephant etc and their pictures or models can be used for teaching
purposes at that time. Thus these aids are good substitutes for the real objects as they make learning
equally meaningful.
7. They help us to economise the efforts of the teacher and the taught. In other words, they save
much time and energy of teacher and taught because very difficult items can be easily taught through
their use in a limited effort.
8. They help us to develop creative power of the individuals. By providing the different types of
equipments, the learners involves their all faculties in order to create or develop something new.
9. They help us in overcoming the shortage of resources like shortage of good classroom teachers,
shortage of current facilities available for teaching and learning.
10. They help us in transfer of learning or training and helps us to develop scientific attitude among
the learners.

Types of Audio- Visual Aids:-

The audio – visual aids have been classified in a number of ways according to different approaches, some
are as:
1. Technical Approach:- They have been classified into two types viz, audio aids and visual aids.
a. Audio – aids:- The aids involving the sense of hearing are called audio – aids e.g; radio,
tape-recorder, records player etc.
b. Visual aids:- Those aids which use sense of vision are called as visual aids, e.g; models, pictures,
maps, bulletin board, slides, epidiascope, over head projector etc.
2. According to 2nd approach, the audio – visual aids have been classified into two types viz; projected
and non- projected teaching aids.
a. Projected aids:- Teaching aids which help in their projection on the screen are called as projected
aids. For example, film strips, slides, film projector, overhead projector, epidiascope
etc.
b. Non –Projected aids:- Teaching aids which do not help in their projection on the screen are called
non-projected teaching aids. For example, chalk board, charts, actual objects,
models, taps – recorder, radio etc.

PROJECTED TEACHING AIDS

Projected teaching aids are those aids help in their projection on the screen. When a projected aid is
used, an enlarged room is either totally or partially darkened. It includes the following aids.
I. Film:- Motion pictures usually termed as films represent an effective instructional device calling
upon auditory as well visual senses of the learners. They are useful and suitable aids in order to cater the
students attention and create interest among them towards effective learning. They provide a lot of
information to the learners apart from their recreational value. Educational films may be prepared on any
content material or any aspect of knowledge, correct attitude and behavior. Usually we have available
general educational films, classroom films, basic teaching films and supplementary teaching films. For
example educational film like Chadrigupt Murya may be shown to the students and then they are asked
some comprehension question or they are asked to descried something or write a piece of composition. It
will improve the different abilities like thinking, speaking, explaining comprehending etc of the learners.
Educational Value of films:-
1. Educational films motivates the learners and creates interest in them so that learning may become
more fruitful and effective.
2. They helps us to develop imagination power of the learners.
3. They reduces the load of work of the teachers.
4. They brings past and present in the classroom. The historical events, growth of flowers and plants, the
occurrence of chemical phenomena etc can be reconstructed through the films.
5. They make classroom interaction lively, interesting and brings variety in methods of instructions like
lecture followed by presentation method.
6. They help students in order to improve their different abilities interms of reasoning, explaining,
comprehending etc.
7. They reduce verbalism of students and brings effectiveness in the learning process.
8. It develops “We feeling” among learners by showing the films like freedom struggle of India, Eid,
Dipwali, etc.

II. Film – Strips:-

A film – strip is 35mm wide and has a series of 12 to 48 picture frames arranged in a sequence so that
they develop a theme. A film – strip can be prepared by taking a series of photographs using a 35mm
camera and then by taking a positive print of the negative film on another 35mm film. They are then
projected on a slide projector or a film strip projector. According to Good`s dictionary of education, a film
– strip is, “a short length of film containing a number of positives, each different but usually having some
continuity, intended to be projected as series of still pictures by means of film strip projector. These are
available in market and in libraries. A wonderfully inspiring and informative series of twenty film strips,
entitled ‘Bring India to your class – room’ has been released by the Al Mervyn studio, Mumbai. The
material of this series ranges from India`s land and people to her agriculture, industries, hill stations and
cultural activities etc.
Educational Significance:-
1. They are helpful for composition lessons.
2. It allows maximum participation of the students.
3. All subjects content material can be made interesting and effective with the help of film – strips.
4. It is economical interms of time and energy. It saves the time and energy of both teacher and taught.
5. It develops the habit of discussion, explanation, argumentation among learners by projected different
content materials in a logical sequence on a screen.
6. They are good substitutes for direct experience of the learners including different topics like atomic
energy, sulphur and its compounds, citizenship etc.

III. Over – head Projector:-

Over – head projector is a device that can project a chart, a diagram, anything written on transparent
sheet etc upon a screen on the white wall in front of students in a class. The name ‘over-head projector’
comes from the fact that the projected image is behind and over the head of the speaker/ teacher. In it, a
transparent visual is placed on a horizontal stage on top of light source. The light passes through this
transparency and then is reflected at 90̊ angle on the screen at the back of the speaker.
Educational Significance:-
1. It helps us to make teaching more illuminative, illustrative and impressive.
2. It is economical interms of saving teacher`s time used in drawing or writing.
3. Transparent sheets once prepared can be used for future displays while taking up the same topic.
4. The teacher can maintain complete class control and interest in a lesson by turning a switch on or off.
5. It can be used for large group of students in any type of classroom.
6. Problems like writing on blackboard, rub the written material occasionally etc. have been overcome by
the use of overhead projector.
7. Whether in a teaching or a presentation situation, the audience sees the visualization from the same
point of view as the communicator. The feeling of oneness with the communicator is created.
8. The teacher can always face the class, maintaining eye contact with the pupils.

IV. Slides or Transparencies:-

A slide is a piece of film in a frame for passing strong light through or to show a picture on a surface. It
is a piece of transparent surface like cellulose acetate film, translucent paper, glass etc of a specific
dimension with drawings or pictures which can be mounted individually for use in a projector or for
viewing by transmitted light.
Educational values:-
According to Hass and Parker (1954), the following are the advantages of slides:-
1. Attract attention
2. Arouse interest
3. Assist lesson development
4. Test student`s understanding
5. Review instruction
6. Present next lesson or subject
7. Facilitate student teacher participation.