LEARNING AIDS AND IMPROVISED AIDS:Importance in Science Education on April 15, 2021

 How did man develop Science? It is his observations, analysis-based inferences, and prediction that led to the development of science. Hence, scientific method is based on observation, hypothesis, experimentation, analysis, theorisation, etc. Therefore, teaching science effectively involves special methods that invoke all of those elements of scientific methods. Learning aids and improvised aids are used for teaching science effectively. They help students to have a clear understanding of the concept and enhance their knowledge. They also make the task of teaching easier. Most systems consider that these aids are a must in teaching science. This does not mean that science cannot be taught without the use of such expensive apparatuses. However, these learning aids help to reduce the time and effort of teachers.

LEARNING AIDS

Student engagement is essential for the success of a lesson. The use of learning aids changes the atmosphere of the class and makes the class very interesting for the students. Students may not be able to concentrate on a lecture for a long time. Showing them a film or an experiment boosts their curiosity and ensures they are attentive in the class. They also help the students to develop scientific attitudes and get training in scientific method. The use of learning aids are actually based on the principles of psychology of students. Learning aids are of different types:

1. Visual Aids
2. Audio Aids
3. Audio-visual Aids
4. Activity Aids
5. Memory Aids

Appropriate learning aid should be selected according to the context of the classroom, topic to be taught, and the availability of resources.

Visual Aids

These are the learning aids that involve the use of the sense of sight. Therefore, these aids can be appreciated and understood by seeing only. Visual senses are easier for a person to memorise. It is easier for us to recollect the faces of people rather than their names. This psychological fact is being utilized here. Important and widely used visual aids are:

1. Chalk-boards
2. Charts, Pictures and Models
3. Motion Films, Animations, Slides.
4. Bulletin Board
5. Graphs

Chalkboards are the traditional and most common visual aid. Chalkboard is also called as blackboard. Nowadays, variants of blackboards are also used in classrooms, like whiteboards and interactive whiteboards. Chalkboard can be used for drawing the figures, writing important terms, explaining mathematical problems, etc. With the use of coloured chalks, a teacher can make the content very clear and attractive for the students. Nowadays, chalkboard has become a symbol of classroom showing its importance in a classroom. The practice of using slates for teaching was used in India, 1000 years ago. Slates evolved into blackboards and whiteboards of today.

Charts, pictures and models are another set of visual aids used for teaching. Blackboards are reusable whereas charts or models are created for a special topic and cannot be reused for another topic. In science teaching, they have a great role as drawing certain figures on blackboard needs much time and effort, using pre-drawn charts is more effective and time-saving for class. They look more neat and attractive than blackboard content. Once created, it can be stored somewhere so that it can be used for another class. However, the creation of charts or models needs special skills and care from the side of a teacher.

With the advent of modern technologies, pictures transformed into moving pictures, animations and slides. They are more effective than a single picture. Concepts can be made more clear to the students with the use of such aids. But, creating such resources need special expertise.

Bulletin boards are boards similar to a blackboard. But the purpose is normally not to write something. Rather, it is used for pinning some clippings or pictures together so that students can observe them on a regular basis. For example, a bulletin board in a science classroom can contain paper-cuttings of articles related to new scientific innovations, which will be updated on a regular basis. Thus, students will get new information, in an interesting way.

Numeric data are hard to be dealt for human brains. We can memorise the names of a hundred friends with less effort. But it is very difficult for us to memorise their phone numbers or even their birthdays. A Similarly, analysis of scientific data is also a herculean task. But, when they are represented as a picture or a graph, we can easily interpret the data and make further inferences about it. There are some graphical analysis methods for certain data. Similar approach can be adopted in the teaching of science as well. Students can easily analyse the numerical data with the help of graphs, pie charts, bar graphs, etc. Also, some graphical methods gives students, some easy solutions to some problems. For example, the area under the curve of a velocity-time graph gives the displacement of the object.

Audio Aids

Audio aids or oral aids are those learning aids that involve the use of the sense of hearing. These aids can give a relaxation and refreshment to students from a monotonous lecture. It can also provide speeches or lectures by reputed resources from a far region. Compared to visual aids, its effectiveness is less most of the cases. But it is ideal for some specific tasks. Certain subjects like Music can be taught very effectively when there are some audio aids. Examples of audio lectures are:

• Science Broadcasts
• Gramaphone lectures
• Tape-recordings
• Internet Podcasts

All of the above-mentioned audio aids are recorded forms of sound. The difference is in the medium used to record or transfer. Science broadcasts are those educational programmes by radio stations, that are related to science. Nowadays, such programmes are included in the schedules of popular radio services like All India Radio, BBC, etc. All India Radio, in association with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) has a radio serviced named Gyanvani, which is solely meant for educational purposes. It broadcasts the audio of lectures of famous teachers and other resourceful programmes.

Gramaphone lectures and Tape-recordings are the recordings of lectures by some teachers / famous personalities. Gramaphones were used before the advent of Tape-recorders. Tape-recorders were then replaced by Compact Discs (CD). In some situations, these audio aids solely perform the functions of a teacher. For example, in some rural areas of lowly developed countries, the availability of school facilities and faculties will be less. In those areas, Radio Broadcasts and tape-recordings can provide quality lectures and opportunities of learning to the students.

We are now living not in the era of gramaphones, tape-recorders or audio CDs but in the era of internet and artificial intelligence. A podcast is an episodic series of spoken word digital audio files that a user can download to a personal device for easy listening. Streaming applications and podcasting services provide a convenient and integrated way to manage a personal consumption queue across many podcast sources and playback devices. These are mostly transferred using internet. Some examples of science podcasts are Quirks and Quarks, Curiosity Daily, Hidden Brain, Science Talk, and Stuff To Blow Your Mind.

Audio-Visual Aids

Technologies are advancing day-to-day. Now we have Audio-Visual media, which has both visual as well as audio. It is the most popular media in today's world. Human brains can easily understand and memorise things when there is as both vision and hearing are involved. Major audio-visual aids are:

• Television
• Science Films

Audio-visual media are commonly called mass media, as they have wide coverage. Nowadays, most of the population in our world has television. Even though they are mostly used for entertainment purposes, their impact in the educational sector is very much. There are various television channels dedicated to science education. Those channels contain documentaries and other programmes that foster scientific curiosity and gain vast knowledge. Discovery Science, VYAS, National Geographic Channel, etc are examples of such science-only channels. There are other educational channels that provide science programmes in their schedule, like Gyandarshan, Safari, Victers, and Eklavya. There is a set of channels that provide science lectures from reputed institutions of the country. SWAYAM-PRABHA is such an initiative by the Govt. of India, that telecasts live lectures from various institutions like IIT, IISER, and Central Universities. Another example is Vande Gujarat TV Channels, which was initiated by the Public Education Department of the Gujarat State. All these channels facilitate and enhance 'Distance Education'. It can also assist students in rural areas. Those students may not have proper access to internet. But television may be available there. Hence, they can access quality education. One evidence of the importance of television in education has been seen over the past covid pandemic period. The complete teaching of the syllabus was done with the help of the Victers channel in the state of Kerala. Many students reported it as effective as real classes, or more effective in some aspects.

Films are an integral part of our lifestyle. They have a great influence on our culture as well. It shows how deeply a film can be received by the human brain. Similarly, science-based films can provide a lot of knowledge, and increase the curiosity of the students. It is better to watch a video of the working of machines in a factory than attend a lecture on the same. Many commercial films, based on Science are being released all over the world, and that creates scientific awareness to the global community. In the educational sector also, documentaries and films can assist teaching and can give a better understanding of the concepts that students are learning. Many institutions are working to create such useful resources for students that aid learning. SIET (State Institute of Educational Technology) and CIET (Central Institute of Educational Technology) are examples of such institutes that create such science films and documentaries for young students.

Even though audio-visual aids are very effective for teaching science, it can have some practical difficulties as well. Expense is one factor to be considered. In order to use them in a classroom, the classroom should be equipped with facilities like uninterrupted power supply, Projector, Screen, and Computer. Making all the classrooms in a school, equipped with these facilities is very expensive.

Activity Aids

Learning aids, which grow and develop out of the activities of the students and teachers, are known as activity aids. Since these aids involve sight, vision, and motion, students are more actively engaged in the learning process. This is of great help in science subjects where concepts need to have a better understanding. Examples of Activity aids are:

• Science Museum
• Aquarium
• Nature Study Garden
• Excursions
• Science Fairs

Science Museums are museums that contain objects, instruments, and tools with scientific importance. Observing such objects and phenomena in their natural setting is the ideal way to gain knowledge. A mini-museum can be set up in a school itself. In that museum, there can be some science models, charts, pictures, specimens of organisms, etc. Exhibitions are also very much helpful for students.

Aquarium and Natural Study Garden are places where we can visit various organisms in an artificially created habitat. Natural Study garden can either be a Botanical Garden or a Zoological Garden. In an aquarium, fishes and aquatic organisms are inhabited. Botanical gardens have varieties of plants and animals. Zoological gardens have animals, especially land animals. It is very difficult for us to visit these organisms in their natural habitats, i.e. jungles or seas. Hence, they give an immense opportunity for students to see them and study about them.

Excursions are of great importance in a curriculum. They are having a good influence on the mental health of students. The present education system presents learning as a group process, not an individual process. So, the fellowship and unity of students in a classroom or a school is very important for the excellence of students in academics. A child can only learn, once there is a proper learning environment. Excursions are trips to some places, which will help students to gain knowledge. Excursions can be made to aquariums, nature study gardens, or science parks. Thus students will be able to access knowledge beyond their textbook and school.

Science Fairs are one of the best methods to develop an aptitude and passion towards science in students. They can either be conducted as competitions or exhibitions. Kerala State School Sasthrolsavam is an example of such a science fair. In this fair, students from different parts of Kerala participates in different events, and their products are displayed for the public. Students get an opportunity to experience, work with, and think about Science from their own perspective. They can apply their knowledge and enhance it, and share the benefits with the community. It also guarantees a public appreciation for them. It is not only beneficial for the students but for the whole community also. Science fairs play an important role in making a community with scientific temper and rational thinking.

Memory Aids

In student's learning, memorisation has a vital role. Science is a subject that needs much comprehension and conceptual learning. However, in science, the students might want to memorise many names, numbers, relations, etc. The role of a teacher is to support them in memorising them. For that teachers can use memory aids, which will help students to memorise things easily. They can be some graphs, pictorial representation, acronyms, etc.

IMPROVISED AIDS

Improvised aids are some apparatus or models that represent some physical objects or phenomena, and are used to study the same. Textbooks or pictures cannot give a clear idea about certain science topics. It can be clearly understood and memorised when they have a mini model of what they are studying or seeing in their books.
For demonstration and experimentation, a large number of materials and equipment are needed in a science laboratory. The cost of this material and equipment is high and it becomes difficult to arrange for it from the nominal amounts available at the disposal of science teacher. However, a teacher with strong determination and necessary skills can go ahead with the task of improvising apparatus and equipment. Home-made or improvised apparatus are made from very low-cost raw materials, with the help of students under the guidance of the teacher.
The improvised apparatuses made by the students prove quite beneficial from so many angles summarised as below:

1. Economical Aspect : Improvised apparatus are low cost as these are made with the help of costless materials. Waste materials can also be utilized for this. Science is a discipline. So, science students should practice minimising expenses and maximum utilization of available resources. The practice and skill developed in such improvisation and repair work may also prove helpful to the students in terms of earning their bread or saving money by improvising or repairing day-to-day use articles.

2. Psychological Aspect : From the psychological point of view also, the task of improvisation proves quite beneficial to the students as it satisfies their basic instincts and urges like the instinct of curiosity, constructiveness, and inventiveness, etc. It provides an opportunity for self-expression and self-development meeting out their natural interests and aptitudes. It also gives an appropriate means for the healthy canalization of their pent-up emotions and creative energy.

3. Educational Aspect : Improvisation is also quite advantageous from the educational point of view. It provides an opportunity for making the best use of the principle 'learning by doing' and integration of the three H's i.e. hand, heart, and head. It provides proper opportunity to make a practical and applied use of the theoretical knowledge of the scientific facts and principles. The improvised apparatus besides proving convenient and simple in use has a strong psychological appeal in terms of emotional attachment and thus is able to create genuine interest in making use of it for the learning and exploring the scientific facts.

4. Inculcatin of scientific attitude and abilities : In case the students have devised and are using the apparatus made by them it is sure to lead them in the development of the following attitudes and abilities linked with the study of sciences. The Developement of scientific attitude and acquisition of scientific method of problem solving can be achieved through them. Proper development of the mental faculties like reasoning, thinking, imagination, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, etc can be ensured with this. Development of the faculty of self-criticism, self-appraisal, and self-improvement can also take place with the help of improvised apparatus.

5. Search for scientific talents : When students are introduced to some improvised aids, they start observing them and try to create a copy of the model on their own. Thus their creative faculties begin to function to such an extent that they do not only copy the original plan and technology for making some suitable and cheap apparatus but also invent and innovate many things quite new and original. Hence, improvised aids should be utilised for the search of scientific talents among the students.

EXAMPLES

As we have discussed many advantages as well as values of using improvised aids, lets us see some examples for improvised aids.

Model of Lungs

Using a bell jar with open mouth, we can create an improvised model of lungs easily. A Y-tube and some balloons are also needed. The bottom of the jar can be covered with a balloon to act like the diaphragm. Two open ends of the Y-tube is tied with two balloons which represent the lungs.

Model of Fire extinguisher

Using a wide-mouthed bottle, we can create a model of Fire-Extuinguisher. Fill the half of it with a concentrated solution of washing soda. Put some sulphuric acid in a small bottle or a test tube that can float on this solution. The next step is to fit an air-tight cork fitted with a bent tube as shown in the figure. When a fire has got to be extinguished, tilt the bottle in such a way that the sulphuric acid is spilled out of the small bottle or the test tube and comes in contact with the washing soda. A Chemical reaction takes place. Carbon dioxide gas is generated which comes out from the bent tube. Being heavier than the ordinary air it falls down on the burning objects and extinguishes the fire. That is the model of a fire extinguisher.

COMPUTER SIMULATIONS

Computer simulations are programs, which are virtual models of real-life phenomena. In science, it is an important tool, as we can do various experiments virtually, and make inferences, without actually doing them physically. Thus, it reduces human effort, as well as money. Students can carry out various experiments that they learn through simulated programs. This is very helpful in the case where real experimental set-ups are very expensive or risky. For example, we can simulate the motion of a bar pendulum in different planets, and experience it. Thus, simulations give students an opportunity to get acquainted with many new experiments in science class and enrich their knowledge.

CONCLUSION

As we have seen, these aids and apparatus can support learning science. But the selection of aids is to be done appropriately by the teacher. Teachers should ensure that there is a positive impact of those in the students. Aspects of culture, previous knowledge, etc are also to be considered while including these aids in the lesson. Students always have a tendency to copy what their elders do especially teachers. So, the apparatus showed to them, should be free of any risks for them, if they are constructing the same at their home. When the teachers instruct students to make them, it is better not to make it a compulsory thing, as some students may face some issues related to lack of skills, and economical safety. An analogy can be mentioned here about technology and science. Just like modern technologies make human life easier, learning aids and improvised aids make science education easier.

REFERENCES

• S.P. Kulshreshtha. (January 2016). Teaching of Science. R Lall.
• V.K. Nanda. (January 2006). Science Education Today. Anmol Publisher
• Yogesh Kumar Singh, & Ruchika Nath.(November 2005). Teaching of General Science. APH Publishing Corporation