Choosing and Using Instructional Resources

Choosing and
Using
Instructional
Resources
What issues
should I
consider
when
selecting
instructiona
l materials?
How can I use
electronic
resources to
enhance
student
learning?
How can I help
my students
use textbooks
more
effectively?
A key feature of effective
teaching is the selection
of instructional materials
that meet the needs of
students and fit the
constraints of the
teaching and learning
environment.
The tremendous
increases in rates of
information transfer,
access to the Internet,
and posting of materials
on the World Wide Web
give instructors and
students an almost
limitless supply of
resource material.
In addition, the ease of
electronic
communications
between an instructor
and students, and among
students, provides new
opportunities for sharing
questions, answers, and
discussions during a
course.
At the same time, there
remains a major role for
student use of textbooks
and for instructional use
of demonstrations, films,
videos, slides, and
overhead
transparencies.
TEXTBOOK USE IN
TEACHING AND
LEARNING
The professor's main role before the wide
availability of the printing press was to
lecture on information obtained from a
rare copy of an often ancient book.
Advantages and
Disadvantages of
using Textbooks
Advantages
Textbooks are especially

helpful for beginning
teachers. The material to
be covered and the design
of each lesson are carefully
spelled out in detail.
Advantages
Textbooks provide
organized units of work. A
textbook gives you all the
plans and lessons you need
to cover a topic in some
detail.
Advantages
A textbook series provides

you with a balanced,
chronological presentation
of information.
Advantages
A textbook series provides you
with a textbooks are a detailed
sequence of teaching procedures
that tell you what to do and when
to do it. There are no surprises—
everything is carefully spelled out.
balanced, chronological
presentation of information.
Advantages
Textbooks provide
administrators and teachers
with a complete program. The
series is typically based on the
latest research and teaching
strategies.
Advantages
Good textbooks are excellent

teaching aids. They're a
resource for both teachers and
students.
Disadvantages
The textbook is
designed as a the
sole source of
information.
Disadvantages
Textbook is old or
outdated.
Disadvantages
Textbook questions
tend to be low level
or fact-based.
Disadvantages
Textbook doesn't
take students'
background
knowledge into
account.
Disadvantages
Reading level of the

textbook is too
difficult.
Disadvantages
The textbook has all

the answer to all the
questions.
Changes in Textbook
Style and Content
Today's texts are far more sophisticated, less

historical, and contain more facts than in the
past, with complex language and terminology
(Bailar, 1993).
Changes in Textbook
Style and Content
Modern texts attempt to deal with issues of process

as well as matters of fact or content. They are
replete with essays, sidebars, diagrams,
illustrations, worked examples, and problems and
questions at many different levels.
How to Choose
and Use an
Appropriate
Textbook
Before selecting a text, it
is important to know what
books are currently on the
market. Colleagues who
teach the same or a similar
course (in your
department or at other
institutions) are good
sources of ideas and
information.
There are a number of
factors to consider when
selecting a textbook. To
be of greatest value to
students, the objectives of
a textbook must be
consistent with those of
the course.
Consider how the table of contents aligns
with your course syllabus and teaching
philosophy:
• Is coverage of topics broad or
specific?
• Are key principles stated precisely
and clearly?
• Are the explanations and
interpretations consistent with your
teaching style?
Considerations in
Choosing a
Textbook
Look at it from the
point of view of novice
users.
Consider the
information and the
weight.
Choose a book that
contains most of the
information that is
needed, and
supplement it with
additional readings.
Match the text to the
audience in terms of
its preparation and
prior knowledge.

Choosing and Using Instructional Resources

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Choosing and Using Instructional Resources

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Choosing and

Textbooks are especially

A textbook series provides

Good textbooks are excellent

Reading level of the

The textbook has all

Today's texts are far more sophisticated, less

Modern texts attempt to deal with issues of process

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