4 Chapter 4: Instructional Resources
- Instructional Strategy
- Instructional Resources
- Learning Resources
- Resources for Open Education Materials
- Adapt or adopt the Content?
- Finding, Evaluating, and Adapting Resources
In this chapter of the book, you will be introduced to the instructional strategies (or instructional resources ) in design lessons.
Materials to support lesson planning: Instructional Materials Video
Instructional Strategy
An instructional strategy describes the instructional materials and procedures that enable students to achieve the learning outcomes. Your instructional strategy should describe the instructional materials’ components and procedures used with the materials that are needed for students to achieve the learning outcomes. The strategy should be based on the learning outcomes. You can save time and money by not reinventing the wheel. However, be careful; a lot of existing instructional material is designed poorly.
Use the instructional strategy as a framework for further developing the instructional materials or evaluating whether existing materials are suitable or need revision. As a general rule, use the strategy to set up a framework for maximizing effective and efficient learning. This often requires using strategies that go beyond basic teaching methods. For example, discovery-learning techniques can be more powerful than simply presenting the facts. No single teaching method or medium is ideal for all learners. As you proceed through developing an instructional strategy, start specifying the media that would most effectively teach the material.
Learning Domain Strategies
Each of Gagne’s Domains of Learning (look back at the Analysis: the learning task chapter) is best taught with different instructional strategies.
Verbal Information
Verbal information is material, such as names of objects, that students simply have to memorize and recall.
When teaching verbal information:
- Organize the material into small, easily retrievable chunks.
- Link new information to knowledge the learner already possesses. For example, use statements such as
“Remember how”, or “This is like …”. Linking information helps the learner to store and recall the material.
- Use mnemonics and other memory devices for new information. You may recall that the musical notes of the treble clef staff lines can be remembered with the mnemonic Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge.
- Use meaningful contexts and relevant cues. For example, relating a problem to a sports car can be relevant to some members of your target audience.
- Have the learners generate examples in their minds, such as creating a song or game with the information or applying the knowledge to the real world. If the student only memorizes facts then the learning will only have minimal value.
- Avoid rote repetition as a memorization aid. Rote learning has minimal effectiveness over time.
- Provide visuals to increase learning and recall.
Intellectual Skills
Intellectual skills are