Educators and researchers in the field of learning have always strived to discover methodologies that can help students in grasping the concepts better. Right from classroom interactive teaching to intensive study material, each of the learning methodologies has its importance. The question of the usefulness of study material crops up, especially when opting for distance learning courses. There are pros and cons to everything but it is essential to analyze every aspect before making the final decision.
Which course is chosen?
Not every course comes with a study material package that can clarify all the concepts and reach straight to the minds of the target learners. The courses that require immense practical knowledge and real-world acquaintance cannot be successfully pursued with the help of theoretical study materials. It is a scientifically proven fact that practical implementation of any concept tends to hit the audience better. However, this makes an exception when the course requires better theoretical understanding with practical case studies and examples. Such courses where concepts can be well understood with diagrams and pictorial representation can still benefit from the use of study material.
Design of study material
One of the most essential components of study material that determines whether it is helpful is the way it has been laid down. Testing and refinement of the course contents are quite essential in determining its success in making the readers understand its true purpose. The design of this study material should also be based on the components of the course. The structure can be well defined and the course content can be broken up into lectures. This type of study material can even help prospective students estimate the learning time better.
Performance Parameters
In classroom learning, there are regular tests that are held to check the level of imbibitions of the subjects taught in class. There has been research to unveil the important ideologies for the construction of course material based on learner experiences. The setting of the study material structure is based on the expectation that it will influence learning in a powerful manner. Objective tests are better for the evaluation of subject matter since subjective tests cannot be self-evaluated. Study materials should be clubbed with some test books in order to make the students understand and judge the level of their performance with the help of these tests.
Interactive Study Material
Tracing the olden times, the only restriction of study material was the textbooks. Clubbing text with some videos can be an outstanding learning experience. Animations, pictures, slide shows with some simple narration, and some similar videos packed on a CD can increase knowledge to quite an extent. For example, if the procedure of some equipment is to be understood, an animated video of how things start and how they progress is quite beneficial. The reason is that it projects an image in the minds of the students and thus, the time involved in reading some plain text and understanding the concepts is reduced drastically. Pictures or flow charts along with the text content are also helpful in gaining the idea of the flow of processes from one point to the other.
Thus, if educational resources are designed in a well-organized and presentable manner, learning can be a thriving experience and can completely serve its sole purpose. The teaching elements and the way they are connected can also determine the success of study material to quite an extent. The teaching methodology, information that is conveyed, the study aids used and the students together form the elements of the vast knowledge sphere. Study material is the pathway that connects all these components to form an integrated system of understanding.
