A Detailed Look at the Purpose of Teaching Resources in Education

This essay elucidates the purpose of teaching resources in learning and education, emphasizing their role in enhancing the effectiveness of the teaching-learning process. It highlights the importance of utilizing aids such as textual materials, videos, and software to support learning objectives and ensure knowledge retention. The essay discusses the evaluation criteria for learning resources, including curriculum fit, social considerations, and developmental appropriateness. It also examines how specific resources, like mind maps, databases, and spreadsheets, can cater to individual learning needs. Furthermore, the principles of designing resources, informed by theories of inclusive curriculum design, are explored, with a focus on creating accessible and engaging learning experiences. The essay concludes by underscoring the significance of adapting curriculum to meet diverse student needs and overcome barriers to participation.

Running head: Teaching Resources
Purpose of resources in teaching and learning
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction:
It is the wish of every teacher and educators that the process of teaching and learning
be effective, and that everything taught by a teacher should be carefully listened to,
understood and properly learnt in order to create a lifelong impression on the student’s mind,
and thus ensure retention of the information or knowledge imparted to them. In the recent
years, a significant development in educational technology is the utilization of aids that
supports the teaching as well learning processes.
Resources that support learning include textual materials, videos or softwares that can
be used by teachers to help the students to fulfil the learning objectives that are outlined in
the course/curriculum structure by the local or national educational authorities. It is important
that before a learning resource is utilized inside a classroom, it should be properly evaluated,
analyzed and then approved at the national or local levels. The criterion for evaluation of the
learning resources can include its appropriateness to the development (or developmental
stage/maturity) of the student, its fitness in context to the academic curriculum and also social
factors. Common examples of learning resources include chalk, duster, boards, charts, audio-
visual aids, and educational softwares as well as library and instructional materials. A
resource centre can be understood as a facility within the premise of the school that provides
access to many sources of information to the students, and is generally staffed by a
professional. Library is also a significant resource for learning since it allows access to
several books, which the students can use to learn and improve their knowledge and
understanding.
Teaching aid are important tools since it can make the process of teaching more
interactive, since they can involve the speech and sight related organs. Joseph J Weber
proposed that 40% of our sensory perceptions are based on visual information, while 25% on

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auditory information, 17% on tactile information, 3% of taste and olfaction and 15% from
physical experiences.
Importance of Resources in learning and teaching:
 A propensity of forgetfulness exists in every individual, however using effecting
teaching or learning aids can help to retain information and knowledge for longer
time.
 Students motivated to learn and supported with different teaching aids can learn better
compared to students without motivation or lacking access to such aids.
 A proper image can be created by using teaching aids, as it allows the student to see,
hear, taste and smell better.
 Aids and fosters conceptual thinking
 Helps to set up an environment of interest and enthusiasm, thus facilitating learning
 Facilitates the development of vocabulary
 It helps teachers to ensure retention of knowledge and information, making learning
effective and permanent.
 Helps to develop the experience of the student
 Allows several students to be taught simultaneously, thereby saving time for the
teacher
 Allows the individual differences in the learning abilities of the students to be
addressed.
How specific resources can be effective to meet the individual learning needs in the
contexts teaching and learning:
Development of knowledge can be supported by resources on analysis and simulation,
which allows the students to manipulate the information and also to visualize it in various

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ways. The curriculum in the UK on various subjects for various learners includes elaborations
on learning, and involves activities such as collection, organization, analysis and
interpretation of different types of information or data by the students.
Resources that support such learning processes can involve:
 Tools to develop concepts or mind maps- such tools can assist students to
understand and link related concepts and ideas and represent them in a visual
manner.
 Databases- these applications can help students to save arrange and analyse
different types of data in textual, numerical or media formats.
 Spreadsheet: this allows the students to save, arrange and mathematically
analyze and show numerical information in a graphic or tabular form.
Using digital forms of learning resources (such as computer based applications or
softwares, interactive media and online or electronic resources) that effectively utilizes
technology can create different challenges for educators. The primary advantage of digital
forms of resources is that it allows customization of the experiences of the learners by
interaction, feedback systems as well as constructive involvements. Variations can be
produced in the presentation of information and knowledge to suit the specific needs of the
students through differences in the sequences, choice of materials and prompting. Such
resources can also help to combine different types of media into a single experience,
combining texts, sounds, videos and graphics.
When a mixture of media is provided by a digital resource, it is important to consider
the evaluation criterion for such media. The resources should be able to address and meet the
standards and analyses of functionality and usability. Another significant consideration is

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how practical the resource is in terms of context, content and the bigger learning
environment. The evaluation process should consider the following questions:
1. Whether the digital learning resource has any advantage over non-digital ones.
2. Whether it includes interactive features such as:
a. Feedback options for teacher or students
b. Constructive engagement (that allows the students to be engaged in a
meaningful way over prolonged time periods)
c. Allows the customization of content, environments and pathways as per the
specific learning needs of the students.
Principles of designing resources- Seki
Four elements can be included in every design of resources. The principles of first
design on primary resources helps to create a framework that can elucidate the complexity of
the design by differentiating the functions of each element within the context of the learning
experiences. The framework comprises of four elements such as the learner, the teacher, the
knowledge and the need of the learner. Such a principle can be comprehended by outlining
the learning experience to include the learner, involved in active learning as directed by the
teacher utilising certain resources that imparts knowledge, skills or content, which is learnt in
the given environment. Variations of this framework can also exist, however all would have
the same four elements.

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Figure 1: Different styles of learning
Learning can happen not only within the frameworks of a classroom, but also through
other resources of knowledge such as websites, films, or multimedia resources, through
which knowledge can be imparted. In any of these scenarios, the learner or student forms the
central part of the learning experience, by accessing the various sources of knowledge and
imbibing all the important knowledge from the learning experience. The context for the
learning principles is provided by the fundamental design of the learning framework.
The first element in the design of resources, that is the student or learner can be an
individual or several individuals in a group.
In such a scenario, group learning or collaborated learning activities can be
applicable, which can allow multiple students to gain knowledge simultaneously, even
though the same resources might be used differently be each and every learner, giving rise to
different experiences. The second element is the teacher who is responsible for providing the
knowledge and instructions and supports the learner and learning process. The teacher can be
present physically, or be available on standby to direct the learner, or can be present by virtue
as the designer of the learning experience or implicitly. The resource element can also be

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inanimate factors such as textual contents, videos or audio that can give instructions to guide
the learner.
Knowledge, content or learning objectives is the third element of the learning
experience. Within the principles of resource designing, this element helps to understand
what knowledge, skill and practice can be facilitated by the learning resources for the student.
For example, in a course on psychology, the learning experience can be focused on social,
personal and psychological development and the skills or knowledge can include the ability
of the student to identify different emotions that can take place in a non-emotional incident or
setup.
The fourth element is the needs of the learner, which can be comprehended through
the question as to the resources that are needed to meet the learning needs and preferences of
the student, in the context of who needs to be involved, what resources are needed and in
what settings the learning would be conducted. Giving opportunities to customise or
personalise the learning experience could have been a challenging task if the teacher does not
consider utilising the different learning tools that is based on technologies for the
communication of information.
How resource development can be informed through the theories, models and principles
of inclusive design of curriculum: Seki
Inclusiveness or inclusion can have different meanings based upon its context and use
in different setups. For the general public, inclusion or inclusiveness can mean equal
participation without anyone being eliminated, for academics such an understanding however
can be impractical or vague and even one sided. An individual perception in an academic
context will be more specific and based more on the environment of education and practice
setup instead of the generalised setting as explained by Lissa A Poer-De-Fur et al. (1997),

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who considered placing the individual with special needs or disability in an contemporary
setup being provided support, and provisions for accommodations as a part of the inclusive
principles.
Other critics having different views would challenge the concept of diversity as well
as equality in the context of cultural differences, an aspect which is not addressed by the
definition given by Lissa. Instead, to provide to a proper understanding of the term “inclusive
curriculum”, it is vital to redefine the term curriculum itself to involve the provision to
improve the delivery of the inclusive education as a stepwise process in order to achieve
SMART goals for the student. Powell and Tummons (2011) supported that the term
curriculum can be used to define a topic or a subject such as hair beauty curriculum or
electrical installation curriculum, and sometimes can also be used in a broader context such
as adult numeracy core curriculum and vocational curriculum.
According to Powell and Tummons, researchers use the term ‘curriculum’ to analyse
the effects or consequences of the provision of education or the ‘hidden curriculum’ or ‘total
curriculum’ thus implying an overall effect of the learning experience. This can be utilised in
various ways to organise or sequence the educational programs to create a ‘thematic
curriculum’ or a ‘spiral curriculum’. As per Curzon (2004), the idea of curriculum involves
the practices and theories where the function of the teacher and their abilities are inter-related
to manage, control and evaluate the learner’s needs, learning environments and the resources
involved to reach the desired objectives. It can thus include an outline of the aims, objectives,
content structure, and imply specific learning or teaching patterns, either due to the
requirements of the objectives or the structure of the content. It can also include evaluation
strategies (Taba in curriculum development: Theory and Practice 1962)

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According to Powell and Tummons, inclusion encompasses the different
strategies through which the accessibility to education and training can be improved
for student or student groups, who otherwise might be bound by structural, financial,
geographical or cultural barriers, preventing their participation.
Figure 2: Interaction between Learners and Environment
Within each educational program, the curriculum might differ in various aspects that
affect how the learning program might be sequenced or organised and provided as a thematic
or spiral curriculum.
For a complete understanding, the program design for learning and its development is
vital to the learning experience which helps to explore the differences between the two terms,
and helps in the discovery of its importance, which can further help to implement the findings
to design the inclusive curriculum.
In addition to this, the structure that ought to be related to the factors which influence
the implementation of the curriculum to the design of the curriculum as well as the design
outcomes and implementation should be also included for the learners. The effects of the
policies of the government to contribute to the design and implementation of the program as

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well as the feedbacks from the relevant authorities in the form of learner’s achievements will
also be scrutinised.
From the previous definitions of Inclusion and Curriculum, the Inclusive Curriculum
Development that is outlined by QCA (qualification and Curriculum Authority) was
significant in the designing and implementation of reforms for young and adult learners and
also for the whole system in which the qualifications exists (Powell and Tummons, 2011).
Understanding the interest of the learner in the developmental process of the inclusive
curriculum, the Blooms Taxonomy utilises for designing the inclusive curriculum. In contrast
to the various models of styles of learning like Kolb’s Visual Audio Kinesthetic (VAK), this
makes the process of learning a more effective towards the success of the learning program
and development of the course. It is important that an inclusive curriculum is able to focus on
the gaps in diversity, equality, resources, intellect and inclusion, in the context of interacting
more with young individuals. Such can be achieved based upon the learning environment and
the design of the curriculum as well as the organisation designing it for specific
environments.
For example, in the context of green paper increasing participation in future of Higher
and Community Adult Education, it is vital that all contexts should be understood to ensure
learning flexibility and to identify aspects that can inhibit the access to learning. As per the
equality report of 2010 that is based upon the Trevor Philips Review indicates a big gap in
education and inclusion of learners.
Eight Intelligence: H. Gardner
According to Gardner, the educational systems tends to assume that every individual
has the ability to learn the same things in identical ways and thus a universal and uniform

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measure is sufficient to test the learning and knowledge of the student is challenged
significantly by the differences in the intelligences of the students. Currently, the system of
education is biased heavily towards the linguistic mode of teaching and assessment and less
towards the logical and quantitative modes of teaching and assessment. However, it has also
been argued by Garedner that it might be effective for the education system to have
contrasting assumptions. Since the students learn in identifiable different ways, the different
types of students as well as the whole society would benefit if a discipline can be taught in
different ways and different methods of assessment be used to test the learning of the
students. The different types of learning can be summarised as below:
Figure 3: Multiple Intelligence
Visual Spatial: This can be understood in the context of the physical space, as is understood
by sailors or architects or engineers, who always shows awareness towards the environment.
They utilise drawings or puzzles and interpret maps. They know how to impart information
through drawings as well as verbal or physical imageries. The tools that are generally used to

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impart the knowledge include 3D models, charts, and drawings. Photos. Videos, television.
Videoconferences, texts or multimedia.
Bodily-Kinesthetic: This form of learning uses the body effectively, as seen in the case of
professions like dancing or surgery. People in these professions know how to communicate
through body language which can be learned through physical activity, repetitive movements,
practice, role playing or mimicking. The tools utilised includes real objects and equipments.
Musical: This type of learning in imparted through the sensitivities towards sound and
rhythm. People love music, and they also show sensitivity towards the environmental sounds.
People who show such sensitivities can show better performance when there is music playing
in the background. Making lessons into lyrics of songs, or using rhythms can also be used to
give lessons. Tools used in this type of learning can include musical instruments, radio,
stereo, multimedia storage devices and tapes/vinyl/CD/DVD/Blue Ray.
Interpersonal: This form of learning involves interacting with and understanding others. The
learning occurs through interacting with others. People with strong interpersonal learning
abilities tend to be popular, have more friends, show empathy for others and street smartness.
These skills can be imparted through group based activities, dialogues or seminars. The tools
used in this form of learning include conferencing tools, telephones, computers and other
communication devices.
Intrapersonal: This learning involves the goals and interests of oneself. Intrapersonal
learners tend to be more shy and are more in tune with how they feel, which imparts them
intuition, wisdom and motivation. They also have strong opinions and confidence. This skill
can be learned through introspection and independent thought. Tools that can be utilised in
this learning include creative materials, diaries and books.