teaching material

1. IEC materials
Dr. Shailendra Meena
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Community Medicine
LNMC Bhopal

2. Background
• Countries often develop posters, flyers,
leaflets, brochures, booklets, messages for
health education sessions, radio broadcast or
TV spots, etc. as a means of promoting
desired, positive behaviours in the
community.
• These initiatives are commonly referred to
broadly as “Information, education and
communication (IEC)” activities.

3. Background
• "Information, education and communication
(IEC) combines strategies, approaches and
methods that enable individuals, families,
groups, organisations and communities to play
active roles in achieving, protecting and
sustaining their own health.
• Basically IEC is the process of learning that
empowers people to make decisions, modify
behaviours and change social conditions

4. Background
• The influence of underlying social, cultural,
economic and environmental conditions on
health are also taken into consideration in the
IEC processes.
• Identifying and promoting specific behaviours
that are desirable are usually the objectives of
IEC efforts.

5. AIMS of IEC
• To change the health behaviour of individuals,
family and community.
• To prepare background or basis for change in
health behaviour.
• To change the norms of the community.
• To facilitate education for audience about public
health and to create awareness in public opinion.
• To obtain social, political support for health
activities.

6. Scope or Fields of IEC in relation to health
Primary health care
Prevention
/control on
communicable and
NCDs
Reproductive
health/maternal
and child health
services.
Family welfare
Nutritional services
Personal hygiene
Immunization

7. Definition of “IEC”
• An operational definition of “IEC” refers to a
public health approach aiming at changing or
reinforcing health-related behaviours in a
target audience, concerning a specific
problem and within a pre-defined period of
time, through communication
methods/channels and principles.

8. All IEC initiatives must:
• have a clear objective (the specific behaviour to
change or reinforce);
• target a specific audience (e.g., mothers of
children below five years old);
• address a “specific problem” (e.g., offering
increased fluids and continuing feeding a child
with diarrhoea), rather than attempt to change
many problems at the same time;
• set a timeframe within which the results
(“change in behaviour”) are expected to occur.
• Appropriate communication channels.

9. INFORMATION
This consists of
providing scientific
knowledge to the people
about the health problems
and how to prevent them
and promote and
maintain health.

10. Education
Health education can be defined as a process aimed at
encouraging people to want to be healthy, to know how to stay
healthy, to do what they can individually and collectively to
maintain health and to seek help when needed.
The Declaration of Alma Ata(1978)

11. COMMUNICATION
• The word communication is derived
from latin word, communicare which
means to participate, to inform, or
impart.
• Communication can be regarded as a two
way process of exchanging or shaping
ideas, feelings and information.

12. Communication Channels/IEC materials/IEC
tools
• Channels might include interpersonal
communication (such as individual discussions,
counselling sessions or group discussions and
community meetings and events) or
• Mass media communication (such as radio,
television and other forms of one-way
communication, such as brochures, leaflets and
posters, visual and audio visual presentations and
some forms of electronic communication)."

13. Classification of IEC tools
1. Auditory aids: Radio, Music players, tape-recorders
2. Visual aids:
o Not requiring projection:
o Requiring projection:
3. Combined AV aids: TV, Cinema

14. IEC Tools Examples

15. Classification of IEC tools as per their use
For Individual For Groups For Mass
Communication
Personal letter Lectures Television
Home visits Demonstrations Radio/FM
Personal interview Discussions: News Paper
Counseling Group discussions Internet
Panel discussions Folk media
Symposiums Print media:
seminars Handouts/Bills/leaflets
Workshops Brochure
Conferences Posters
Pamphlet
Flipcharts

16. IEC Tools for Individual Approach

17. Personal Interview
• Interview is to meet and talk each other and
collect information and ideas.
• It is a kind of process or method of providing
health education through the means of question
and answer between the health educator and the
learner.
• In this process, knowledge, attitude, feeling and
health practices are studied and essential
suggestions are given to bring about the positive
change.

18. Advantages of interview
• Helps to know knowledge , attitude and practice
• Helps for intensive and systematic teaching with
exchange of ideas and feelings
• Help to reach a better conclusion for solution of a
problem.
• Easy to conduct with less cost and limited facilities.
• Even illiterate persons can be interviewed and taught
• Easy to make follow-up
• It is a two way communication
• The expression and gestures can be observed.

19. Disadvantages of interview
• Time consuming
• Difficult to cover wide range of target people
• Limited manpower
• Tedious if has to repeat too many people.

20. 2.Counseling
• It is a process that can help people understand
better and deal with their problems and
communicate better with those with whom
they are emotionally involved.
• It can improve and reinforce motivation to
change behaviour.
• It helps people to face the problem and to
reduce and solve them.
• It does not involve giving advice or directing a
client to take a particular course of action.

21. A counsellor should be able:
• To communicate information
• To gain the trust of the people
• To listen sympathetically to people who are
anxious, distressed & possibly hostile.
• To understand other person’s feelings and to
respond to them in such a way that the other
person can feel free to express his feelings
• To help people reduce or resolve their
problems.

22. Counseling - Steps
• G- greet the clients
• A- ask clients about themselves
• T- tell clients or give the information of coping
mechanisms/solutions
• H- help the client to choose a method
• E- explain how to use a method
• R- return for follow-up

23. IEC Tools for Group Approach

24. 1.Lectures
• It is defined as carefully prepared oral
presentation of facts, organized thoughts and
ideas by a qualified person.
• It should be based on a topic of current interest
or health need of the groups.
• The group should not be more than 30 and the
talk should not exceed 15 to 20 min.
• If the talk is too long people may become board
and restless.
• It can be made more effective by combining with
suitable audio-visual aids.

25. 2.Demonstration
• It is a carefully prepared presentation to show
how to perform a skill and procedure.
• Here a procedure is carried out step by step
before an audience or the target group.
• The demonstrator ascertaining that the audience
understands how to perform it.
• It is based on the principles of “seeing is
believing” and “learning by doing”.
• The demonstrator also involves the audience in
discussion

26. Demonstration- Advantage
• Student’s achievement could be immediately
assessed through verbal expression and skill
practice.
• Provides concrete and realistic visual picture of
what is being taught resulting in a more lasting
impression.
• It is cheap, practicable, accessible and useful for
different categories of learners.
• It needs only limited materials and object.
• It can be used at different teaching-learning
situations at different places.

27. Demonstration- Disadvantage
• Sometimes it may be difficult to get necessary
equipment and materials for certain
demonstration.

28. 3.Group Discussion
• A “group” is an aggregation of people interacting
in a face to face situation.
• It is a very effective method of health
communication.
• It permits the individuals to learn by freely
exchanging their knowledge, ideas and opinions.
• For effective group discussions, the group should
comprise not less than 6 and not more than 12
members.

29. Group Discussion-Steps
• Identification of problem or desired behaviour
change and selection of participants to be done
in advance.
• Date, Place, time and topic to be informed to the
participants in advance.
• The participants to be sit in a circle, so that each
is fully visible to all the others.
• A group leader or moderator who initiate the
subject and helps the discussion in the proper
manner.
• A recorder is also desired who record whatever is
discussed

30. Group Discussion-Steps
• Group leader also prevents side conversation,
encourage everyone to participate and sum up
the discussion in the end.
• If the discussion goes well, the group may
arrive at decision which no individual member
would have been able to make alone.

31. Group discussion- Advantage
1. Develops creativity, confidence and ability of
judgment in the members or learners.
2. Helps learners to come to a group decision and
solve their common problem.
3. Helps members to become active
learners and learn new knowledge, ideas and
experiences about their subject of
concern through a cooperative process.
4. Provides adequate communication among all the
members with exchange of ideas and
experiences.

32. Group discussion- Disadvantage
• Some self-conscious members may not
venture to bring forth their valid idea "for fear
of disapproval by other members.
• Sometimes discussion may be prolonged
without any fruitful result, or it may take
longer time to come to the conclusion
or decision.
• Somebody may not feel personally responsible
for the result of discussion. So, they may not
participate well.

33. 4.Workshop
• It consists of a series of meetings , usually four
or more , with emphasis on individual work ,
within the group, with the help of consultants
and resource persons.
• A workshop group may consists of about
fifteen participants.

34. 5.Panel discussion
• The panel members will be a group of experts
normally 3 or 4 persons who are qualified to
talk about the topic or discuss a given problem
in front of audience.
• The chairman/Moderator can manage to
identify and bring the experts.
• He can work as a coordinator to introduce
topic and the experts, and also help
conduct the discussion.

35. Panel discussion-Advantages
• Provides varied knowledge, ideas and
experiences about the subject of concern to
the learners.
• Interesting and .can draw attention of the
audience or learners.
• Learners get opportunity to ask questions and
pass comments, which help, in teaching-
learning process.

36. Panel discussion-Disadvantages
• Sometimes it is difficult to get the appropriate
experts.
• Difficult to set definite time to suit the
experts.

37. 6.Symposium
• A symposium is a series of speeches on a
selected subject.
• Each expert presents an aspect of the subject
briefly.
• There is no discussion among the experts like
in panel discussion.
• In the end, the audience may raise question.

38. Mass Methods of IEC

39. 1.Television
• Television services in India were started on 15
Sep. 1959 with the commissioning of First
broadcast of Doordarshan from New Delhi.
• Prasar Bharati is Government Organization is
responsible for broadcasts of Doordarshan
throughout the country.

40. DD Gyan Darshan
• Indian DD Gyandarshan exclusive Educational
Television Channel of India started by IGNOU
and Prasar Bharti in 2000. it relays
programmes from various Doordarshan
Kendras.
• Education Media Research Centres (EMRC)
and Audio Visual Research Centres at different
places produce programmes for
university students.

41. Advantages
• Coverage to large number of people.
• Can also reach illiterate people.
• Can influence public opinion effectively.
• Provides entertainment as well as education.
Disadvantages
• Disadvantage is the high cost

42. 2.Radio
• Radio is the audio aids through which
messages are relayed to a heterogeneous and
large number of people at one time, who are
not physically present before the
communicator.
• It is a mass media, which provides one-way
communication.
• The concerned audience are informed and
asked to attend the broadcast at the particular
time and place.

43. Radio-Advantage
• It is very much helpful for illiterate people; the
message should be simple to understand.
• It overcome the barriers of distance and
space.
• Radio transmitter can be carried with and
attend the radio health programme anywhere
the individual goes.
• One can give up to date information to a
large number of people in a very short t
period of time.

44. Radio-Disadvantage
• It is one-way communication system.
• The communicator cannot be sure of it people sure
listening to and understanding his message.
• There may be electricity and batteries problems &
broadcasting facilities are available only in the limited
area.
• It is difficult to evaluate the impact of radio teaching.
• Sometimes there may be language barrier to certain
group of people.
• Message received only through verbal teaching so it is
easy to forget.
• Difficult in timing to fit the convenience of the specific
target people.

45. 3.Cassette player/Tape recorder
• Cassette player is a small portable audio machine
or equipment, which can be operated with the
help of the electricity or batteries.
• It is useful for providing health education
(message) to a group of audience.
• These days cassette player or tape recorder is
commonly used media.
• Different cassettes can be recorded with different
health messages and be used according to the
need and interest of the audience group

46. Cassette player/Tape recorder Advantages
• Useful for group teaching session and make
discussion .
• It can be recorded and played easily at various
place.
• The recorded message can be pre -tested before
using for actual teaching session
• It can be played at learner 's speed of learning by
stopping in between or by playing over.
• It can be played with the help of batteries where
there is on electricity supply.
• It is portable and easy to carry at different places
of teaching

47. Cassette player/Tape recorder disadvantages
• It is little costly to afford.
• Some people become confused about the
operation of equipment
• It is little costly afford and added Problem of
repairing.
• Break of electricity supply or lack of batteries
might pose problem.
• Learning by hearing only is not effective.

48. 4.News Paper
• First newspaper in India was launched in 1780 by J.A.
Huckley.
• They are the most popular and widely disseminated
form of literature.
• They have influence over large parts of the country in
any subject of importance.
• Some leading newspapers carry special supplements
on health every week.
• The only disadvantage this form of mass media has
that it is severely limited by the number of readers and
the percentage of literate people.

49. 5.Posters
• Poster is a visual aid.
• This is pictorial and graphical non-projected
visual combination of bold design, color and
message, which is intended to catch attention
of learners from long distance to implant a
significant idea in his/her mind.
• Sometime, poster is made even without
picture, such poster is not useful for the
illiterates, a perfect poster should be good for
both literate and illiterate.

50. A good poster must contain
• Caption/Heading/Title
• Pictures
• Course of action suggested and
• Logo

51. Posters

52. Qualities of poster
• A good poster should carry only one unit of
message
• Colored poster is more natural, attractive and
clear
• An ideal size of the poster is (60×60) cm but it
may be different in size.
• The picture and letters should be big enough to
be seen clearly a distance of about five meters
• Message should be based on the need of target
of people and should conform the existing
culture of the community concerned.

53. Poster-Advantages
• Pictorial and colored posters are attractive and
effective.
• It can be carried easily from one place to another.
• Can be locally prepared in limited number to meet
immediate and local health education needs
• Many People can learn something from limited number
of posters on display.
• Even illiterate people can learn something by looking at
the picture of the poster.
• Helps to develop creativity of in the learners by
involving them in designing and making posters
• Can be saved for future use.

54. Poster-Disadvantages
• It provides one-way communication.
• Color printing of poster is very expensive and
printing services may not be available in rural
area or place.
• It can damage easily.
• Difficult to sure indented group have seen or
read the displayed posters .

55. 6.Pamphlet
• A pamphlet is an unbound booklet (that is,
without a hard cover or binding).
• It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is
printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds,
or in fourths, called a leaflet, or it may consist of
a few pages that are folded in half and saddle
stapled at the crease to make a simple book.
• Pamphlets are visual media. It is considered as
mass media of health education.
• The message can be written in the form of poem,
song, and diagram.
• A pamphlet should be as brief as possible, it
should be not exceed mote that four pages

56. Pamphlet/Booklet

57. Pamphlet-Advantages
• Help in propagating messages rapidly in mass
scale through wide distribution.
• Pamphlets are very easy to Cary from place to place.
• The first reader can pass the read pamphlets to others.
• It covers the large number of people place through
wide distributions for the purpose of propaganda
• It is easy to prepare and not costly
• People can read them at free time and understand the
message well.
• It can be kept safely to read again and again, which
helps remainder of the information.

58. Pamphlet-Disadvantages
• Provides only one-way communication.
• Not useful for illiterates.
• There is no sure either the people have read
and understood the distributed pamphlets.
• Printing service may not be available every
where especially in remote or back ward
areas.

59. 7.Flipchart
• A flip chart is a visual teaching aid, which is just like
photo album.
• It is the series of related charts or poster assembled in
a booklet form.
• It is also called flipbook or turnover chart.
• A set of flip chart normally consists of 6-8 charts the
size of individual sheet of chart should be
approximately 50cm×70cm is normal size.
• But it may also vary depending upon the available
paper size.
• A flip chart is mainly used in classroom teaching,
training program, Group teaching in community etc.

60. Flipchart

61. Techniques of using flip chart
• Have the group seated inform of you in such way that
no none blocks the other in looking at the chart
• Place the flip chart high enough so that it can be seen
clearly.
• Introduce your topic of presentation
• Explain each chart well before going the next.
• Encourage participants to as questions
• Be careful, you should not block any part the picture or
message.
• You can refer to any one of the used charts during the
presentation as needed

62. Flipchart-Advantages
• Flip chart is helpful to make systematic
presentation and to explain the point clearly and
comfortable with in the limited period of time.
• It helps to show abstract information visually.
Pictorial explanation is better and more
effective.
• It is portable ad easy to carry form place to place
for providing
• It is helpful for both literate and illiterate person
to learn.
• It can be used repeatedly whenever needed.

63. Flipchart-Disadvantages
• Flip chart is expensive to produce in large
scale.
• There may be difficulty to draw the
appropriate picture.
• Ready-made flip chart may not achieve
education goals.
• It doesn't cover the large number of people at
once.

64. Brochure
• A brochure is an informative paper document (often
also used for advertising), that can be folded into a
template, pamphlet or leaflet. Brochures
are advertising pieces mainly used to inform
about products and/or services to atarget audience.
• The most common types of single-sheet brochures
are the bi-fold (a single sheet printed on both sides
and folded into halves) and the tri-fold (the same,
but folded into thirds).

65. Brochure

66. Flyer/Leaflet
1. A flyer or flier, also called
a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form
of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution
and typically posted or distributed in a public place.
2. It is a one page (8x11) advertisement for a sale, event,
product, etc..
3. Leaflet - smaller than a page (8x11) used as a handout
to advertise or promote something
4. Flyers are inexpensive to produce.

67. Flyer/Handbill/Leaflet