This document discusses various learning aids that are important for learning physics, including both formal aids like textbooks, handbooks, sourcebooks, workbooks, and reference books, as well as improvised aids made by teachers and students. It provides details on the need for and importance of learning aids in motivating students and helping them retain concepts. It also describes the key qualities and features of different formal learning aids like what should be included in textbooks, handbooks, sourcebooks, workbooks, and reference books. Supplementary reading materials and community resources are also mentioned.

1. What we are going to discuss in this section:-
 Learning aids and improvised aids important is learning physics
 Textbook, Handbook, Sourcebook, Workbook, Reference book
 Supplementary reading materials
 Community based resources

3. Need and Importance of
learning aids
 Motivation:- Students can learn better when they are motivated properly through different learning aids.
 Retention:-Every individual has the tendency to forget .proper use of learning aids helps to retain more
concepts permanently.
 Clarification:-Through learning aids ,concepts can be clarified more easily.
 Opportunities to learn:-Learning aids provide opportunities for students to practise and apply their
knowledge and skills.
 Promotes 21st century skills:-Learning aids help promote students’ critical thinking and problem-solving
skills.

4. Improvised aids
What are the improvised aids?
 Improvisation means using whatever is available because one does not have what is needed.It means
to use alternative materials and resources to facilitate learning whenever there is lack or shortage of
some first hand learning aids.
The apparatus devised and made in the laboratory workshop or school by the teacher or
the pupils is usually called as improvised aids.
Examples:
Fig:1 electroscope Fig2:handmade torch

5. Importance
 The improvised aids are based on the principle of psychology ‘Learning by doing’ which enhances the
retention of knowledge in students.
 It helps to have more knowledge and understanding as improvisation makes science doing instead of
talking.
 It promotes pupils maximum participation in the learning process.
 Develops scientific attitude and scientific thinking among students.
 Promotes interaction between teacher and student.
 Learning experiences appending to the senses are far more effective then abstract learning experiences.

6. Textbook
 Textbook is a standard book,used as a tool of teaching and learning organized for instructional purpose
related with particular subject of curriculum organized for use of students and teachers.
 According to the kothari education commission,” A good textbook written by a qualified and
competent specialist in the subject and produced with due regards of printing, illustrations and general
getup stimulates the pupils interest and helps the teacher considerably at his work.
 Textbook can be called as teacher in print for students.

7. Importance of
textbooks
 It makes teaching of subject systematically
.
 It helps students for self study.
 It serves as index for academic achievement.
 It serves as memory aid for a teacher.

8. Qualities of a good
textbook
There are six suggested criteria for a good textbook:
1) Content:
 The textbook should be appropriate for the age level and experience of the pupils.
 The subject matter of the textbook should be consistent with the needs and the interest of the pupils.
 The content should reflect the unknowns and uncertainties in science as well as the known
2] Organisation:
 The content should be organised from simple to complex.
 The organisation should follow the inductive development of the content.
 Whenever possible the subject matter should be presented as a problem that has no ready solution.
 The organization should inform the students of the correlation of the different units.

9. Qualities of a good
textbook cont.
3] Literary style and vocabulary:
 Length of sentences should be equal and appropriate
 Directness of sentences should be there.
4] Illustration:
The quantity and quality of illustrations needs consideration.Photographs should be
clearly reproduced .Diagrams should be carefully prepared.Illustrations should be well-selected and should
amplify the materials printed on the same page.
The following points are worth considering:
 Illustration should be sufficient in number,size and quality.
 There must be a good variety of illustrations like charts,maps and diagrams etc.
 The illustrations must be suitably labelled.

10. QUALITIES OF A GOOD
TEXTBOOK CONT.
5] TEACHING AIDS:-
TEACHING AIDS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO EACH UNIT SHOULD BE INCORPORATED
ALONG WITH THE TEXT MATERIAL.THIS WILL HELP THE LEARNER COGNITIVELY IN PROCESSING THE
INFORMATION.THERE MUST BE:
• SUFFICIENT NO. OF EXPERIMENTS DESCRIBED AND SUGGESTED.
• ADEQUATE LABORATORY EXERCISES SHOULD BE DETAILED WITH DIRECTIONS.
• SUGGESTIONS OF PROJECT AND PROBLEMS WHERE THE KNOWLEDGE CAN BE APPLIED SHOULD BE
MENTIONED.
6] MECHANICAL MAKE-UP AND APPEARANCE:-
• COVER PAGE:

11. Qualities of a good
textbook cont.
 Paper size and quality:-
Paper size should be proper as per the age level of the students.Good quality and
white paper should be used.
 Size and spacing of letters:-
Size of the letter should be suitable to level of students.Spacing between two
letters should be proper.
 Size and the thickness of the book:-
Size of the book should be proper because it needs to last for a year
atleast .it should not go loose.

14. Qualities of a good
textbook cont.
 Margins:-
The margins of a book refer to the blank spaces that surround the printed content of each page. Each page
in the book will have a top margin, a bottom margin, an inner margin and an outer margin. They also help separate and
balance the content of facing pages.
For bound text books 6”  9” or smaller ,use 0.5” margins on the
top.outside and bottom of books , and a 0.75” inside margin.
For 8.5” 11” documents, use 1-inch margins. Adjust margins,font
size and columns to produce 65-70 characters per line(including spaces).
 Pictures and diagrams:-
Large enough and should not be fade.
 Paragraphs:-
Number and paragraph length varies as per the chapter length.

15. Qualities of a good
textbook cont
 Updatation:-
Textbook should be updated time to time.
 Structure of the tables , graphs, pictures etc.:-
Visual elements such as
charts,graphs,tables,photographs,diagrams and maps capture your students attention and help them to understand ideas
more fully.

16. Handbook
It is a ready reference material for a teacher to
supplement his classroom teaching.
 It contains list of teaching aids,summarization of learnings,exercises and assignments of various kinds.
Advantages of handbooks:-
 It equips the teacher with sufficient knowledge about what is to be taught,why is to be taught and how is to be taught.
 The problem of finding out suitable learning experiences and activities for teaching different lessons is easily solved.
 It helps the teacher to adopt appropriate methods to teach every topic.
 It helps the teacher in the planning and execution of different tasks involved in teaching.
 Helps the teacher to evaluate the learning using relevant and standard tools of evaluation.

17. SOURCEBOOK
‘SOURCEBOOK REFERS TO A HUGE COLLECTION
OF MATERIALS AND ACTIVITIES RELATED TO A PARTICULAR CONTENT.’IT IS A
RESOURCE OF MATERIALS FROM WHICH A TEACHER CAN SELECT SUITABLE
TOPICS,ACTIVITIES,BOOKS AND AUDIO-VIDEO AIDS FOR CURRICULUM
TRANSACTION.IT IS A BROAD RESERVOIR OF INFORMATION.
THE STEPS INVOLVED IN PREPARATION OF A
SOURCEBOOK:
• TITLE
• INTRODUCTION
• GENERAL OBJECTIVES
• CONTENT ANALYSIS
• ACTIVITIES OF THE UNIT
• TEACHING MATERIAL AND RESOURCES
• EVALUATION PROCEDURES

18. WORKBOOK
“A workbook is a supplement to the science textbook.there are several
functions of a workbook in the learning process”
 Workbooks are organised in the same order as of the textbook.
 Workbook provides for different types of activities:
 Forms for reporting data
 Diagrams to be labelled
 Blank space for drawing diagrams
 Suggestions for supplementary work
 Self testing devices
 Workbooks are mainly used by students as a source of knowledge during and for practicing what they have learned at
home.

19. Workbook Cont.
Advantages of workbook:
 Promotes self learning and self assessment.
 Gives practise in what pupils have learnt in the class and thereby reinforces learning.
 Promotes scientific thinking.
 Makes learning more structural.
Limitations:
 It is highly organised and not flexible.
 It demands uniform outcomes from the students.
 Independent work is discouraged.

21. Reference Book
“Reference books are used to supplement knowledge gained in the classroom
and to acquire new knowledge”
 Reference books provide a means for self-improvement.
 These include dictionaries,yearbooks,government reports,journals etc.
Characteristics of Reference book:
 They are primarily intended for occasional consultation.
 The information included in them is collected from a vast number of sources.
 It is a miscellany of information and facts.
 The arrangement of information in such that it can be conveniently and quickly recalled.
 Usually concentrate on facts.

22. REFERENCE BOOK CONT.
ADVANTAGES:
• IT SUPPLEMENT CLASSROOM LEARNING.
• IT FACILITATES PUPILS’ SELF STUDY
HABITS AND SPIRIT OF SELF EFFORT.
• IT HELPS THE PUPILS TO WORKOUT
ASSIGNMENTS.
• IT STIMULATES SCIENTIFIC THINKING
AND INCULCATES ELEMENTS OF
SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE.

23. Supplementary reading materials
“These are the materials in teaching which are used to extend and support instruction and
address the needs of the learners.”These are not designed to be the sole instructional resources for a course but serves
to complement and enrich the content of comprehensive resources.
Examples: Online quizzes,youtube videos,powerpoint,animated pictures etc.
Qualities:
 These materials should be well organized so that learners find it easy to use.
 They should be familiar to learners so that they feel motivated to use them.
 They should be appropriate to the content and to the age level of the learners.
 They should be attractive in finish so that they can create the curiosity to learn in learners
 It should increase thinking and discussion among learners
 It should provide insights into social significance and contributions of science.
 Must be fair and sincere in its presentation of the content.

24. Supplementary reading
materials Cont.
Importance:
 It plays vital role in the totality of development in learners.
 It encourages meta cognition
 It inculcate self study habits and promotes independent reading
 It helps to fill the gaps in the coursebook.
 It helps the learners when the textbook:
 Provide insufficient or ineffective examples.
 Provide too few examples
 Is too simple or complex for the students

25. Community based resources
‘Community resources are the resources that enhance or facilitate the lives of the
community’.These resources are an integral part of every individuals’ development.
Examples. Factories,Cinema halls,libraries,hospitals etc.
using Community resources in teaching can enrich the learning
experience for students.
Need of community based resources:
 community resources can help bridge gaps in access to educational materials and opportunities.
 Fills the gaps between theory and real world application

26. Community resources Cont.
Importance:
 Helps in understanding the functioning of different institutions in the community
 Helps the learners to be responsible and take an initiative to bring about positive changes in the society they live in.
 Civic engagement
 Expanded learning

27. Thank
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