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Almost all types of teaching methods require the teacher to prepare visual aids for the subject that is being taught. Visual aids help students see and understand various concepts that are important to the subject at hand.
There are four popular types of visual aids that teachers use to present concepts to students. Each visual aid has advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a look at two of the popular types of visual aids; flip charts and posters, and videos.
Flip Charts or Posters
Flip charts or posters are typically large poster boards that display the concepts out to the class.
Advantages include:
- cost effective. These only require poster board and markers.
- Easy to transport from location to location.
- Easy to interact with and have students interact with the class.
Disadvantages include:
- Not large enough to be seen by large classes or groups of people.
- Can be chaotic if not properly done or written so classes can read what is on the board.
Videos
Videos are multimedia presentations of the facts and concepts for the students.
Advantages include:
- Extremely professional in appearance.
- Easy for students to understand and watch.
- Captivating for large groups and students who have problems paying attention.
Disadvantages include:
- Extremely expensive and time consuming to create.
- Requires special audio visual equipment to show to large groups of people.
- Doesn’t encourage students to participate and ask active questions during the presentation.
Despite the advantages and disadvantages, the type of visual aid a teacher uses will depend upon the class and how comfortable the teacher is using that particular type of visual aid.
