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Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Define what are self-instructional materials

 Identify the unique characteristics of self-instructional materials
 Develop several types of learning activities
 Explain how to sequence content in self-instructional materials
 Justify the role of visual devices in self-instructional materials
 Explain the writing style required in self-instructional materials

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

 Preamble  Active involvement of the

 What are self-instructional learner
materials?  Visual devices
 Development of self-  Writing style
instructional materials  Evaluation
 Purpose
 Approach Key Terms
 Selection of content Summary
 Organisation and sequencing References
of content


PREAMBLE

In this module, you will be introduced to the basic ideas and practices of designing
and preparing self-instructional teaching materials. Discussion will focus on the
differences between books and self-instructional materials, how content is to be
selected, how to develop learning activities, the differences between a learner and
subject centred approach, the various ways of sequencing content, the role of visual
devices and the proper writing style to be adopted for self-instructional materials.
 2

WHAT ARE SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS (SIM)?

Self-Instructional Materials (SIM) play a major

role in the teaching-learning process at all levels of
education and training. They are materials specifically
designed to enable learners to study partly or wholly by
themselves and have been described as “Tutorial-In-
Print”(Rowntree, 1998) Self-instructional materials
have been associated with many other names such as:
home study, computer-based training, packages
learning, flexible learning, independent learning,
individualised learning, programmed instruction and so
forth. How are self-instructional materials different from book? See Table 8.1.

BOOKS SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIALS
 Objectives not always clear  Clearly stated objectives

 Little or no advice about how to  Advice about how to study the

study the materials materials

 Learner can be passive  Learner is actively involved, is

asked to do things (‘now try this
out…’)

 No activities in books (may be a  Activities and self-assessment

few at the end of a chapter) questions throughout text

 Learner not guided by books  Learner is guided by text

 A lecture in print  Friendly and encouraging in tone

(‘you’ and ‘I’ style)

 Impersonal in tone  A conversation or dialogue in

print

 Little guidance on application of  Learner is helped to apply new

knowledge knowledge

 Structure is hidden, few headings  Structure is made clear

 Content in large blocks of print,  Content is divided into small

sections, more headings and’
sign-posts’

 Few or no access devices to help  Access devices to help reader

 3

reader

 Narrow margins and little free  Space for learners to make notes
space or responses

 Few illustrations  Illustrations and diagrams used

instead of words
 Designed for broad or unfocused  Specially designed for specific
group of readers group of learners

Table 8.1 Differences between Books and Self-Instructional Materials

Increasingly the differences between books and self-instructional materials is

getting narrower as more textbooks used in schools and higher education are designed
more like self-instructional materials. For example, many textbooks used in
universities are more structured, targeted at a specific audience, have clear objectives
and learning outcomes, have activities inserted at appropriate points in the text, have
test items and are written in a friendly style.

What are the characteristics of a good self-instructional material? Rowntree

(1997) suggests that good quality self-study texts should:

 be written to match a specific group of learners

 make links with learners’ own experience
 help learners to develop their own learning skills as well as helping them to
learn the content
 make clear the particular learning objectives (and help learners to set their own
objectives too)
 be structured in a way which is clear to learners, guiding them through the text
 build on learners’ existing skills or knowledge
 encourage the application of new knowledge or skills, either in a relation to the
text or to the professional context of the learners
 keep the learner engaged with the text (by asking questions or providing
interesting and useful activities)
 give feedback within the text (on activities and questions)
 provide opportunities for learners to develop their own ideas or make choices
(not all answers are ‘right-or-wrong’)
 provide opportunities for practice, where appropriate
 enable learners to check their own progress from time to time
 use a layout which is attractive and makes reading and learning as easy as
possible
 present material in short, manageable amounts for studying
 match the workload required to the learners, available time for study
 4

LEARNING ACTIVITY
a) What are self-instructional materials?
b) What is the difference between books and self-
instructional materials?
c) List the characteristics of good self-instructional
materials.

DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

DESIGN
- Learning outcomes
PURPOSE - Approach
- Content selection
- Sequence
- Activities
EVALUATION - Visual devices
- Writing style
- Layout
- Media

DEVELOPMENT

Figure 8.1 Development of Self-Instructional Materials Process

Planning to write a self-instructional material revolves around four inter-

connected phases (see Figure 8.1). It provides a systematic approach in designing self-
instructional materials in an effort to ensure that the instructional products are
effective and of good quality. In short, it aims to ensure that designing self-
instructional materials does not occur in a haphazard manner, but is developed using a
process with specific measurable outcomes.

PURPOSE

A starting point in designing effective self-instructional materials is knowing

the group of learners you are writing for. This is sometimes called the target group or
 5

audience. Often, academics or writers forget who their real audience is. Instead of
writing for students, they write either for themselves or, more often, for other
academics. Because their colleagues or other academics will read their work, some
writers think that they must show that they know their subject-matter in detail and can
handle difficult ideas. Unfortunately, this is likely to make their writing less effective
for their intended audience (Rowntree, 1997).
So remember who your audience really is. Try to get a picture of a typical
teacher or two in your mind (you probably know some), and write with the purpose of
communicating clearly with them. It may help to imagine that they are in the room
with you as you write. This kind of writing is a new skill to be learnt, but one that
will be personally useful to you in all sorts of different ways. You also need to build
up a profile of the target group, so that you can match the materials to them. The
following is a checklist that may be used to profile your learners or audience:

Things One Needs to Know About Learners:

Numbers of learners
Age range
Sex
Whether rural or urban
Experiential background
Study conditions (availability of electricity, or a quiet or warm
place to study)
Time available for study
Internet access
Motivation (their reasons for studying the materials you produce)
Their study skills
Access to human support (tutors, other learners etc)

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Having recognised who are your target audience, the next step to identify the
aims and objectives of the course. An aim is a general statement of what you hope the
materials (whole text or chapter) will achieve. This often says what you, the writer,
hope the learner will achieve. For example: ‘To introduce the learner to a balanced
diet”. A learning outcome or instructional objective is a statement of what learners
should be able to do, or do better, as a result of studying the materials (Lockwood,
1998). For example:

‘List the main components of a balanced diet’

‘Describe how each of these affects the body’
’Name six diseases caused by unbalanced or inadequate diet’
‘Assess the balance of components in a typical day’s meals’

Why Learning Outcomes?

Learning outcomes are important because they help you:
 6

1. to make clear and communicate you intentions in writing the material;

2. to sort out what learners must know on a topic, from all the things learners
might possibly know. In other words, they help you to set your priorities.
3. to decide appropriate ways of testing what learners have learned from you
materials.
4. to evaluate the effects and effectiveness of your materials.
5. to improve your teaching and writing

How to write Learning Outcomes?

1. Ask yourself these questions:

 ‘What should the learner know after studying this?’
 ‘What should the learner be able to do?’
 ‘In what ways should the learner behave differently after studying the
text?’

Note:
Learning Outcomes can be set for:
 Knowledge and concept formation
 Skills and techniques to mastered
 Attitudes to be formed
2. Choose your words carefully
Avoid words like:

Know Aware
Understand Believe
Familiar Acquire
Appreciate Interest

Instead use words like:

State Apply
Describe Demonstrate
List Show
Compare Match

Spend some time thinking out clear and realistic learning outcomes or instructional
bjectives. Where do you start? Some sources to help you are:
 curriculum guides
 key concepts in the subject area
 information about your learners
 existing objectives from other chapters
 a given syllabus
 7

3. Don’t List too many objectives

“Don’t give yourself and the learner an impossible job!

APPROACH

If you have decided what you want to teach, you will have to decide whether you
want to adopt a “subject-matter” approach or a “learner-centred” approach.

Subject-centred Learner-centred

 Discuss and agree the subject  Ask intended students what topics
content with curriculum they want to learn about
specialists
 Find and use relevant materials in  Create new materials, involving
existing texts teachers, specialists,
methodologists and others
 Search for additional or more  Research the knowledge, practices
advanced materials and attitudes of competent
teachers
 Identify and analyse key concepts  Provide opportunities for students
to make choices or to make use of
their everyday knowledge
 Define the content for study  Allow students to define some of
the content of study according to
their individual needs

You may want to use a mixture of these two approaches, but you need to be
conscious of the choices you make and the reasons for them. Which approach do you
think is more authoritarian? Which is more participative? You will need to decide on
the balance between these two. When planning your materials, ask yourself ‘have I
taken a completely subject centred approach?’ Try to incorporate some learner-
centred aspects into your text, so that the self-study texts match the participative
approach you are encouraging teachers to use in their classrooms.

LEARNING ACTIVITY
a) How do you go about determining the ‘purpose’ of self-
n a instructional material you are planning to develop?
b) Why are learning outcomes important?
c) List the differences between a subject-centred and learner-
approach.
 8

SELECTION OF CONTENT

Having decided on the learning outcomes or objectives you want learners to

achieve, the next task is to select the content. What are the main topics, concepts and
principles to be covered in your course or subject or unit or lesson? One way to grasp
the content to be included is to draw a picture or diagram it. For example, you could
use a spray diagram (Rowntree, 1976). See Figure 6.1 which shows how the contents
of a course has been diagrammed for a course on “Balanced Diet”

Proponents
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Research
Balanced
Diet
Application

Minerals

Diagrams are a useful too and they help you generate ideas. While there are
many ways of diagramming the content you intend to include, you should not
overload your self-instructional material. Too many self-instructional materials
contain far more content than learners can possibly cope with the time available.

It may be better for learners to FULLY understand

HALF the content you have included than to HALF
understand ALL of it.

ORGANISATION AND SEQUENCING OF CONTENT

ORGANISATION
As with the learning environment, the manner in which materials are organised
reflects and supports a particular philosophical orientation. In programmes based on a
teacher-centred philosophy, all students are expected to complete a certain portion of
the curriculum in a given time span (i.e., one semester in a higher education
institution). Consequently, materials designed for use in a teacher-centred learning
environment are often organised by grade level or by semester wise.
 9

In a learner-centred approach, materials are organised in a way that supports

personalised instruction. Learning materials are cross-referenced to desired
curriculum learning outcomes and keyed according to developmental levels. This type
of materials’ organisation facilitates the prescription of individually appropriate
learning activities. Active learner-centred instruction requires an abundance of media,
materials, and instructional equipment and tools. Materials must be stored and
managed in such a way as to be accessible for use by the instructional staff and
students as needed.
The modality of the instructional materials determines the types of stimuli
(e.g., sound, print, pictures) that will be present during the learning experience. Media
can be selected based on their appropriateness for facilitating achievement of
particular learning outcomes. For example, learning an intellectual skill such as
adding number is facilitated through use of a medium that supplies corrective
feedback relative to student responses.

SEQUENCING
The manner in which instructional materials are sequenced can improve the
effectiveness of formal instruction. Principles for optimal sequencing of materials for
different types of learning outcomes have been described by Gagne, Briggs, & Wager
(1992). They propose that a task analysis should first be conducted to determine the
relationships among the skills necessary for achievement of the goal behaviour.
Sequencing decisions should be made based on this information. Materials should be
sequenced so that any necessary entry skills are recalled by the learner prior to the
introduction of the new learning task.

a) Deductive Approach : RUL-EG Sequence

Explain
Introduction Concepts / Examples Test
Principles

The RUL-EG Sequence is the most common approach adopted in textbooks

and many self-instructional materials. In the Introduction, the learner is told the
objectives of the lesson and what is expected of learners. This is followed by
presentation of the ‘RUL’ which consists of the rules, concepts, principles, theories
and laws of the lesson. Then, for each rule, concept, principle, theory or law,
examples (or EG) and illustration are provided to explain the meaning and application
of each. For example, in a geography lesson the concept of ‘soil erosion’ is explained
and to illustrate how soil erosion takes place, photographs of soil erosion from the
learners immediate environment are shown. At the end of the lesson, test is given to
gain an insight how much has been understood about soil erosion. This approach is
called the “Deductive Approach”.
 10

b) Inductive Approach: EG-RUL Sequence

Derive
Introduction Present Concepts / Test
Problem Principles

The EG-RUL Sequence is less often adopted in textbooks and self-

instructional materials because it is more difficult to organise content and also can be
time consuming. The lesson begins with an Introduction in which the learner is told
what to do and what is expected of them. Oftentimes this has to be made very clear
because many learners are not familiar with this approach. Then a problem is
presented and as much information about the problem provided. Based on the
problem students try to derive the rules, concepts, principles, theories or laws
underlying the problem. Their findings and conclusions are presented and a test is
conducted to see if they understood the lesson. This approach is called the “Inductive
Approach”.
However you organize and sequence the content, you will want to make it as
interesting and stimulating for learners as you can. Remember that you rre not writing
to impress experts in the field. Think of some learners you know and write for them,
writing as clearly and simply as you can. This is a difficult skill to develop for most
people. Remember that variety can make your writing more interesting. All the
content of the teaching material does not need to be in the form of continuous prose
(words, words, and more words!).

ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT OF THE LEARNER

As mentioned earlier, self-instructional materials are different from books in

that they ensure that learners are active. Putting activities into a text means including
questions or suggestions inviting students to respond to them in some way. Activities
ask the student to DO something), if only for a few minutes (Rowntree, 1997). The
proverb below explains most appropriately the rationale for learning activities.
Activities can be, questions or exercises throughout a chapter or section and sets of
questions (self-tests) at the end of a section.

I hear, and I forget

I see, and I remember;
I do, and I understand.
 11

Your intention is not to lecture but rather you want the learner to work with
you. For example, you could simply check to see if the learner understood the
material presented; give examples from his or her own experience; apply concept and
principles or perform a practical task. However, you should make sure that you give
the learner feedback when he or she does a learning activity.

a) WHY LEARNING ACTIVITIES?

Learning activities could be in the form of questions, exercises, case-studies,
and so forth. The purpose of having learning activities in self-instructional materials
is:
 to involve learners in the learning process
 to provide opportunities for learners to use their own words
 to motivate and encourage learners to continue reading
 to help learners check their own progress and understanding
 to provide opportunities for learners to stop and reorganise their
thoughts
 to break the content into manageable learning chunks;
 to provide variety of content
 to enable students to practice what they have learnt.

b) TYPES OF LEARNING ACTIVTIES

There are many different types of learning activities and the learning activity
preferred will depend on what you want your learners to do. The following are several
types of learning activities”

Questions: These are the commonest type of learning

activities used in self-instructional materials. Pearson
and Johnson (1978) proposed a taxonomy of
questions that may be used to guide the construction
of questions.
 Text-Explicti Questions [‘Read the lines’] –
For these types of questions, the answer is in
the text
 Text-Implicit Questions [‘Read between the
lines’] – For these types of questions, the
learner is required to make inferences based
on information available in the text and his or
her prior knowledge or experience.
 Script-Based Questions [‘Read beyond the
lines’] – For these types of questions, the
learner is required to use his or her prior knowledge and experience to answer
the question.

Reflection: The learner is required to reflect on what they have read or on their
experience of the world.

Problem-Solving: The learner is presented with problems or problematic situations

and is required to solve them by applying the concepts and principles learned.
 12

Practical Work: The learner is required to carry out practical work with equipment
and materials to allow for hands-on experience.

Analysis: The learner is presented with a case-study in print-form, video or audio

format and is required to analyse the information presented.

Application: The learner is presented with various types of situations which requires
him or her to apply the concept and principles learned.

Note that not all these activities need a written response, nor do they always
have a ‘right or wrong’ answer. Their purpose is to direct the learner’s thought about
the text as they read it. The learner is asked to STOP AND THINK, or WRITE, or
DO SOMETHING. It need only take a short amount of time, even just a few minutes.
But remember to calculate this into the workload of your teaching materials and take
care that your time estimates are realistic (try them out or ask a colleague to!).
How many learning activities should be included in a self-instructional
material? There are not hard and fast rules on the number of learning activities that
should be incorporated because it depends on the content presented. Some topics may
lend themselves to more activities than others. As a rule of thumb, after about three
pages of reading, an activity should be inserted.

c) LEARNER RESPONSES TO THE LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Some learning activities may require the learner to do little more than “Stop
and Think’ which will require a pause of but a few seconds. Other activities may
demand a few minutes such as doing calculation or computation or a brief written
answer. Yet others may require the learner to perform a practical task which may take
a longer time. Among the responses you could get from your learners is to:
 Just Think!
 Tick items in a checklist
 Do a mathematical problem
 Draw a graph or diagram
 Label a diagram
 Answer multiple-choice questions
 Make lists of points for and against a case
 Collect data from classroom work

As you can see, some ‘responses’ are immediate and can be done in relation to the
text alone, others need to be done in the context of the learner’s practical work as a
teacher.

d) FEEDBACK
Learners learn from getting feedback on their efforts. The purpose of the
feedback is developmental; i.e. it helps learners check their progress and helps them
understand their mistakes, or throws new light on a subject. Giving feedback in a
self-study texts involves giving one answer, or a range of answers, plus some
comment or guidance about the answers. Sometimes there can be equally’ good’
alternative answers. Ways of introducing such comments can vary. Here are a few:
 ‘There are several possible answers to this. Here is mine…’
 ‘You may have included these points in your answer…’
 13

 ‘Check whether your answer included these three key points…’

 ‘Compare your answer to mine to see if...’
 ‘Make sure your answer avoided these mistakes…’

Remember:
 Don’t ask readers to answer questions on topics you have not ‘taught’ in the
materials.
 Don’t make unrealistic assumptions about what your students already know …
ask yourself, ‘how would they know the answer to my question? Where would
they get the information from?’
 Always follow an activity with some feed back or comment if possible. Try to
make your comment helpful and informative to students. The comment can
also provide confirmation of learning.
 You won’t be getting any feedback from students as they read what you’ve
written, so you’ll need to make sure in advance that you’ve anticipated some
of their problems. One way of doing this is by testing your materials with a
few students.

LEARNING ACTIVITY
a) Why do you want to be actively involved in self-
instructional materials?
b) Discuss some types of learning activities.
c) Explain some of the ways in which learners can respond
to learning activities.

TEACHING USING VISUAL DEVICES

As mentioned earlier, visual devices are extensively used in self-instructional

materials. To avoid instructional materials being too “wordy”, visual devices are used
to give more “pictorial approach” (Rowntree, 1998). Visual devices include drawings,
photographs, diagrams, maps and so forth. The rationale for using visual devices is to
convey something that could not be spoken in words to appeal to the learner’s
intellect, or emotions, or both at the same time. Visual devices are not to be
incorporated as an afterthought or to make the text more attractive!
Visual devices need to be thought of as an integral part of the instructional
design and development process, and to be given the same degree of attention as the
written words.

REASONS FOR USING VISUAL DEVICES

Visual devices are used to serve many purposes in self-instructional materials.
However, a particular visual device may be used for more than one purpose. A visual
device may be used for one purpose while the learner uses it for another. The
following are some reasons for using visual devices (Rowntree,
1998):
 14

a) Decoration: Visual devices can be used simply to relieve the monotony of a self-
instructional materials. For example, a picture or cartoon may be used to give
learners a visual break; thus motivating them to carry on reading.
b) Amusement: Some visual devices such as pictures and cartoons are used to show
the lighter side of the subject as well as
highlight a key point and make it
memorable.
c) Explanation: Visual devices such as
diagrams, drawings and pictures are used
extensively in self-instructional materials to
show how things work especially in the
teaching of “hands-on” tasks. For example,
the processes and steps involved in
operating machinery and equipment or parts
of a machine is best illustrated visually rather then trying to use words to explain
complicated processes (see the exploded drawing of an equipment shown).
d) Quantification: For topics dealing with
quantitative information involving
numbers, visual devices such as graphs
and tables present data pictorially (see the
graph shown).
e) Problem Posing: Visual devices such a
picture, diagram, graph or table can be
used to pose a problem. For example,
learners could be required to analyse and
interpret the information presented as a
table or chart.
f) Expression: Visual devices can be used to
convey an emotion or feeling. For example, photographs can be used to get
learners to express their feelings about what they see.
g) Developmental: Providing a sequence of visual devices to demonstrate a
procedure or process, or aspects of an object from several perspectives to
compensate for the learner not having the physical object to examine.
h) Emphasise: Bold face, italics, different font size and type can be used to
emphasise key points.

Which type of visual device is best? Is a photograph better than a drawing? It

is sometimes thought that the more realistic the illustration, the better it will be from
an instructional point of view. But this is not always the case. Sometimes a
photograph contains too much information, and hides the key information which
could be better shown by a simple diagram or drawing. However, while abstract
diagrams can present the subject matter clearly, demonstrating features and
relationships, they may also demand skills of interpretation on the part of students.
Writers need to help students make this interpretation, so that they do not misinterpret
or fail to notice the key features. ‘Pictorial reading skills’ need to be facilitated by the
writer (Rowntree, 1998).
Conventions of representation in illustrations may be new to learners. You
should not assume that the learners will share your understanding of the illustrations
you use. Where several illustrations are used for a topic, the relationship between
them needs to be made clear. It always worth trying out visual devices (especially
 15

complicated ones) on two or three other people, to check their clarity and identity
problems.

GUIDELINES ON USING VISUAL DEVICES

 Explain the function of illustration to the reader. This is not necessary with
pictures that are decorative or illustrative, but is necessary with pictures that
explain or pose problems.
 Whenever you include a picture as ‘vital’ for understanding, base an activity
on it.
 Keep the illustration as simple and clear as possible (avoid clutter and
confusion).
 Place the picture close to the text it refers to. Don’t let the text move on to
another topic even if the diagram does not fit on the space left on the age.
 It is better to leave a blank space than have the reader searching back and
forth for the diagram or picture referred to.
 Make sure your picture has a label (aim for consistency of position and format
of the label style throughout the materials. Students learn best when they can
easily see the point you are trying to make. You can help your readers to
identify the important features of your pictures by directing their attention to it
either in the text or graphically, by:
 drawing a box or circle around the key area;
 using arrows;
 printing the particular feature in bold type;
 numbering parts of the diagram in the order you wish the reader
to use.
 Avoid information overload, do not put too much detail in your pictures. It is
better to have two simpler diagrams containing clear information than
combining it all in an unclear way.
 If you are working with an illustrator, be sure to give him or her a clear
specification of what you want. Things go wrong when writers give the artist
too vague a job to do. Even if you cannot draw, it can often help the artist to
see what you want if you draw crude sketch.

LEARNING ACTIVITY
a) What is the purpose of using visual devices in self-
instructional materials?
b) List some types of visual devices.
d) What are guidelines for using visual devices in self-
instructional materials?
 16

WRITING STYLE OF SELF-INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

As mentioned earlier, self-instructional materials are different from books in

that they have an ‘easy going’ writing style?. Since your learners cannot easily get in
touch with you to help them, your writing must be very clear and appropriate to their
reading levels. You must write as simply as possible. Writing clearly and simply
needs more skill than writing with long words in long sentences. This is sometimes
difficult for writers writing academic materials to do, since they have often learned to
use long worlds and sentences in preference to short ones, but his can prevent clear
communication (Keirns, 1999).

What is this self-instructional

material trying to tell?

Help me understand!

Writing simply does not simply mean that they can only teach low
level content. Some of the content will contain difficult concepts and ideas, but
the goal (a difficult one to achieve) is to explain difficult ideas as simply as
possible and to assist learners to integrate new knowledge into their own personal
knowledge structures. As stated by Einstein, “Simplify but do not make it simple”.

Here are some ways to make your language clear and easily understood.
o Paragraphs should contain only one main idea, or at most, two related
ones;
o Sentences should be short (maximum 20 words, often 15 or fewer,
depending on the learner’s level).
o Avoid the passive tense; use active verbs – not “An experiment was
performed…..” but “We performed an experiment…..”.
o Reduce the use of technical terms or explain them clearly;
 17

o Use short, familiar words – simplify sentences;

o Use a personal tone “I’ve…..” or “You will realise that……’
o Use a conversational tone – “You’ll remember I gave an example of
this above”.
o Use questions, as you might in a conversation – “Why do you
think…..?”
o Use words not phrases
o Limit your paragraph length.

With regards to headings to headings and subheadings, confine yourself to

four levels only reflecting the structure of ideas you intend to develop in your lesson
(see Figure 8.2).

Lesson title

Section headings

Sub-section

Sub-sub-sections

Figure 8.2 Hierarchy of headings

A few things to remember

 Avoid making lines too long across a page (it’s a common fault). Although
you may be tempted to save paper, it will make the text difficult to read and
save only a little paper. A line should not fill the whole width of an A4 sheet.
 40-55 characters a line (including spaces) is a comfortable reading length.
You can fit in more if you increase the spaces between lines, but beyond a
certain width, this too creates problems.
 A maximum of twelve words a line is desirable, but this depends on line
spacing and font too. Fewer words are better.
 Leave white space (empty spaces). You’re not wasting paper, you’re helping
readers to learn (the text is easier to read, more attractive, highlights important
headings, can be used to make notes in). You save very little paper by
squashing things closely together.
 Your goal is to make the text inviting to readers – think of texts that you have
found boring or difficult to read. What lessons can you draw from them in
making your booklets attractive? (Misanchuk, 1992).
 18

LEARNING ACTIVITY
a) How does a conversational writing help understanding?
b) How do you “simplify a text but not make it simple?.
c) What writing style should you adopt to make an
academic text easily understood?

EVALUATION

How do you ensure that the learning materials you develop will be of good
quality? How do you know that what you have written is clear and easily understood?
How do you know it makes sense or is interesting? One way is to get feedback from
what you have written (Harrison, 1999). Each writer should get feedback on his or her
work from other writers, and from the project or group coordinator (who may also
have an editing role). This means circulating chapters well in advance to give people
enough time to read and comment in writing on the drafts. The following is a
checklist for evaluating materials written:

CHECKLIST FOR THE EVALUAITON OF SELF-

INTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

 Are there any errors of fact or reasoning?

 Are any parts difficult or unclear? Which ones? How could
they be improved?
 Is the level appropriate for the intended audience?
 Are different points of view adequately represented?
 Are there any serious omissions?
 Is the text too theoretical? Does it make sufficient connection
to the practical work of classrooms?
 Are the materials likely to arouse students’ interest and
enthusiasm?
 Are enough activities built into the text?
 Are there any hidden assumptions about students’ interest and
enthusiasm? Do they have practical value for teachers
wanting to improve their practice?
 Are enough activities built into the text?
 Are there any hidden assumptions about students’ previous
knowledge that will make the teaching materials difficult for
them?
 Is the workload realistic?
 Are instructions clear?
 Will the students be able to do the practical activities
suggested? Are they realistic? Have they been described
clearly enough?
 19

This feedback assists in improving accuracy of content, clarity of writing, and

reduces the resistance to changing drafts often encountered when only one person
gives comments on another’s writing. It is also one way of improving the skills and
understanding of writers and helps to develop a consistent approach and standards
before the work has progressed too far to make changes easily. Opportunities for
doing this should be built into the materials development schedule.
Developmental testing is the process of testing out the materials on potential
users as they are being developed, either in part as drafts are written, or after a
complete pilot version has been produced. Students may have a different perspective.
You’ll need to try them out on students to (if only a few). The feedback from this
activity should be used to improve the next draft or version of the materials
(Misanchuk, 1994).). Testing in this way with even a handful of potential students
can improve the quality of materials.

LEARNING ACTIVITY
a) Why should self-instructional materials be evaluated by
other writers or experts in the field?
b) What are some of the things evaluators should be looking
for when evaluating self-instructional materials?

----------------------oooooooooo------------------
 20

K
KEEY
YTTE
ERRM
MSS

Self-instructional materials Organisation

Subject-centred approach Sequencing of content
Learner-centred approach Visual devices
Learning activities Writing style
Inductive approach Evaluation
Deductive approach

S
SUUM
MMMA
ARRY
Y

 Self-Instructional Materials (SIM) play a major role in the teaching-learning

process at all levels of education and training.

 Increasingly the differences between books and self-instructional materials is

getting narrower as more textbooks used in schools and higher education are
designed more like self-instructional materials.

 Self-Instructional Materials (SIM) should be structured in a way which is clear

to learners, guiding them through the text and build on learners’ existing skills
or knowledge.

 If you have decided what you want to teach, you will have to decide whether
you want to adopt a “subject-matter” approach or a “learner-centred”
approach.

 There are many different types of learning activities and the learning activity
preferred will depend on what you want your learners to do.

 As with the learning environment, the manner in which materials are

organised reflects and supports a particular philosophical orientation.

 Too many self-instructional materials contain far more content than learners
can possibly cope with the time available.

 To avoid instructional materials being too “wordy”, visual devices are used to
give more “pictorial approach”.

 Self-instructional materials are different from books in that they have an ‘easy
going’ writing style.
 21

R
REEF
FEER
REEN
NCCE
ESS

Harrison, N. (1999). How to design self-directed and distance learning: a guide for
creators of web-based training, computer-based training, and self-study materials.
New York : McGraw-Hill

Keirns, J. (1999). Designs for self-instruction : principles, processes and issues in

developing self-directed learning. Boston : Allyn and Bacon, 1999.

Lockwood, F. (1998). The Design and Production of Self-instructional Materials.

London: Routledge.

Misanchuk, E.R. (1992). Preparing instructional text: Document design using desktop
publishing. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications.

Misanchuk, E.R. (1994). Print tools in distance education. In B. Willis (Ed.), Distance
education: Strategies and tools (pp.109-129). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational
Technology Publications.

Rowntree, D. (1998). Teaching through self-instruction: How to develop open

learning materials. London: Routledge.

Rowntree, D. (1997). Preparing materials for open distance and flexible learning.
London: Kogan Page Pd.