INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA IN TEACHING AND LEARNING: A NIGERIAN PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

The focus of this paper is to discuss the use of instructional media in teaching and learningfrom a Nigerian perspective. The problem with the use of instructional media has existedsince the 1970s after the oil boom era. As soon as corruption and mismanagement of the oilresources became more serious, all other sectors including education were no longerproperly funded or given the needed attention for national development. As a result, mostlecturers and teachers in many Nigerian tertiary institutions now use the lecture method onlyin teaching their various courses. The use of this type of method as the sole teachingtechnique can lead to boredom in learners, lack of learner participation, noise factors thatcan cause communication breakdown during teaching, learners’ mixing up of information,and lack of interest in or attention to the subject matter being taught. Some sources wherelecturers can select instructional media for teaching their courses are identified anddiscussed. It is recommended that the Nigerian government should urgently assist teachers,especially at the tertiary level, in the procurement and use of instructional media throughtraining and retraining, workshops, conferences, etc. in order to fit into the new scientificorder of addressing the nation’s educational problems.