Brief Introduction

Teaching and learning processes are very crucial at all levels of educational development. If well planned and directed, they are the keys to the success and progress of an individual. Therefore, the best methods have to be used in order to enhance effective teaching and learning. Consequently, the need to employ the use of teaching aids otherwise referred to as audiovisual resources to enhance effective teaching and learning.

Audio-visual materials according to Dike (1989) do not only increase the motivation of the teachers and learners; they add clarity to the topic taught and make learning more interesting. Permanent learning according to Njoku (1980) is the goal of education in that the learners should be able to retain what is taught. Audiovisual materials make learning more permanent since they appeal to more than one sense.

Research by Ode and Omokaro (2007) revealed that learners retain most of what they hear, see and feel than what they merely hear. This concept bears credence to the old Chinese adage which says “what I hear I forget what I see I remember and what I do, I know”. Visual instruction encourages the use of audio-visual materials to make abstract ideas more concrete for the learners. Therefore, the teacher’s duty is to make learning lively, not just something to remember but part of the living experience.

This can be done effectively by employing the use of audio-visual resources in teaching and learning as a means of imparting knowledge to learners. Educators have come to realize that the most effective teaching and learning take place when an individual has direct experience with the subject under study, in order wise, learners learn best by doing. It is only by the use of audio-visual resources that learners can be offered the opportunity to learn by doing. This is because of attention, motivation. Concentration and retention of facts are enhanced through the use of audio-visual materials.