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Journal of Educational Research and Policy Studies (ESCJERPS) Vol. 1 
ISSN: Print 2811-2717                                                                            https://journal.escetjerps.com 

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

USE OF AUDIO AIDS IN TEACHING AND LEARNING  

CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS 

 
Chukwu Ebele Georgina 

Department of Library and Information Science 

Enugu State College of Education Technical, Enugu State 

Chiebele@yahoo.com 

 

Abstract 

In this complex society of today where experiences are innumerable and varied, it’s not possible 

to present every situation in its original colours, hence, the opportunities for learning by actual 

experiences always are not at all possible.  It is only through the use of proper audio visual aids 

that the life situation can be taught in the classroom by an enlightened teacher in their simplest 

form and representing the original to the highest point of similarity which is totally absent in the 

verbal or lecture method.  In the presence of audio-visual aids, the attention is attracted, interest 

roused and suitable atmosphere for proper understanding is automatically created, but in the 

existing traditional method greater efforts are liable to be made in order to achieve the aforesaid 

essential requisite.  This study discussed the meaning of audiovisual resources, types of 

audiovisual aids available in the market.  The study was also, on the availability of audiovisual 

aids available in the market.  The study was also, on the availability of audiovisual aids, their 

frequency of use, inhibitions and finally, steps the stake holders has taken in promoting and/or 

creating an awareness of the inherent benefits of using the audiovisual resources.  Based on 

findings this effort proffered some notable solutions to stakeholders. 

 

Keywords: Audio visual, Teaching, Learning and libraries 

 

INTRODUCTION 

Popoola and Haliso (2009) defined 

library information resources as those 

information bearing materials that are in 

both printed and non-print formats, such 

as textbooks, journals, indexes, 

abstracts, newspapers and magazines 

reports, CD-ROM databases, internet/E-

mail, video tapes tapes/cassettes, 

diskettes magnetic disks, computers, 

micro forms, e.t.c.   These information 

materials are the raw materials that 

libraries acquire, catalogue, stock, and 

make available to their users, as well as 

use to provide various other services.  

Librarians, as information providers, 

should be concerned with the provision 

of information in the formats most suited 

to the differing needs of various types of 

users, each of which must be clearly 

differentiated.  A library exists to serve 

its community and consequently the 

needs of all members of that community 

must be accommodated, the old and the 

young, the able and the disabled, the 

gifted and the backward members of the 

society. 

 

The terms non-print, non-book and 

audio-visual materials or resources are 

used interchangeably in library and 

information science profession.  In line 

with this statement, audio-visual 

materials are usually described as “non-

 



 

 

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print documents or “special formats” 

and sometimes require equipment to use.  

The Macmillan Dictionary of 

Information Technology define audio-

visual technology as a general term for 

non-book materials that can be viewed 

or listened to such as films, filmstrips, 

e.t.c.  Audio-visual materials are those 

centre materials that do not solely 

depend on reading to convey 

information or knowledge.  Before 

printing was invented, papyrus vellum, 

codex, etc, were used in recording 

human knowledge.  With the invention 

printing, came books and other printing 

forms.  Recently, audio-visual media has 

come into prominence as another form 

of media. They are resources that are 

used by librarians and teachers to 

communicate effectively and 

meaningfully with students/pupils so 

that they can receive, understand, retain 

and apply the experienced to achieve 

educational goals (Alokunm2004) 

Audio-visual in this context refers to 

technology that is employed in the 

resource centres like the academic 

libraries, and classrooms for the purpose  

of student’s instruction which when 

properly used by teachers can 

revolutionize the teaching  profession 

and promote services. 

 

Audio-visual technology has been 

classified into three main types, these 

are: 

Audio aids, -pro and non-projected 

Visual and Audio-visual aids. 

  

Projected and non-projected Visual aids: 

Visual aids are those materials that use 

the sense of vision.  Simply, visual aids 

communicate facts and ideas through the 

eyes to the mind.  It comes in two main 

types as projected and non-projected 

visual aids.  Visual aids such as images 

add a powerful support to the spoken 

word.  Example of this equipment 

includes pictures, chalkboard, slide 

projectors, power-point presentations 

and others. 

 

Audio-visual aids: audio-visual aids are 

those materials which involve both the 

audible land vision senses and provide 

update information they include 

television programs, multimedia 

packages, computer programs etc.  Some 

cannot be used without equipment such 

as project, TV receiver, micro reader, 

record player, etc.   They are usually not 

in book form and so are not easily 

available.  They are usually hard to 

process because they lack some of the 

normal bibliographic details. 

 

Audio-visual media are part of our 

cultural heritage, which carries a very 

huge amount of information that needs 

to be preserved for future utility.  The 

rich variety of media expressions in the 

society should be reflected in the 

services offered to users by the libraries.  

Almost every library user or visitor is a 

potential user of audio-visual and 

multimedia materials as well as print 

material. 

 

In developing countries, the provision of 

audio-visual materials and their 

associated equipment might be regarded 

as of greater importance than the printed 



 

 

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word because the level of literacy is such 

that oral and visual   expressions are 

essential for the purposes of 

communication, therefore it is of utmost 

importance to enhance the use of these 

aids so as to improve learning skills of 

both educational and information 

learners. 

 

LITERATURE REVIEW 

In teaching and learning, the use of 

audio-visual materials proves to be 

better instructional aid and it yields good 

result.  Audio-visual aids are specifically 

made instructional tools which are 

powerfully meant for education as well 

as giving information and entertainment.  

Gopal (2010) states that audio-visuzal 

aids provide significant gains in 

informal learning, retention and recall, 

rethinking and reasoning, activity, 

interest, imagination, personal growth 

and development.  Katherine (2011) 

stressing the effectiveness of visual 

materials in learning estimates that about 

40% of our concepts are based upon 

visual experience, 25% upon auditory.  

17% on tactile, 15% upon miscellaneous 

organic sensation and 3% upon taste and 

smell.  With the above assertion, it 

becomes clearer why audio visual 

materials are important in teaching and 

learning processes.  This is because they 

bring the different senses contributions 

together contributions together to get 

100% to get 100% to get 100% clarity. 

 

According to Katherine (2009) learning 

takes place effectively when the learner 

is provided with learning situation 

because of his natural reactions to the 

provided materials.  During this process 

of learning, the learner has to be 

provided with the learning situation to 

satisfy his natural reaction and this is 

through the use of instructional aids.  

Fawcett (2004) also contributing on the 

role of audio-visual aids in stimulating 

interest stated that “A friendly, 

accepting group climate is important in 

any learning situation especially those 

materials that require learners to reveal 

their ignorance”.  When there is climate 

of acceptance for learning, then learning 

is stimulated.  It has been said that audio-

visual materials provide a means of 

individualizing instruction.  This is said 

to be possible through programmed 

learning and tapes which enables learner 

to learn at his pace and also work 

without supervision. 

 

Audio-visual aids provide experience 

not easily secured in other ways and 

hence contribute to the depth and variety 

of learning.  They play a major role of 

making learning permanent because 

having seen something, most people 

remember; for whatever that things was, 

it conjures up an image at a mere 

mention and can be talked about freely.  

Dike (2003) explains that knowledge 

acquired is easily forgotten because of 

lack of interest and opportunity to use 

the knowledge that has been gained. 

 

Generally, the importance and the 

usefulness audio-visual aids in teaching 

and learning are explained under the 

materials are valuable assets in learning 

situations because they make lessons 

practical and realistic.  They are the 



 

 

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pivots on which the wheels of the 

teaching learning process rotate.  Since 

it does concretize issues, it then 

facilitates revision (recall) activities and 

provides very unique opportunities for 

self and group evaluation for the teacher 

and the students alike.  It captures the 

student intellect and eliminates 

boredom; make the work easier, neater, 

and boosting for clarity and more appeal. 

 

Used for mass instruction and taking 

care of wide audience: 

Used for mass instruction and taking 

care of a wide audience.  With the use of 

projected and electronic materials such 

as television, overhead transparencies 

and computer, especially, instructions 

are packaged in a very broad manners 

and which take care of wide range of 

learners in a classroom with less stress 

and time.  Many students will be able to 

learn faster as the package takes care of 

various learners’ interest at the same 

time.  Many students will be able to learn 

faster as the package takes care of 

various learners’ interest at the same 

time.  Teacher can handle a very large 

class conveniently as the teacher is 

guiding and displaying the instructional 

materials on the wall with the use of 

projector. 

 

Providing meaningful and useful 

sources of information to teachers and 

learners. 

Teachers are up to date and able to 

provide for reliable and useful 

information for the learners with the use 

audio-visual aids, it can effectively be 

used to ultimate, shorten information 

from various sources for the purpose of 

comparison and contrasting ideas.  It 

helps in perception and retention of 

information or knowledge in learners. 

 

It helps in developing a continuity of 

reasoning and coherence of thought: 

The use of audio-visual aids helps the 

learners to encounter integrated 

experiences, which may vary, and makes 

make the end product of education more 

productive.  Since students are exposed 

to the real nature of those concept or 

body of knowledge they tend to analyse 

and synthesis those body of knowledge 

for the proper application in their daily 

lives. 

 

PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH 

THE USE OF AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS 

It has been identified and that, using 

audio-visual aids to facilitate learning in 

subjects’ instructions is not always the 

issue but how to use it and its availability 

to users.  In spite of the bright prospect 

of audio-visual aids, they are grossly 

lacking in Nigeria let alone its 

circulation to the libraries across the 

nation.  A lot of problems are 

confronting the use of audio-visual aids 

in Nigeria library:  Some of the 

challenges include: 

 

Teachers’ professional Knowledge 

and technical knowhow: 

 Interests of the learners and it 

appropriateness with the instructional 

tasks.  For instance, a teacher who 

computer literate would find it difficult 

to apply its operation even when and 

were found necessary, or even if the 



 

 

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teacher has a partial knowledge of the 

operational function of the materials.  

The materials might be wrongly used 

thereby creating a wrong impression for 

the audience or the students. 

  

Lack of equipment: 

Computers as a major equipment of 

audio-visual materials are still very 

expensive and despite spirited efforts by 

government agencies, NGOs corporate 

organizations and individuals to donate 

computers to as many libraries as 

possible, there still remain a big 

percentage of schools and other non-

academic libraries that are usable to 

purchase computers or have very limited 

quantity for use. 

 

Inadequate supply of electricity: 

Many libraries are experiencing an 

uphill task regarding electric power 

availability; Nigeria being a developing 

country, the government has not been 

able to connect all parts of the country to 

the national electricity grid and even 

those parts connected do not always 

have power supply. 

 

Consequently, those libraries that fall 

under sour areas are left handicapped 

and may not be able to efficiently utilize 

the audio-visual equipment. 

 

Lack of internet or slow connectivity 

Most libraries are not able to connect to 

the World Wide Web, due to the high 

costs involved in the connectivity.  On 

average, it may cost approximately $150 

per month to connect to about 15 

computers on a bandwidth of 

128/64kbps.  This is considered as very 

expensive for a very slow speed. 

 

Environmental factors: 

Part of the application of audio-visual 

aids process is the target population for 

whom the materials are to be used and 

the setting or vicinity where the learning 

should take place, the degree of 

satisfaction derived by learning in a 

conducive environment is a great deal. 

 

Poor maintenance culture: 

Audio-visual aids materials available at 

libraries are usually poorly manhandled 

mostly by the users.   Non-availability of 

a resource room for both the locally 

manufactured and the commercially 

purchased ones thereby encouraging 

improper handling of the equipment’s.  

Very many of the users use materials 

occasionally without the proper upkeep 

of the materials after use for the future. 

 

WAYS OF ENHANCING THE USE 

OF AUDIO-VISUAL AID IN 

NIGERIAN LIBRARIES 

The audio-visual resources have their 

unique roles to play in teaching and 

learning situation and so must be made 

readily available and accessible 

especially at the resource centres like 

library.  Chambers English dictionary 

defined the words “available in this 

research work to mean the state of being 

physically present, within easy reach of 

users.  It also refers to information 

resources that are within the reach of 

users for their use, while asccessibility 

refers to resources being effectively and 

independently reached and utilized.  The 



 

 

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distinction between these two terms 

availability and accessibility is that the 

former refers to the provision of the 

resources and the other the ability of 

access to get to them.  In the developed 

countries like Britain, France and the 

United States of America, the advent 

ages of audio-visual resources especially 

computer have v=been fully explored for 

handling various aspects of library and 

information services. The use of audio-

visual aids in Nigeria can be enhanced 

through: 

Provision of audio-visual equipment to 

libraries: 

 

Due to the high cost of some audio-

visual equipment such as computers, 

projectors, internet connection (World 

Wide Web), most of the libraries in the 

nation have them in limited quantity; 

provision of funds both by government 

and Non-governmental agencies to 

supply these equipment to libraries will 

greatly enhance the use audio-visual aids 

in the country.  The use of audio-visual 

resources has every sign of long survival 

as long as its devices become more 

afforded, the connectivity bandwidths 

become widely used and less constraint, 

the multimedia applications will 

prosper. 

 

Adwoyin (2007) has reported that in line 

with the provision of education services 

as outlined  in the National Policy on 

Education, the federal and State 

government have established several 

educational audio-visual centres. They 

are responsible for the provision for the 

provision/procurement and distribution 

of educational media to schools.  For 

example, the curriculum development 

centre, Enugu, produces maps, and 

graphs for schools in its graphic acts 

section and builds leaning aids and 

games from wood in its woodwork 

division.  The centre also has a good 

number of overhead and sound 

projectors as well as s stock of sound 

films which are loaned generally to 

schools. 

 

Training and retraining of staff and 

individuals in audio-visual resourced 

management: 

Aside the provision of equipment to 

enhance audio-visual aids, active 

training programs should be set up to 

equip librarians and school teachers so 

as to reduce or eliminate the problem of 

lack of knowledge as regards these 

instructional materials. 

 

The National Education Technology 

Centre, Kaduna is a highly specialized 

instruction centre serving a national 

purpose of enhancing the teaching 

learning processes for the advantages of 

both teachers and learners.  The centre 

has adequate training facilities in 

educational broadcast that has 

contributed greatly to the training and 

development of high level man power 

for educational broadcasting in Nigeria.  

Fawol (2004) pointed out that many 

states and local government in the 

country have benefited from the 

National Educational Technology 

Centre training programmes. The centre 

also produces educational (Radio and 

420 Int. I Lib.  Inf.  Sci.  Television) 



 

 

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programmes for schools and colleges.  

Some of these programmes are for the 

environment of classroom lesson with 

the assistance of the teachers, while 

some are self-instructional in nature. 

 

Provision of a stabilized electricity 

supply 

Availability and accessibility of audio-

visual aid equipment are very important 

but not sufficient to ensure their efficient 

use because most but not all the 

equipment of audio-visual aids cannot 

be used without proper supply of 

electricity.  On this note, there should be 

an effort by the government to improve 

on the supply of uninterrupted electricity 

(renewable energy sources like solar are 

readily available) so as to enhance the 

smooth running of these equipment. 

 

Education of users on the proper 

handling of audio-visual resources 

Most times, audio-visual resources are 

improperly handled by users; this can be 

due to lack of knowledge on the 

workings of these equipment or lack of 

maintenance culture thereby leading to 

the destruction of the expensively 

purchased items.   To curb this, there 

should be a training or orientation for 

users on the proper handling of the   

equipment and also a proper monitoring 

should be in place to ensure that the 

equipment are not vandalized. 

 

Role of foreign organization in 

improving the productivity of library 

in Nigeria. 

Over the years, some foreign bodies and 

organizations have greatly assisted 

Nigeria in the provision of education 

resources to school libraries and at the 

same time enhanced audio-visual 

resource use.  Some of such measures 

include: 

 The British council provided many 

of education services in the 

country.  Two of its contributions 

in the areas of education resources 

are in the provision of children’s 

resources libraries and the free 

loan of hundreds of sound films on 

a variety of school subjects, the 

major users of these films are 

secondary schools. 

 

 The United Nations Education 

Scientific and Cultural 

Organization (UNESCO), The 

United state agency of 

international (USAID) United 

Development Programme 

(UNDP), among others, have 

immensely contributed in diverse 

way in the provision of 

instructional resources in Nigeria.  

While some have helped to set up 

micro teaching and language 

laboratories in some instructions 

of higher learning, others have 

helped some states to setup 

resource centres.  

 

 

REFERENCES 

 

Alokun TNA (2004).  The Use of 

Library: A Textbook for Students 

Kin Tertiary   Institution, Lagos: 

Nudex International. Pp, 69-74 



 

 

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Chukwu Ebele Georgina 

 

Dike, V.W (2003) Library Resources 

on Education, Enugu: ABIC 

Publisher Fawcett, G.d. (2004). 

Learning Environment and 

Instructional Materials. New 

York. McGraw Hill. 

Fawole M.O (2004). An Assessment of 

the Needs of Educational 

Resources Centre in Nigeria. A 

PhD Thesis in the Department of 

Curriculum Studies and 

Educational Technology, Faculty 

of Education, University of Ilorin 

Kwara State, Nigeria pp 45-46 

GopalVinayakPatil. (2010). Importance 

of Audio-Visual in teaching 

Methodology Mahourastra, India 

Katherine Martin (2009) Audio-Visual 

Aids in Materials Collection 

Development Policy. Rod Library 

University of Northern Lowa 

Popoola SO, Haliso Y. (2009). Use of 

Library Information resources and 

services as Predator of teaching 

effectiveness of Social Scientists 

in Nigerian Universities. AJIAIS  

19 (1): 65-77.