Today’s emphasis on the uses of computer technology and
audio-visual materials in the classroom obscures an equally effective,
cost-efficient means of communication: sound.
In most classroom settings, the use of sound is paired with visual
stimuli. Examples include computers, television, video laser discs, or
filmstrips with accompanying soundtracks or narration.
Nevertheless, a back-to-basics approach in the use of sound-only
materials provides an important learning tool for both students and
instructors, and is a necessary component in well-rounded humanities
course offerings–particularly in courses where multiculturalism is
stressed.
The following are suggested ways to use five audio sources in the classroom:
* Music: Courses in social studies, history, or literature/English
provide fertile ground for the use of music during classtime hours.
Instructors may choose to use music representative of a historical
period or philosophical point of view in order to emphasize a portion
of the lecture.
Music also may be used to usher in the class session so as to
create a mood within the classroom conducive to the day’s studies. Or
it can be used to mark the transition from one topic to the next, or
moving from one philosophical point of view to the next.
* Books on Tape: Perhaps the biggest stereotype of books on tape is
that they are solely for those with visual problems or people who are
simply too lazy to read the assigned text. Nothing could be further
from the truth.
