Providing instructional and learning materials

The issue: Good instructional and learning media are vital to quality apprenticeships

“[Even a] skilful carpenter cannot build a house without the necessary tools and materials. Much more so, a qualified teacher cannot mould the hearts and minds of the learners or develop their social and professional skills and abilities without the necessary tools and materials” (Education International, n.d.). Teachers and trainers need modern instructional media and tools to improve the effectiveness of learning processes, cater to the special needs of learners and increase outreach to learners in remote areas and those with learning disabilities. Good instructional materials help to minimize the disparity in the quality of teaching provided by different teachers.

With the advancement of new technologies, instructional materials also increasingly offer flexibility to learners, to learn at any point in time, in any place and at their own pace. Instructional and learning materials used in apprenticeships today commonly include both ICT-based media – mobile-based applications, virtual reality, augmented reality, animation, presentations, videos, films and other interactive learning materials – and traditional printed materials, including textbooks. Instructional and learning materials also include social media and massive online courses.

Institutions responsible for apprenticeships should promote the use of modern instructional materials by investing in the development of relevant media, making them accessible, and developing the capacity of teachers, trainers and apprentices in using them.