Instructional Content
Gain a better understanding of the role of instructional content, which is content used by teachers to communicate information to their students. Instructional content can be delivered in a variety of ways, including traditional textbooks, lectures, activities, Powerpoint presentations, test prep materials, educational video games, online language programs—essentially, anything developed specifically for the purpose of teaching.
In public schools, instructional content must align with curriculum standards to ensure learners achieve educational standards; for example, the Common Core State Standards serves as the benchmark of what students Grades K-12 should know in english and math for many states. For many schools, the success of the instructional content is measured by student outcomes on standardized tests.
Effective instructional content takes into account student learning styles and ages, the educational environment, the length and order of class lessons, and the required curriculum. Teaching materials should be designed to accommodate different types of learners, including those who learn best through hearing a concept explained to them (auditory learners), those who learn best by seeing representations of something (visual learners), and those who learn best by manipulating tangibles that represent something (kinesthetic learners). Instructional content should also take into account students with disabilities—both physical and mental.
