Describe The Radio as a medium of communication and teaching

The Radio can be used to:
- Inform and motivate the youth on issues of morality, religion and culture like sexually
transmitted diseases especially HIV and AIDS, drug and sexually abuses, pregnancy,
corruption, preaching and music of religious or moral teaching. There are radio
programmes which could be very useful in creating in the youth awareness of
irresponsible sexually behavior e.g you variety shows, radio soap opera and drama,
radio sports, and discussions programmes.
- Radio variety show: includes music, short stories, short interviews and jokes.
- Radio soap operas and drama: Consist of interesting stories which are enacted to really
capture the experience of the youth and their families.
- Radio sports have an advertising format often accompanied by catchy tunes. They
use young people to communicate the message to the other youths.
- Radio Discussions: Discussions on social issues between the experts to the youth is
perpetuate and integrated with music giving accurate and authentic information
relating to drugs ,alcohol, HIV and AIDS e.t.c
-Although these programmes are not addressed to the classroom audience, the R.E teacher
can make use of any relevant ones. A keen and dedicated teacher can record the programme
replay them to sieve what is of use to the learners .If it is a pure religious education
programme it can be replayed to in class .In such a case, the teacher can prepare a series of
questions in advance to know exactly what the learners are required to extract from the
programme .This could be identifying certain ideas, writing summaries or comparing.
-The teacher can also alert the learners about the programme and the time it will be on air,
and then as part of homework, ask the learners to listen to it as follow up, the teacher could
ask them questions related to the programme.
-There programme prepared specifically for an R.E class. In such cases the teacher need to
organize for the broadcast as shown below.
Preparation for a radio lesson.
Farrant (1980) has given the following suggestions on how to get the most out of the
educational broadcasting:
1. Get in advance details of the programmes to be broadcast.
2. Select the programmes that have positive value for your students.
3. Judge how to make the best use of each programme you have selected, whether alive,
recorded in full or in part.
4. Make whatever administrative preparations are necessary to obtain the equipment and
accommodation needed for the lesson.
5. Prepare the students before the broadcast in accordance with any suggestions contained in
the printed teachers notes.
6. Plan timing and physical arrangements so that the students receive the programmes
clearly.
7. Carry out whatever follow-up is necessary to derive full benefit from the programme.
How to conduct a radio lesson
When conducting a radio lesson, the teacher should:
(1) Prepare the learners for the lesson. This can be done by introducing the topic and
informing the learners of what is expected of them during and after the lesson.
e.g they should be told to be attentive ,to write down new terms and concepts, to make notes to
follow instructions given by the radio teacher.
(2) Tune the radio before the lesson begins to ascertain that the volume is high enough for
all to hear (this should be tested before the teacher goes to the classroom).
(3) Ensure good sitting /seating arrangement.
(4) Display the necessary instructional materials before the lesson starts .
(5) Place the radio at a strategic place in the class to enable learners to hear without straining.
(6) Turn on the radio at the right time. (when the lesson is beginning).
(7) Tune on the right volume.
(8) Listen and obey instructions of the radio teacher.
(9) Make a follow-up to the lesson by organizing a discussion, asking the learners questions, or giving a related assignment.

Advantages of using the Radio
The radio is important in R.E teaching because of these reasons.
(1) It motivates the learners to learn by providing a variety of voices, e.g Radio teacher,
radio students, thus breaking the classroom monotony.
(2) It has power to stimulate the learner’s imaginative ability.
(3) It provides learners with recent information not available in books.
(4) It provides for individual learning and independence in cases where the learners listen to
the radio programmes during their free time.
(5) It improves learners listening skills which is important in any learning process.
(6) Radio programme can be tape-recorded and preserved for future use.

Limitations
The use of the radio in communication of R.E has the following limitations.
(1) There are certain good programmes of general nature which do not fit in the school
hours, thus making it difficult for the teacher and the learners to make effective use of
them.
(2) The listener (learner) is forced to accept the information at the speed it is transmitted.
(3) The use of the radio is one way- communication, it provides no feedback.
(4) There is the danger of the radio lessons substituting the teacher.
(5) Some students may see the radio as mere source of entertainment and thus get little from
it.

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Titany answered the question on November 2, 2021 at 08:09