Module 6

Self Learning Material – Content Organization &

Presentation
Dr. Sunil Dutt
Professor & Head
Education and Educational Management Department,
National Institute of Technical Teachers Training & Research, Sector-26, Chandigarh (India)

Objectives of the Module:

After reading the learning material, you will be able to:

 Know the elements of organizing the content for developing Self Learning Material
 Understand various components of presenting content for developing Self Learning Material
 Know the skills of writing effectively for developing Self Learning Material

Learning Outcomes:
After reading the learning material, you will be able to:

 Explain the four activities of organizing the content of self learning material
 Describe the guidelines of presenting the content in the self learning material
 Describe the Do’s and Don’ts of effective writing skills

Pre-requisite Knowledge:
It is assumed that the learner is quite familiar with the systematic approach to instructional design. The
learner has also understood the advantages of Self learning material over conventional mode of teaching
as well as text books.

Introduction

Dear learners, as you know that conventional mode of teaching suffers from various shortcomings like,
teachers’ failure to meet the diverse needs of the learners; failure to gain the attention of the learners;
failure to integrate instructional media; and, failure to assess the performance of the learners and provide
them feedback and more. Thus, there is a need to develop self learning material to supplement learning on
the part of learners. In addition, you have also planned for developing self learning material in a subject
area. Now you are likely to organize and present the content by employing effective writing skills.

This learning material will enable learners understand the guidelines of organizing and presenting
the content in the self learning material.

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Sub-Topic 1

1. Self Learning Material – Content Organization

Organizing the content of self learning material involves four main activities:

 Considering the Characteristics of the learners

 Considering the required entry behavior
 Specifying the Learning Outcomes
 Analyzing, chunking and sequencing the content

Let us study these activities in detail.

Firstly, let us know why to consider characteristics of the learners.

It is necessary that the self learning material should match the characteristics of the intended learners. Try
to anticipate the needs and requirements of the learners.

The following question will help the designer of the self learning material in selecting and organizing the
content: What the learner
• already knows affects what the author can leave out;
• needs to know determines what the author should include;
• wants to know suggests the sequence & emphasis of writing the learning material.

As such, it is useful to consider such characteristics as the following:

 Reading abilities of learners

Learners who read well will be able to process the large amount of content material. On the other
hand, learners with less reading ability need to have content matter presented in small chunks/steps. In
addition, use simple language which the learner can understand and write the learning material in an
interactive tone.

 Attention and Interest of learners

Effective learning material captures and maintains the attention of the learners by appealing to their
interests and aspirations. Include examples, illustrations, pictures, diagrams etc. so that the learning
material can be designed to engage the learners while reading.

 Maxims of Teaching

While developing the self learning material, the author should consider the following maxims of
teaching:
 Simple to Difficult
 Concrete to Abstract
 Known to Unknown
 Observation to Reasoning

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 Considering the required Entry Behavior

Entry behavior is the capability(ies) which the learner has already acquired prior to instruction which
indicates his/her readiness to receive the new instruction. Therefore, the author of self learning
material should identify prerequisites for learning new content. This will allow the learner to connect
the new content with his/her previous learning, i.e., this will result in meaningful learning. Identify the
content and determine its scope and complexity as per entry behaviours.

 Specify Learning Outcomes

Learning material should enable the learner to achieve certain learning outcomes. These provide the
targeted results which the instruction is expected to achieve in a systematic approach to instructional
design and development. Hence, learning outcomes need to be made explicit before learning materials
are developed.

Learning outcomes provide the direction for the learning action. These are explicit statements of what
a learner should be able to demonstrate upon completing a unit of instruction. LOs help the
teacher/author select the appropriate content, decide the type of treatment & presentation of content
and write items for assessing learners’ capabilities and degree of proficiency required. In addition,
these essentially indicate what LOs should be assessed during and after instruction. As such, LOs
provide focus and direction for the learner. Once the LOs of the learning material are identified, the
content can be selected and organized.

 Analyzing, Chunking and Sequencing the content

This activity of organizing the content of self learning material involves the process of breaking the
content of the learning material into smaller units and sub-units and then sequencing these elements. In
this way, the learner will be able to study the content of the learning material in manageable segments
that are presented in the logical order. In brief, analyzing, chunking and sequencing the content of the
learning material include the following:

 Identify the major areas of content, called module within a self learning material that will be
addressed. Here, the author asks, ‘What are the most important aspects of the subject area and
what are the boundaries between them?’
 Break each major area into chunks, called section or unit. Here, the author asks, ‘What are the
most important part within this topic area and what are the boundaries between them?’
 Break each unit into smaller chunks or sections (if necessary) so that each smaller chunk
describes one LO. Each of these chunks becomes a sub-section within a unit.
 Determine the order of units or sections in the learning material. Here, the author asks, ‘What is
the logical order?’ and ‘what order will make it easiest for the learner to understand the content in
the learning material?’
 Now, determine the order of smaller chunks within each unit by following the same principle as
that of determining the order of the units.

Let us take an example which will illustrate how a major topic such as ‘Principle of DC Motors’ might be
analyzed into major elements and sub-elements. If you study the example, you will notice that the author
of a learning material is continuously addressing three key questions, (a) What content should be
included? (b) How should that content be chunked? and (c) In what order should that content be
presented?

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 Major Topic (Module) Major Sections (Units) Sub-elements (in a unit)

Principle of DC Motor 1. Magnetic Field • Electromagnets

• Marking of Polarities
• Strength of Electromagnet
2. Alignment of • Non-alignment of magnetic fields
Magnetic Field produces torque
• Constant Non-alignment produces
continuous rotation
• How to keep two fields constantly non-
aligned
3. Torque Angle • What is torque-angle?
• Dependence of torque on torque-angle
• Maximum value of torque-angle
4. Brush and • Different means in giving supply to a
Commutator rotating member from stationary
Arrangement terminals
• Physical arrangement of brush &
commutators
• Functioning of brush & commutator
assembly

In determining the content of the learning material, the author must ask himself/herself the following
questions:

 What content should be included in the modules of the self learning material and in the
unit(s)?
In answering the question, the author should consider the factors: First, what are the most
important components that the learner must learn about this content? Second, what is the essential
versus non-essential content?

 How should the content in the module of a self learning material and in the unit(s) be
chunked?
In answering the question, the author should consider the factors: First, ‘what is the most logical
and meaningful way of breaking down the content’? Second, ‘how many chunks should there
be’?

 In what sequence should the content in self learning material and in the unit(s) be
presented?
In answering the question, the author should consider the factors: First, ‘what is the logical and
meaningful sequence’? Second, ‘is it necessary for the learner to learn certain content before
other content can be understood’?

To conclude, content analysis is the most important activity of the content organization. At the same time,
the author of has to consider the characteristics of the learners and their required entry behavior; specify
the Learning Outcomes; and analyze, chunk and sequence the content

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Practice Task

1. State the four main activities of organizing the content of self learning material.
2. Describe the reason for considering the required Entry Behavior of the learner.
3. Why Learning Outcomes need to be made explicit before developing the learning material.

Feedback/Self-evaluation to Practice task

1. Organizing the content of self learning material involves four main activities:
o Considering the Characteristics of the learners
o Considering the required entry behavior
o Specifying the Learning Outcomes
o Analyzing, chunking and sequencing the content

2. This will allow the learner to connect the new content with his/her previous learning, i.e., this
will result in meaningful learning.
3. Learning outcomes provide the direction for the learning action. LOs help the teacher/author
select the appropriate content, decide the type of treatment & presentation of content and write
items for assessing learners’ capabilities and degree of proficiency required.

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Sub-Topic 2

Self Learning Material – Content Presentation

Let us now understand the guidelines of presenting content in the self learning material.
 Preparation of Course Manual – Scope and Structure
It is essential to prepare the course manual for each course. It is assumed that a course may
contain 20 to 40 hours depending upon the number of credits assigned to the course.

 Elements of a Course Manual

The elements of a course manual are given below:
o Title page
o List of Author(s)
o Table of Contents
o Forward/Preface
o Course Learning Outcomes
o Instructions for Effective Use of Manual
o Modules – I, II, III or more
o Index
o Glossary
o Availability of other Support Learning Resources
o About the Author(s)
o Back Cover

Note that in this particular course, there are eight modules. However, the number of modules
may vary from course to course.

 Elements of a Self learning Material in a Module

The elements of a Self learning Material in a module are given below:
o Title page
o Introduction
o Learning Outcomes
o Units – I, II, III and more
o End of Module Test
o Feedback on End-of-Module Test
o Summary
o References/List of further Readings
o Availability of other Support Learning Resources

Again, it is to be noted that number of units may vary from module to module depending upon
the scope of various modules.

 Elements of a Unit
The elements of a Unit in a Self learning Material in a module and their sequence are given
below:
o Heading

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 o Overview
o Learning Outcomes
o Content presentation through text, diagrams, graphics; animation/simulation/video (in
case of computer assisted self learning material), etc.
o Practice Task/Graded Exercises
o Feedback for Practice Task/Graded Exercises

 Access Devices
Access devices are the devices within the text, which help the learner access the desired
information without wasting excessive time and effort. It means that a learner can access the
desired information with minimum effort and in minimum time. Various types of access
devices are listed here:

o Table of Contents
Table of Contents lists the units, practice tasks, feedback and the reference/support
learning materials in the same sequence as they occur in the self learning material and the
page on which these begin. The purpose is to help the learner identify/locate the major
clusters of contents or sub-topics within the learning material.

o Learning Outcomes
LOs provide a description of what the learner should be able to demonstrate at the end of
instruction. These are stated at the beginning of each learning material.

o Index and Glossary of Terms

An index is provided towards at the end of the learning material. It is an alphabetically
arranged list of facts, concepts, principles and information with respective page numbers.
It is presented to enable the learner to easily locate the requisite information.

Another device, Glossary of Terms, is usually placed towards the end of the learning
material. It contains definitions of important concepts included in the learning material.

o References & Support Learning Resources

These are placed towards the end of each module. It informs the learner about the
references and publications which were consulted in developing the module. It also
includes references and other resources for further study. In addition, support learning
resources may include subject experts, web links, non-print media such as video, multi-
media packages etc.

o Icons/Buttons
These are visual symbols made out of graphical cues and text characters. The
Icons/buttons indicate location of specific activities such as assignments, practice
task/self assessment questions, points to remember, feedback, recommended reading,
summary etc. a few examples are illustrated here:

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 Such Icons are placed within the self learning material (both print and computer-assisted).

o Practice Test and Feedback

Practice tasks enable the learner to assess his/her acquisition of knowledge covered in
sub-topics followed by feedback to practice tasks.

o Summary
A summary presented at the end of a self learning material not only helps the learner to
locate or access the content, but also consolidate the content of the learning material.

o Points to Remember
These, located at the end of each unit/sub-topic, help the learner consolidate important
points of the unit/sub-topic.

 Systematic Numbering of Paragraphs, Units

A systematic method of numbering the paragraphs, units should be followed throughout
the learning material. As such, the explanation of the heading system and how it relates to
the content should be provided at the beginning of each learner manual.

 Typography for Efficient Reading

The arrangement of printed material on a page is known as ‘typographical presentation’.
The manner in which printed material is presented is extremely important because it
influences how easily a learner can absorb and retrieve the information. It also effects
how easily the learner can navigate throughout the learning material. The following are
the benefits:
o Consistency. The content of the learning material is presented in a consistent manner
to the learner. This prevents the learner from having to adjust to the individual styles
of various authors. As such, consistency of typographical presentation is extremely
important if the learner is to study the learning materials in a comfortable and efficient
manner.
o Quality is enhanced. If each author is allowed to present textual information in
his/her own choice of style, it can lead to a wide range of styles and quality. Therefore,
sound guidelines should be followed for enhancing the quality of self learning
materials to be developed by various authors.
o Readable Format. Since learner is likely to be reading the learning material for
several hours at a time, it should be prepared in a highly readable format. Therefore,
the authors must be concerned with how easy it is for the learner to read and navigate
throughout the text.
o Consistent style of presentation facilitates the production of learning materials.
The authors must spend reasonable time in revising the first drafts of learning
materials to ensure consistency in the presentation style. If authors are aware about
design guidelines before they begin developing their drafts, production of learning
materials can be carried out very fast.

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 o The marketing of learning materials is enhanced. The learning material (both print
and computer assisted) developed in a consistent style (appearances and presentation
styles) enhances its marketability.

Few guidelines for typographical style are given below:

Paper Size (for Self learning Material in Print mode) A4
Page Orientation Portrait
Page Margin – Top 1.5”
Page Margin – Bottom 1”
Right Page – Left Margin 1.25”
Right Page – Right Margin 2”
Left Page – Left Margin 2”
Left Page – Right Margin 1.25”
Type of Font Times New Roman OR Arial
Font size for Major Headings 16
Font size for Sub Headings 14
Font size for Body Text 12
Justification of Text Justified
Symbols Use standard symbols

 Cover Material
Let us learn the guidelines for the cover, back cover and their associated pages as detailed
below:

o Outer Front Cover Page

This page should indicate to the learner about the title and the subject area of the
learning material. In addition, brief address of the organization and its logo should also
be included.

o Inner Front Page

The back side of the front cover is usually left blank. Page 3 of the learning material
must contain the following information:
 Title of the Self Learning Material
 Subject area and relevant course
 Address of Organization
 Year of publication, edition number or reprint number
 Copyright information

o List of Author(s)
List of author(s) with full addresses should be included. In addition, address of printer
and associated information, edition, year of publication etc. can also be included.

o Availability of other Support Learning Resources

For this page, information about the other support learning resources (e-books, web
links, video etc.) available in the subject area can be included.

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 o Inner back cover page
This page elaborates on the author(s)’ credentials and profiles the producer agencies.

To conclude, the author of the self learning material development should focus on the guidelines
of presenting content in the learning material.

Practice Task

4. List the elements of presenting the content of a self learning material in a Module.
5. What is Typography and why it is necessary for Efficient Reading the content of the
learning material.
6. State the elements of Inner Front Page.

Feedback/Self-evaluation to Practice task

4. The elements of presenting the content of a self learning material in a Module are:
o Title page
o Introduction
o Learning Outcomes
o Units – I, II, III and more
o End of Module Test
o Feedback on End-of-Module Test
o Summary
o References/List of further Readings
o Availability of other Support Learning Resources

5. The arrangement of printed material on a page is known as ‘typographical

presentation’. The manner in which printed material is presented is extremely
important because it influences how easily a learner can absorb and retrieve the
information. It also effects how easily the learner can navigate throughout the learning
material.

6. The elements are:

 Title of the Self Learning Material
 Subject area and relevant course
 Address of Organization
 Year of publication, edition number or reprint number
 Copyright information

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Sub-Topic 3
Self Learning Material – Effective Writing Skills

As an author of the self learning material development, he/she should understand the basic
writing skills. The purpose of written communication is to convey information to the intended
audience effectively. In addition, it clarifies to the writer himself in systematizing his work. A
systematic approach to effective written communication is presented here:

 Establishing the LEARNING OUTCOMES

The writer of learning material starts with the aim. If one does not know where he/she is
going in the written material, he/she will never get there and the reader(s) of the material
will not get there with the writer. So, every learning material must have a single aim – a
specific, specified reason for being written. You must then decide what information is
necessary in achieving that aim.

 Considering the LEARNER

It is the author of the learning material who has to decide what content to convey and how best to
convey the same to the intended learner. Identify the target population of the self learning material
and consider its characteristics. You must consider the learner – what he/she already knows; what
he/she needs to know; and what he/she wants to know. Ask yourself, ‘What should I put into the
minds of my intended learners so that they can use it for its intended purposes.

 Devising the STRUCTURE

Develop a content outline to organize your ideas and collect the relevant materials. An
outline provides main ideas and the sequence in which the author is likely to write about
them. The information has to be presented in small manageable chunks. For this, content is
analyzed into distinct sections to be written (and read) separately. Each of these sections are
then further broken down into subsections (and sub-subsections) until simple and small
chunks/units of information is arrived which further can be expressed as a paragraph, or a
diagram. In this way, the author will be able to avoid any repetition.

When the author has decided about what information to convey, to whom it is to be conveyed,
and how to devise its structure it, then, you have to ensure clarity, accuracy and effectiveness of
the information. If the author has spent adequate time in this regard, it will facilitate the learner
in grasping the content of the learning material.

Now prepare the first draft. Every learning material must contain three parts: The Introduction,
the Body and the Conclusion.

The introduction is the first paragraph of the learning material. Usually, it begins with a general
statement about the topic area and ends with a more specific statement of the main idea of the
content of the learning material. The purpose of the introduction is to inform the learner about
what the learning material is and what he/she will be able to achieve at the end of the module. In
addition, the introduction arouses the learner’s curiosity so that he/she will want to read about
the whole content of the learning material.

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The body of the learning material follows the introduction. A number of paragraphs for
developing the ideas can be written. Limit paragraph length and cover one main idea per
paragraph. Don’t include more than one idea per paragraph. In addition, justify the inclusion of
various points continually by using specific examples and quotations. Use familiar vocabulary to
ensure a smooth transition of ideas from paragraph to paragraph.

The conclusion is the last paragraph of the learning material. Its purpose is to summarize the
main points and restate the main idea of the learning material, leaving out specific examples.

 DRAFTING the Text, EDITING & REVISING

It is necessary to set aside the draft before revision as it will enable the author view his/her
work objectively and see any gaps or problems.

Revising involves rethinking the ideas and refining the arguments. In addition, the author
will be able to reorganize the paragraphs and reword the sentences. At this stage, the author
will consider punctuation, spelling, sentence length, and wordiness for making the learning
material clear, complete, concise and effective.

Ask Questions before preparing the final draft

Before you proceed to write a final draft, you should ask yourself the following questions and
get affirmative answers:
o Have I explained all core-concepts/ideas adequately?
o Have all points been discussed adequately in proportion to their importance?
o Have I given enough thought to division and paragraphing of the text?
o Are introductory sections, discussion and terminal sections properly written?
o Is my writing style decent, clear and precise?
o Has adequate attention been given to the form of presentation, which makes the structure of
ideas clear to the reader?
o Is the discussion clear and factual?
o Are the ideas supported by examples, facts, evidence and results?
o Are words chosen properly and sentences written in a proper syntax?

Now the final draft is to be made ready. Before that, carry out the following activities:
o Read your material out loud
o Have some other expert(s) in the subject to read the learning material for feedback

After incorporating the feedback given by other expert(s), carry out the following tasks:
o Proofread the Final Draft
• Identify careless errors such as misspelled words, wrong punctuation, unnecessary
capitalization and obscure words, font type/size etc.
• Read backwards; read one line at a time
• Read long words syllable by syllable
• Take a print out of the written material and identify the errors as it becomes difficult to
detect errors on a computer screen.

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o Check the content for Clarity
• Use easily understandable words
Avoid obscure words. A few examples are given below:

Obscure Words Easy words

aforementioned already discussed
supersede replace
cognizant know
• Avoid abbreviations, acronyms & jargons
• Use verbs in the active voice rather than in the passive voice as the sentence structured
in active voice becomes clear and less wordy (for example, ‘hourly workers favour
overtime’ is more clear than ‘overtime is favoured by hourly workers’).

o Ensure Conciseness
• Limit paragraph length
• Avoid Shun words, e.g.,

Shun Words Easy words

came to the conclusion… concluded (or decided)
make revisions… revise…

• Avoid camouflaged Words

Camouflaged Words Easy words
with the exception of… except
for the purpose of discussing… discuss…
make an amendment to…. amend…

• Omit Redundancies: a few examples are:

During the year of 2009 (Here delete ‘the year of’)
It is needless to say (never use this sentence. If it is needless to say, then why say)
The results so far achieved, prove (here delete ‘so far achieved’)

o Accuracy
To be effective, the content of the learning material must be accurate. As an author,
collect the information from the authentic source and acknowledge the same.

o Rules for Writing Tables

• Write title of each Table by including the referent/source of content
• Use subheadings for rows and columns
• Include limited information in the Table
• Adjust Table on a single page
• In case of number of Tables in a Self learning material, then keep the Table formats
consistent
• Use horizontal lines to set off headings

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 An example of a Table is given below:

Table 2.1: Means and Standard Deviations of 1st Semester students in Punjab
Measure Experimental Group I Experimental Group II Control Group III
M σ M σ M σ
English
Physics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Drawing

To conclude, the author of the self learning material development should understand the basic
writing skills as the purpose of written communication is to convey information to the intended
audience/learners effectively. In addition, it clarifies to the writer himself in systematizing his
work. Therefore, a systematic approach to effective written communication presented above will
be very handy for writing effectively.

Practice Task

7. What are the components of Systematic Approach to Effective Writing Skills?

8. Why revision final draft of the learning material is essential?

Feedback/Self-evaluation to Practice task

7. The components are:

o Establishing the LEARNING OUTCOMES
o Considering the LEARNER
o Devising the STRUCTURE
o DRAFTING the Text, EDITING & REVISING

8. Revision involves rethinking the ideas, refining the arguments and reorganizing the
paragraphs and rewording the sentences.

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References
Chandra, R; Salati, KM and Gadiya, AK (2014). Teaching and Learning Skills in Higher Education.
Delhi: Richi Publications, 234pp.
Chaturvedi, PD and Chaturvedi, M (2011). Business Communication – Concepts, cases and Applications.
2nd Edition. Delhi: Pearson, 113-180p.
Cole, PG & Chan, LKG (1987). Teaching Principles and Practice. New York, Prentice Hall, 210-240p.
Filebeck, R (1974). Systems in Teaching and Learning. Nebraska, Lincoln: Professional Educators
Publishing Inc., 137pp.
Forsyth, P (1998). How to be better at writing … reports & proposals. New Delhi: Kogan Page India Pvt.
Ltd., 180 pp.
Gagne, RM & Briggs, LJ (1974). Principles of instructional design. New York: Holt, Rinehart &
Winston, Inc., 270pp.
Kemp, JE (1977). Instructional Design. California: Fearon Pitman Publishers Inc., 162pp.
Kulkarni, PD & Sharma, BB (1986). Independent Study Techniques. Chandigarh: TTTI.
Malhotra, MM (2010). Teaching Learning Presentation in NITTTR, Chandigarh. Unpublished.
Monippally, MM (2006). Business Communication Strategies. New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill Publishing
Company limited. 149-236p.
Percival, F and Ellington, H (1984). A Handbook of Educational Technology. London: Kogan page, 9 –
122p.
Romiszowski, AJ (1984). Designing Instructional Systems. London: Kogan Page, 415pp.
Sodhi, GS & Dutt, Sunil (1995). Teaching learning – A Process Approach. Chandigarh: Samir Publishers.
Vilanilam, JV (2000). More effective communication - A manual for professionals. New Delhi: Response
Books – a division of Sage Publications, 98-134p.
Wilson, Bob (1987). The systematic design of Training Courses. Vol. 1, USA: Parthenon Publishing.

Support Learning Resources:

 Video film on ‘Content Organization’ developed/recorded by Professor (Dr.) Sunil Dutt, NITTTR,
Chandigarh.
 Video film on ‘Content Presentation’ developed/recorded by Professor (Dr.) Sunil Dutt, NITTTR,
Chandigarh.
 Video film on ‘Effective Writing Skills’ developed/recorded by Professor (Dr.) Sunil Dutt, NITTTR,
Chandigarh.
 Designing & Developing Curriculum with Technology - Tools: Content and Resource
Curation/Creation: http://online.tarleton.edu/Home_files/EDTC_538/Week_3/Week_32.html.
 Educational Technology: Systematic Approach to Teaching.
https://www.slideshare.net/ruby011965/ed-tech-ppt.
 Systematic Approach to Teaching. https://www.slideshare.net/jeiiculaste/systematic-approach-to-
teaching-73045107.
 Filep, RT (2008). A Systematic Approach to Instruction: Innovative and Sensitive.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09523987008547776.
 Systematic Approach to Teaching (2008). http://pearlagpalo.blogspot.in/2012/08/systematic-approach-
to-teaching.html.
 Visconti, Maria Nina (1984). The systematic approach to instruction: an effective instructional
strategy for learning; Modified on 23rd May, 2017. https://spectrum.library.concordia.ca/5367/.
 Batulan, Giselle (2014). Systematic Approach to Teaching.
https://prezi.com/um94i2pjkhkz/systematic-approach-to-teaching/.

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