Educational technologies are changing with the rapid change of time. Earlier, traditional teaching methods were using in the classroom, but nowadays digital classroom are completely replaced the traditional classroom. Audio-visual technologies are an excellent tool to incorporate into our teaching methods, and these tool makes even boring concepts interesting, makes it enjoyable, have full attention of all the students, and most importantly, it helps in retaining the memory for a long time. As also mentioned in this article, “The use of audio-visual aid makes the subject matter easy to understand and explain and students learn quickly which supports the use of audio-visual aids methods do seem to facilitate the acquisition, retention and recall of lessons learned”. Therefore, I believe, Audio-visual technology really made our classroom more interactive and interesting.

Advantages of using Audio-Visual technology

1. Better understanding– Using pictures of the things you want your students to learn, makes the presentation more practical as it will leave an impact on student’s mind and gives them a better understanding of the topic. The most valuable advantage of audio-visual aids in teaching is the fact that they help students to understand what is being explained during the classroom lecture. Many students have a hard time visualizing what the teacher is trying to explain to them, and audio-visual aids make this much easier. For example, when a physics teacher is trying to explain to their students how a DC motors works, it is much easier to show the video to students on a screen rather than to have the students visualize one in their head. 
2. Grab students’ attention– Use of Audio-Visual tools can be a great way to grab the attention of the students even towards topics that otherwise may seem boring. Moreover, it helps to build the interest, enhance the energy level of teaching, and provide a realistic approach and experience to teachers and students. And it also helps to focus.
3. Long lasting knowledge– Human brain often remembers things better when it creates a map about the topics and links them with something from its daily life. This property can be greatly used by using audio-visual tools. This will help the students to remember things easily, and for a longer period of time.
4. Engages Students: Audio-visual aids can help keep students engaged and therefore interested in what they are learning. Many of the concepts and ideas taught in class can be displayed in one form or another. Audio-visual tools not only engage students, but it also helps students to remember what is being taught in the classroom, and it is much easier for the students to recall something that has been visually presented as opposed to learning from text or a teacher speaking.
5. Promotes collaboration and communication: by using Audio-Visual tools in the classroom, helps to promote collaboration and communication skills among students.
6. Active learning environment: Audio- visual tools also helps to promote active learning environment for students as well as for teachers.
7. Increased depth and detail of the topic: when a teacher use Audio- visual technology in the classroom, it helps to increase the depth and detail of the topic, which ultimately helps students to gain better understanding of the topic.

Disadvantages of using Audio-Visual technology:

1. Can be a Distraction: Audio-visual aids can be a distraction for some students and can discourage learning if used in the wrong circumstances. Leaving a video on in the classroom and not getting the students to do anything with the video is asking for trouble.
2. Technological Problems: Many audio-visual aids rely on technology, and this can lead to problems in the classroom. Especially when using projectors and speakers, many problems arise when teachers are trying to display a video, play an audio track or use the interactive smartboard. 
3. Time consuming- due to the lack of knowledge of how to use technology in the classroom, can create a lot of problems, and one of the problems is time consuming. As tools are taking much time than usual to explain a topic.
4. Expensive- some schools cannot afford expansive tools and technology due to the lack of resources funded by the government. Therefore, it can be expensive for some schools.
5. Illusion of learning: it also happens sometimes, when a teacher tries to explain a topic to their students with the help of Audio-visual tools, it creates illusion of learning as students may overestimate their learning towards their topic.

Thank you

Lovepreet Kaur