Some of the most common classroom resources are books, educational websites, films or videos, and other media that can help an instructor to demonstrate key concepts of a lesson. Certain disciplines, however, require use of resources that are particular to them. For example, students in a nursing course may use medical equipment and software designed specifically for the nursing profession. Some common examples of classroom resources in a chemistry class might include microscopes and Bunsen burners.
Books tend to be the most commonly used classroom resources because they are relatively affordable and can be easily transported from place to place. In some instances, educational institutions provide students with books for classroom use and normally require that they return them at the end of a class. Other institutions require students to buy books, though students may have the opportunity to sell them back to the school after a course has ended.
The Internet has become another of the most commonly used classroom resources. In courses where individuals must perform research, an instructor may use the Internet as a critical research tool, using both web-based information and applications to complement their studies. Students might retrieve data from an informational website and learn how properly to document sources. Many websites offer users access to tutorials, slide shows, and assessments. These features are often provided by official organizations, independent users, and other educational institutions.
Films and videos are often used as alternative ways to present information to students. While in most courses pupils use text-based resources, videos can enable them to view a concept from another perspective. In some cases, however, such as in video media courses, film may act as one of the primary classroom resources.
Specialized classroom resources are mostly commonly used in vocational programs. When students are training to work in a certain profession, a large part of their education may include learning to operate complicated machinery. In some instances, students may be required to provide their own resources. For example, a student of an accounting program might be required to purchase his or her own calculator. Likewise, an art student may often be expected to purchase his or her own paintbrushes and canvas.
In contexts such as in medical programs, many resources are not owned by students. Medical equipment, for example, belongs to a medical institution that allows a student to access it. Students sometimes pay fees at the beginning of a course in which there is cost for operation of school provided classroom resources.