What is an important criterion to consider when selecting instructional materials?

Selecting instructional materials involves assessing various factors to ensure they effectively enhance learning. One of the most crucial criteria is the relevance and engagement potential of the materials. Materials that are relevant to the course content and resonate with students' interests lead to increased motivation and participation. When students find the material engaging, they are more likely to absorb the information, retain it longer, and apply it to real-world scenarios.

Relevance ensures that the content aligns with the learning objectives and meets the specific needs of the learners. Engaging materials capture students' attention, fostering an interactive learning environment that encourages discussion, practical application, and critical thinking. Hence, emphasizing relevance and engagement potential in instructional materials directly contributes to successful learning outcomes.

While safety, cost, and format accessibility are also important, they do not inherently drive the effectiveness of learning as strongly as how relevant and engaging the materials are to the students' experience.