So You Think You Can Teach

iUniverse, Inc.

Contents

CONTENTS.......................................................vDEDICATION.....................................................ixACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................................xiINTRODUCTION...................................................xiiiCHAPTER 1 SURVEY OF TEACHING METHODS...........................1CHAPTER 2 MANAGING CLASSROOM DIVERSITY.........................10CHAPTER 3 LECTURE METHOD.......................................27CHAPTER 4 CASE STUDY METHOD....................................51CHAPTER 5 TEACHING INTERVIEW METHOD............................66CHAPTER 6 EXPERIENTIAL METHOD..................................77CHAPTER 7 ASKING QUESTIONS.....................................86CHAPTER 8 PROVIDING FEEDBACK...................................96CHAPTER 9 MASTERING THE VIRTUAL CLASSROOM......................107CHAPTER 10 INSPIRING STUDENT CONFIDENCE........................121APPENDIX 1. SELECTED TERMS AND DEFINITIONS.....................131APPENDIX 2. REFERENCES.........................................145

Chapter One

Introduction

The way you teach is as important as what you teach.

Good objectives will be wasted if the teaching method is poor, but even the best methods will have little or no value if courses lack objectives. This chapter and several that follow discuss various ways to deliver instruction—the teaching methods.

As illustrated by Figure 1, adult learning begins with a student who has a desire for new knowledge or a need for new experience. The learning process is facilitated by an instructor who has the required knowledge and experience to help the student achieve his or her outcomes. The instructor and student act as partners in the educational journey, with a common understanding of the objectives and with active dual participation in the learning process. Learning may involve various teaching methods, criterion-based evaluations of student performance—and candid, frequent, ongoing feedback.

After determining the lesson objective, choose a method of instruction based on the student's abilities as a learner. Remember that adult students learn best by doing, discussing, listening, observing, and participating. The instructor's role? Selecting a teaching method that will result in the most meaningful learning experience.

This chapter surveys a number of teaching methods. Although descriptions are short, there should be enough detail to identify methods that deserve further study. Four teaching methods (lecture, teaching interview, case study, and experiential) are described in considerable detail in subsequent chapters. They merit closer discussion because of their specific applicability to college or university classroom instruction.

For the sake of clarity, the individual methods described in this chapter have been grouped into five broad categories—presentation methods, demonstration-performance methods, self-paced methods, discussion methods, and application methods. Remember that no one particular method is suitable for every teaching situation.

Presentation Methods

Presentation learning methods provide situations in which the skill or material to be learned is in some way presented to, or demonstrated for, the learner. Some presentation methods require little, if any, activity from students other than their attention. Others demand considerable student participation. What distinguishes these methods from other categories? Students begin the learning experience here with little or no previous exposure to the material or skills to be learned.

Teaching Lecture—The lecture is a formal or informal presentation of information, concepts, or principles. The formal lecture is usually presented to large groups of people (more than 50), with no active participation by the students. The learning experience is essentially passive. The informal lecture targets smaller groups and students participate by responding to questions.

Briefing—The briefing, a formal or informal presentation in which a variety of significant facts are presented as concisely as possible, is not strictly a teaching method but is sometimes used in school situations. Briefings rarely cover material beyond the knowledge level of the audience, and are almost always accompanied by visual representation of the material as charts, graphs, or powerpoint slides.

Guest Lecture—a guest instructor brings variety to the class and provides information in an area where the primary instructor may not be an expert.

Dialogue—Dialogue occurs with the interaction between two or more persons, one of whom may be an instructor. Sharply opposing points of view may be presented. The dialogue is often highly structured toward preplanned learning objectives, and it may take the form of questions and answers.

Teaching Interview—in a teaching interview, the instructor questions a visiting expert and follows a highly structured plan that leads to educational objectives. The advantage of the teaching interview over the guest lecture? The instructor controls the expert's presentation. Students can interact with the subject matter expert during a question-and-answer period that follows the interview.

Panel—a panel is a structured or unstructured discussion involving two or more experts, generally facilitated by the instructor. A panel can be presented in a variety of ways, such as constructive arguments followed by debate, response to questions from the instructor or students, a preplanned agenda, a fixed or a random order of speakers, or free discussion.

Skits, Mini-Plays, and Other Dramatizations—These methods often effectively introduce variety into instruction and learning. A subdivision of dramatization is role-playing by a college instructor to point out good or bad examples. (role-playing by the college instructor differs from role-playing by students, a simulation method.)

Demonstration-Performance Methods

The demonstration-performance is the presentation or portrayal of a sequence of events to show a procedure, technique, or operation. It frequently combines oral explanation with the operation or handling of systems, equipment, or material. This method commonly supports small-group learning in a classroom or laboratory. It requires significant instructor guidance and feedback.

Coaching—Coaching is a formal, student-centered activity generally involving a college instructor and learner in a one-on-one relationship. Coaching can help students prepare for experiential activities, help them get ahead, or help learners with special needs. whether used for an individual or for small groups, coaching requires significant student involvement and instructor feedback.

A videotape of student performance is an excellent coaching aid when supplemented by a college instructor's analysis and critique ... and is particularly effective at improving the teaching and facilitation skills of new college instructors.

Self-Paced Methods

Self-paced instruction allows students to learn at their own speed under the guidance of a college instructor. Examples include programmed instruction, modular instruction, and computer-assisted instruction.

Programmed Instruction provides a carefully planned sequence of small units of instruction, requiring the learner to respond to cues and receive immediate feedback. Various media can be used.

Modular Instruction consists of prepackaged units of instruction that typically contain a clear statement of objectives and all necessary resources to help the learner achieve desired outcomes. A module can be a complete unit or part of a course.

Computer-Assisted Instruction uses a computer as the vehicle for interaction between the learner and the course of instruction. It may include support tools, such as video vignettes.

Discussion Methods

Enhanced learning may be the reward when students deal with material as a team. There are several types of group discussion, most requiring previous preparation by students.

The Socratic Method can be used to emphasize a point, stimulate thinking, keep students alert, check understanding, review material, and seek clarification. It may resemble a guided discussion, but the goal is often to obtain specific answers to specific questions (reiteration) and not to stimulate discussion. The Socratic method can expose inconsistencies in students' logic, sharpening their thinking skills. Law professors often use the method for "interrogating" specific students, using a series of questions as they might be used in a courtroom.

Appreciative Inquiry—students asking questions—is often used in combination with the lecture, panel discussion, or teaching interview. It may also be used by itself, either one-to-one in tutoring or coaching, or as part of small or large groups. Students control this method, although the responder, if skilled, can also control the session. Student questions are a measure of how well they understand a particular matter; they need a certain degree of knowledge to ask the right questions.

Non-Guided Discussion is a teaching method that is controlled by students. The college instructor normally plays a limited or passive role. One example? The peer-controlled seminar, in which a group of highly qualified students (doctoral or law school) meet periodically to exchange ideas. Another is the research seminar, in which the instructor allows qualified students to lead the discussion, with his or her supervision. In many professional and post-graduate programs, it's not unusual to find a student acting as a peer facilitator and leading discussions or conducting seminars. In this process, the instructor provides a statement of the educational objectives and a discussion guide ... And also requires some tangible evidence of the discussion results.

Guided Discussion Method is an instructor-led, interactive process of sharing information and experiences. The difference between non-guided and guided discussion? The instructor's active involvement in asking questions and summarizing concepts and principles. The instructor interacts with the group as a whole through questions, but does not dominate the discussion. Students learn about a subject by actively sharing ideas, knowledge, and opinions.

Application Methods

Application methods give students opportunities to apply what they've learned to practical situations. Some application methods ask students to relate learned material to new experiences and recognize how the material applies—that is, to transfer concepts to new situations. In other application methods, students apply previously learned material to new situations to make decisions or solve problems.

Individual Projects usually take place outside the classroom and require students to interact with data or people to achieve learning outcomes. Instructors provide feedback periodically, or as needed. Examples of individual projects include research papers, theses, and dissertations.

Field Trips are out-of-classroom experiences in which students interact with persons, locations, and materials to achieve learning objectives. Students learn from experiences in real-world settings.

Case Studies are learning experiences in which students study a real-life situation in order to learn. Realistic cases help students develop new insights into solving specific real-world problems. Students also acquire knowledge of practical concepts and principles used in problem solving. Case study design helps students reach the higher levels of learning—application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The complexity of a case, the difficulties of the learning objectives, and how the case is conducted influence whether this method effectively helps students learn.

In Experiential Learning, students participate in structured learning activities that focus on a specific learning objective. Ideally, the activities have a direct real-world relevancy. The following activities typify experiential learning:

• Simulations are low-risk educational experiences that substitute for a real-life situation. Although they require a lot of classroom time, simulations prove especially effective as capstone methods following a program or a course. Elaborate simulations may require special equipment, larger classrooms, different classroom configurations, and specially trained staff. Simulations often use hardware or technology comparable to what's found in a typical workplace. For example, students may train on equipment that resembles, to some degree, the equipment they'll use on a job. A good example is a flight simulator, which has characteristics of an airplane cockpit. Simulators teach effectively when the actual equipment is too costly or otherwise impractical.

• Role-Playing. Students project themselves into simulated interpersonal situations and act out the parts of persons and situations assigned by the instructor. Role-playing proves particularly effective for practicing interpersonal skills such as counseling, interviewing, and teaching.

• E-Mail In-Box Exercises are used in random order to simulate a series of decisions a student might actually encounter. Students are confronted with a time-sensitive situation, limited information, and a list of action items that might be found in a typical e-mail in-box. After sorting out priorities, students dispose of e-mails by replying, delegating, setting up meetings, or delaying action.

• Strategic Exercises include varying degrees of competition between teams of students. Many complex and sophisticated exercises require a computer to support the simulation. Strategic experiential exercises include: (1) elements of conflict; (2) rules of engagement; (3) controlled moves; (4) rules of exercise termination; and (5) adaptable content based on the specific lesson objective. Strategic experiential exercises provide the new college instructor an excellent way to motivate students, to get them to interact, and to evaluate them in a non-threatening manner.

Summary

This chapter provided a brief overview of teaching methods grouped under the broad categories of presentation, demonstration-performance, self-paced, discussion, and application. There's just enough detail for you to determine whether further study might be worthwhile. Four of these methods will be detailed in chapters that follow.

Chapter Two

No man is an island. The English poet John Donne wrote those words nearly four centuries ago. They were true then, and they are true now.

Still, I have rarely felt more like an island—and an island in a forgotten sea—than in one certain situation I faced as an instructor for my graduate course in ethics at Troy University.

Troy University educates a high number of adult learners who are working professionals. Many other universities also seek out these non-traditional students these days, and for this reason college and university classrooms have become more diverse. Students may range from bright-eyed recent undergraduates who have Ph.D.s dancing in their eyes, to silver-haired working professionals who have returned to school to learn new skills for new jobs.

The diversity in my ethics class initially caught me off guard. I recognized the visible differences—students were white, black, and brown. Men and women. Buttoned-down and tattooed. But here was the big surprise—I had students from four different generations in one classroom! One of my students hadn't darkened the door of a classroom in 40 years!

There I was with more than 20 years of teaching experience and a solid mastery of most educational methods, facing the instructional equivalent of climbing Mt. Everest. One generation of students had always learned by formal lecture—stories, context, and background, followed by a closed-book multiple-choice test. One generation had grown up at a time when instruction was more personal, peppered with humor and anecdotes and the "why" to go along with the history. One generation just wanted to quickly get the bottom line—"Tell me what to learn, let me go learn it, don't keep me cooped up here." And one generation didn't really even want to be in a classroom at all—"Just post the information on Blackboard, Facebook or in whatever and allow me to get the assignments and material at my convenience."

Along with the mixture of students and their different learning styles and the familiar aspects of diversity—ethnicity, religion, gender, capability, etc.—came tremendous academic pressure. I taught a graduate course. Students who made two C grades could be put on probation for a year. Every good instructor wants students to do well ... not have dreams stunted or deferred by probation.

All in all, I can remember times that semester when I felt like the proverbial man up the creek in a canoe without a paddle.

The solution? It was easy. It was also very hard.

I taught differently. I adapted my teaching style and methods to match the diversity of my students. This ensured that the course lesson reached each of the generational learning styles in the class on their own terms.

It was, of course, a ton of work. It meant PowerPoint slides ... but also printed handouts. It meant lectures ... And electronic postings on Facebook. It meant classic whiteboards ... And scanned PDFs. It meant raise-your-hand-if-you-know-the-answer ... And huge amounts of information on flash drives that went home with students. In short, it meant mixing in old-fashioned teaching methods with ultra-new methods. It meant I worked harder to help that class succeed than I did for any other class I'd ever had.

It also meant I personally learned a tremendous amount. I learned to teach differently. I learned to value diverse learning styles just as much as diversity of race, gender or age. I learned the value of teamwork—to depend more on colleagues than ever before. I learned how to manage new technologies, social media applications, and the Blackboard learning management system. And I learned to humbly seek out good advice from my students with diverse backgrounds.

In short, when it came to adapting my own style as an instructor— the great lesson this class taught me—this class underscored the importance of valuing the differences of my students and creating an inclusive learning environment. By working together with my students, we built a bridge between my teaching style and their learning needs. Because of this effort, my students were able to have their best shot at achieving their educational goals.

The poet had it right. No man is an island.

But if John Donne were alive today, he'd send out tweets with links to the full text of his poems. AND he'd provide handouts to the students who learned best from old-fashioned paper and ink. And he'd talk a lot with his colleagues about the best ways to put little islands of knowledge inside the heads of students with different backgrounds and learning styles. In short, he'd adapt his teaching methods to address the needs of his diverse students.

Now, that's instruction.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from So You Think You Can Teachby Shelton J. Goode Copyright © 2011 by Dr. Shelton J. Goode. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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