STEP: Teaching Pedagogy 1

David J. Shook, Ph.D.Coordinator, TA Development Programs, CETLAssociate Professor of Spanish

Outline

Tuesday and Thursday Introductions Effective instruction Strategies Self-evaluation Instructional techniques

Introductions

Names

Teaching experience

Effective instruction

Remember when?

Reflection—5 minutes

Discussion—10-15 minutes

Effective instruction

How do people learn? Information processing, cognitive

psychology, learning theory pay attention to information new information related to prior

knowledge new information is stored knowledge is retrieved at appropriate

time

Effective instruction

What information gets accessed and stored?

Dependent on learning styles Visual Aural Manipulative Others

More on this topic May 27th

Effective instruction

My definition

When new information is conveyed in such a way that the students grasp the knowledge efficiently and can apply it correctly in new situations

Non-effective instruction

What can make instruction non-effective? Problems in transmission/techniques/strategies Classroom management/administration Personal issues

Instructor<-->student Student<-->student

Solution Being proactive

Strategies for effective instruction

Practices observed from successful instructors

Why are these good ideas? If we don’t follow these, what might

happen?

Self-evaluation Instructor Self-Evaluation Form

Students learn differently according to their learning style(s)

Instructors normally teaching according to the way they first learned, i.e., their own learning style(s)

Self-evaluation

Areas of priority Adequacy—your techniques and tools

are successful Enthusiasm—you show excitement for

the learning process Stimulation—you get the students to

learn! Relations—you have an impact on your

students personally

Self-evaluation

Summary Your priority is an area where you

might naturally focus as you teach

If instruction is not going well, what might you need to add/change to your instruction to make it more effective for your students?

Summary of instructional techniques Instructors need to be strategic and

proactive in determining the best instructional technique for the learning situation at hand and the learning styles of their students

Careful Planning + Creativity = A good bet at effective instruction

Know when to ask others for help!

Instructional techniques

McKeachie, Wilbert J. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. 2002. 11th ed.Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

Instructional techniques

Discussion Lecture Writing Reading Peer learning Information Technology

Discussion Pros

Students are active Students learn to think and evaluate thinking Students learn to apply new information Instructors gain prompt feedback

Cons Difficulty in getting students to participate Making progress in course objectives Personal issues Management issues

Discussion

Main issue: Questioning

Sequence simplecomplex, concreteabstract

Directness Ask a specific question to a specific Person

Lecture Pros

Can give students most up-to-date research and theories

Summarize related material from a variety of sources Can adapt material to the background or interest of

the students Can help instructors integrate information/knowledge

Cons Attention of students is often a function of the

delivery and environment, not of the information itself

Student retention of the information depends on note-taking and the organization of the lecture

LectureMain issues

Performance The majority of effective lecturers ARE

entertaining presenters in their own way Adopt a lecturing persona

Integration of instruction Lectures are most effective when effective

integrated with other instructional techniques: discussion, reading, etc. Example

Writing Low-stakes writing

Log/journal Reaction paper Not for grades, but rather for

communication and enhanced learning High-stakes writing

Lab reports Term papers Graded, for demonstration of learning

Writing Pros

Integrates learning and thinking Can demonstrate development/learning over

time Can lead to professional writing

Cons Giving feedback is time-consuming Plagiarism WILL occur if writing procedures are

not proactive

Writing

Main issue: Set yourself up for success

Expect that students don’t know how to write in your field, and give them the tools to succeed

Be free with examples and models to demonstrate your expectations

Expect quality at the end of the term, not the beginning

Reward progress

Reading Pros

Offer students differing views of subject matter When accompanied by visual material and study

guides, reading is often much more useful for processing information than straight lecture

Con Instructors can’t assume that students know how

to read efficiently—instructors need to provide study guides/questions that help students process the text information

ReadingMain issues

Multiple text resources are available (textbooks, journals, WWW) and should be made available to students

Design study guides that help students integrate text information with lecture/discussion/lab, instead of just regurgitate it

Laboratories Pros

Help students focus on observation and manipulation skills

Help familiarize students with equipment and items of study

Cons Labor intensive for both students and instructors “Traditional” labs not very effective in helping

students learn problem-solving skills

Laboratories

Main issues

At the basic level, use laboratories to help students understand and integrate the scientific method of study

For advanced students, use labs to stimulate and motivate their problem-solving strategies

Peer learning

Students teaching other students, or students working collaboratively, learning together

Peer learning Pros

Students naturally support and stimulate each other towards learning

Students become socialized into the academic profession

Students learn valuable team-building skills

Cons Instructors need to switch from an instructional to a

facilitating model Occasionally, students get “stuck” in a bad group,

and this might have an impact on their final grade Group set-up, monitoring, and problem-solving can

be very time intensive

Peer learning

Main issues

Students may learn more about a subject through direct interaction with their peers

Students must be held accountable for their work—their own as well as that of the entire group

Assessment of effective instruction

What to assess? Learning objectives Delivery Participation

When to assess? Early enough in order to correct/adapt

How to assess? Direct questions Official assessment tools One-minute paper

Assessment of effective instruction

Main idea

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