step: teaching pedagogy 1 david j. shook, ph.d. coordinator, ta development programs, cetl associate...
TRANSCRIPT
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
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.
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