Teaching and Training Methods C/Maj Zach Bannon

Introduction: Types of Methods Lecture Guided Discussion Demonstration-Performance Experiential Simulation

Lecture Most common teaching method Oral presentation including: Information Concepts Principles Goal: lead students toward fulfilling a learning objective

Lecture Pros: Allows for the presentation of a large amount of information Adds personal knowledge and experience of instructor Easy to Prepare Cons: Mostly one way flow of communication Can be boring Limited opportunities for feedback

Guided Discussion Instructor-controlled group process Students share information and experiences with the group to achieve a learning objective

Guided Discussion Pros: Cons: Students learn from both peers and the instructor Great opportunities for feedback Students may relate topic to personal experience Cons: Facilitating a discussion requires skill and practice Can fail if group is not participative or instructor too dominating Assumes that the student possesses knowledge about the subject

Demonstration-Performance Process driven approach to training procedures Demonstrate to students the procedure Evaluate performance and provide feedback Used when students need to physically practice new skills

Demonstration-Performance Pros: Students learn skills by example and have the opportunity to practice Individual attention Immediate feedback Cons: Designed for skills training, not academic study Should have an appropriate student to teacher ratio Instructor must be able to diagnose performance issues

Experiential Hands-on learning Students learn from doing, or experiencing. Learning topics can include: Games Role-Playing Service Projects Problem-Solving Challenges Other Hands-On Learning Activities

Experiential Pros: Cons: Fun, exciting, and interesting Allows opportunities to create learning across many topics Cons: Requires a lot of preparation May convey only a small amount of academic content

Simulation Replicates conditions of a job as realistically as possible Great opportunities to practice existing skills Example: search and rescue training

Simulation Pros: Cons: Prepares student for “real world” events Active and exciting Good feedback and practice Cons: Students must have prior knowledge of the topic Requires a great deal of preparation Better for smaller groups

Conclusion Good teachers use different teaching methods to achieve different learning objectives Choose appropriate teaching or training method. Happy instructing!

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