Teaching Skills & Strategies TechShop Training Fall 2009

What’s your learning style? Visual Learner: Thinks in pictures and learns best from visual displays including diagrams, videos, and handouts. Auditory Learner: Learns best through verbal lectures, discussions, and listening to what others have to say. Tactile/Kinesthetic Learner: Learns best through hands-on, active exploration of the world.

Learning style techniques Visual: Computer, diagrams Auditory: Read materials out loud together Tactile: Have partner use the computer Learn preferred style

Learning strategies Adapted from “Laws of Learning,” The Thiagi Group (2008) Reinforcement: reward quality work Active Learning: provide opportunities for interaction versus passive listening Practice & Feedback: create activities that allow for practice and provide feedback Individual Differences: accommodate learning styles Response Level: master skills at level of training; challenge partner with authentic problems

Learning strategies for adults Adapted from Malcolm Knowles’ theory of adult education Andragogy vs. pedagogy Self concept & motivation to learn: need to be involved in planning and evaluation of instruction Experience: experience (including mistakes) provides the basis for learning activities Readiness to learn: subjects with immediate relevance to job or life Orientation to learning: problem-centered vs. content-centered

Practice Work in groups of 2 (or 3) and prepare a strategy for teaching a simple task, such as: change contact info on facebook search for a friend of a friend on facebook create a post on a blog tag a photo on flickr search for and play a video on youtube Remember to incorporate learning styles and strategies (that are appropriate for the task)! Present to each other Evaluate how well each group utilizes the different strategies

Questions?