STEP: Teaching Pedagogy 1 David J. Shook, Ph.D. Coordinator, TA Development Programs, CETL Associate 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 th 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  simple  complex, concrete  abstract 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

Lecture Main 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

Reading Main 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  You MUST follow up!