Teaching Communicating Evaluating Practical Teaching Skills for AU Laboratory Instructors By: Lois M. Browne Athabasca University

What you do in the first hour of the lab session will determine your success of failure for the rest of the lab session. You will either: WIN or LOSE your class in the first two-three hours of the lab

An Effective Lab Instructor: 1. has positive expectations for student success. 2. is an extremely good classroom manager. 3. knows how to teach an experiment for student mastery of the skills and concepts.

An Effective Lab Instructor knows the Four Significant Behaviors that enhance positive expectations: 1. Learn and address students by name asap. 2. Say “please”, please! 3. Say “thank you”, please! 4. Remember to smile!

An Effective Lab Instructor Understands: 1. Lab Room is to be arranged for productive work. 2. The class has a positive climate. the single most important factor governing student learning is Classroom Management.

Effective Lab Instructors Are Ready: 1. Have the lab room ready! 2. Have the work/reagents/equipment ready!! 3. Have yourself ready!!!

Effective Lab Instructors help students learn what they initially want to know: 1. Am I in the right room? 2. Where am I to sit? 3. What are the rules in this lab? 4. What will I be doing this session? 5. How will I be graded? 6. Is this Lab Instructor a person? 7. Will this Lab Instructor treat me as a human being?

Effective Lab Instructors Teach Routines and Procedures: A Routine is what the student does automatically without prompting or supervision. A Procedure is how you want something done and this might require a demonstration. 1. To do anything successfully, follow the procedure. 2. It is procedures that set the class up for achievement to take place. 3. Following procedures benefits the student = less confusion, faster task completion.

Effective Lab Instructors Establish Class Routines: 1. Where to put coats and books. 2. Regularly informs students of safety regulations. 3. Begin work upon entering the lab room. 4. When Lab Instructor approaches the board, expect students to be quiet, listen and pay attention. 5. Demonstrates assembly of equipment. 6. Monitors individual student experiments, answers/asks questions. 7. Stress time to leave the labroom for breaks, lunch, when cleanup is to begin at the end of day. 8. Organizes your own supplies.

Effective Lab Instructors Perform Student Evaluations: 1. Getting the student to learn is the priority of the instructor. 2. Learning has to do with WHAT a student is able to accomplish. 3. The purpose of student evaluation is to determine if a student has mastered the objectives, i.e., to asses a student’s performance against learning criteria.

Common Marking Duties: 1. Lab Assignments –none at AU. 2. Lab Reports –marked by the tutor. 3. In Lab Quizzes –now online. 4. Student Products –need to do quickly. 5. Lab Performance –ongoing and must let the Lab Coordinator know if any marks to be deducted. 6. Prelab exercises –no marks assigned.

To Maximize Learning, the student must understand: 1. what they are to learn. 2. how they are to learn it. 3. how they are to demonstrate what they have learned. 4. how the quality of their learning will be evaluated.

Summary: Inform and Impress Why try to “Inform and Impress”: 1. Effective educators are good c__________. 2. They have a favorable a________ towards students, and 3. are e__________ and k_________ about the subject, and 4. encourage students to t___. (1. communicators; 2. attitude; 3. enthusiastic/knowledgeable; 4. think)

Summary: Being Effective Implies i_________, i_________, a s________ which can lead to b_______ or c________. (impact/innovation/sentinel/believability/credibility) Why just a few minutes: 1. form an i________; both n_____ and p_____. 2. establish c______, b_____, s______ 3. create an e_______ for positive communication and learning. (1. impression/negative/positive; 2. credibility/believability/sincerity; 3. environment)

Summary: Why is it Important for TAs to inform and impress What are the benefits to the students, to the TA, to the University? 1. students learn more easily when they decide the TA is believable. 2. increased student loyalty means students make great efforts to understand. 3. TA imparts information easily*, saving time; leads to increased personal satisfaction 4. greater recognition of the TA’s scholarly contributions. *It is essential that TAs communicate well to instruct students effectively

Summary: How to Inform and Impress in just a few minutes 1. External Factors. environment and people 2. Personal Factors. appearance, enthusiasm, desire Use the 4I’s *Impress *Instruct *Interact *Integrate

4 I’s: Impress The first step is to focus on the student. How is a positive impression conveyed even before speaking? V Visual What you do with what you got -appearance, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures -appearance, eye contact, facial expressions, gestures (body movement) staging (body position) (body movement) staging (body position) Vocal How you say what you say Vocal How you say what you say -pace, volume, pitch, tone -pace, volume, pitch, tone Verbal What you say Verbal What you say -word choice, thought organization, big ideas in three parts -word choice, thought organization, big ideas in three parts 1. this is what I am telling you, 2. I am telling you now 1. this is what I am telling you, 2. I am telling you now and 3. this is what I told you.) and 3. this is what I told you.)

4 I’s: Instruct Speak clearly (pronunciation, pitch and pace, pauses) Organize Information (defining, listing and summarizing, reviewing; using the whiteboard -be neat and simple; demonstrating – ensure visibility Connecting Ideas “This is the first step” “Now pay close attention, this is the part you have to know…” “I’d like to move on now to…” “Let’;s go back and look at …” Use multiple sources of input (such as audiovisual. Instructional techniques which fit your communication style can be learned.

4 I’s: Interact -One-on-One instructing Answering questions, clarify instructions, follow up -Monitoring experiment Spot problems, reinforce safety -Availability (no office hours at AU) Constant movement in the lab, imparting knowledge on the fly, diffuse frustrations, understand different learning styles, must ensure closure of the meeting Individual instruction provides opportunity for clarification, to stimulate and develop a student’s problem solving skills.

4 I’s: Integrate -Summarizing Information (use whiteboard as often as possible) -Testing student knowledge (little opportunity at AU while in the lab) -Evaluating student performance Evaluation gives feedback on your effectiveness to provide information.

Summary: The I’s Have it -As an Instructor, you are Instantly regarded as Intelligent, and Impactful. You are also seen to be an Innovator. -Intend to be Impressive!

Summary: Some Fun What the Instructor Says: What the Instructor Means: You’ll be using a leading lab manual. I used it when I was a grad. student. If you follow these few simple rules If you don’t need any sleep, you’ll do you’ll do fine in the course. fine. The gist of what the author is saying I don’t understand the details. is what’s most important. Various authorities agree that… My hunch is that … The answer to your question is beyond I don’t know. the scope of this class. You’ll have to see me during my office I don’t know. hours for a thorough answer. In answer to your question, your must I really don’t know. recognize that there are several views. Any questions? I’m ready to let you go.