Teaching Teaching methodsmethods

- Lecturing- Lecturing- Seminars- Seminars

Dr Mai Al-MaghthehDr Mai Al-Maghtheh

Overview / ice breakerOverview / ice breakerContextParadigm shiftBrief list of complex teaching

approachesLecturing:

◦Transmission vs engagement lecture◦Effective (interactive) lecturing◦Alternative lecture types

Seminar teaching method

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Teaching methods: Teaching methods: contextcontext

teaching

learning

Quotes:Quotes:Every truth has four corners: as a

teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three. (Confucius )

Teaching is truth mediated by personality.

Phyllis Brooks The true teacher defends his pupils

against his own personal influence. A. Bronson Alcott

The Learning Paradigm and The Learning Paradigm and changing conceptions of teachingchanging conceptions of teaching

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Instruction Lecturer Teaching Input Large group Passive

recipients lecturing

Learning Students Learning outcomes Small group Active learners Innovative

methods

Curriculum Resource Centre: Training Materials

More on Current trends in More on Current trends in teaching and learningteaching and learningInput outcomes Content coverage constructive

alignmentKnowledge skills in learningIncreased focus on evaluation of

teachingMore sophisticated methodologies

Shift towards excellent/scholarly teaching

Teaching- learning Teaching- learning methodsmethodsLecturing-

(teaching paradigm)SeminarsComplex teaching methods-

Innovative (learning paradigm)

Teaching methods (John Teaching methods (John Biggs,1999)Biggs,1999)“there may be endogenous limits to

what students can do that are beyond any teacher’s control…… But there are learning-related aspects that are controllable. Capitalizing on them is what good teaching is about.

Good teaching is getting most students to use the higher cognitive level processes, that the more academic students use spontaneously. Good teaching narrows the gap.”

Curriculum Resource Centre: Training Materials

Complex teaching Complex teaching approachesapproaches

Collaborative learning methods Individual learning methods Critical thinking Information literacy and IT based

learning Experiential learning Community-based learning Reflexive-learning approach Inquiry-based learning, problem-based

learning, research based learning Integrative learning

Why Lecturing???Why Lecturing???

Activity, two groups: Pros and Cons of lecturing….

CONS: transmission, thought?, values?, skills?, irrelevance,anonymity, attention span,replaced by technology?…

PROS: face-to-face with large group, cost effective,content, scholarly mindrole model,interests, learn by listen,orientation,review, particular type of learners….

Two models of lecturing Two models of lecturing (light and (light and

Cox)Cox)::Transmission detached persona Lecturer agenda Transferring information Concern to get material

“out” Information Monologue

Engagement: engaged persona Learner agenda Engaging minds (think) Concern to get material

”in” Understanding Dialogue

How to make lectures How to make lectures effective / engagingeffective / engaging

Lectures that engage effective processing

Interactive lecturingSustain student learning

How to make lectures How to make lectures effective:effective:Attention

retentionPresentation

skillsStructuringAlternative

lecture typesGround rulesOverview/

reviewOrientation

BriefingReduce student

anonymity (personalize)

FlaggingNeeds analysisBrainstorming

Managing discussion in a large class◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=En-mpErJye4&fe

ature=related Eric Mazur shows interactive teaching (teaching

physics) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wont2v_LZ1E Active Learning Classrooms: Everyone is engaged

(podium in the middle)! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7xidmVt0uE

Attention retentionAttention retention::A A typicaltypical situation? situation?

‘Ten percent of the audience displayed signs of inattention within 15 minutes. After 18 minutes one-third of the audience and 10 percent of the platform guests were fidgeting. At 35 minutes everyone was inattentive; at 45 minutes trance was more noticeable than fidgeting; and at 47 minutes some were asleep and at least one was reading. A casual check 24 hours later revealed the audience recalled only insignificant details[which] were generally wrong’ (Verner and Disckinson, quoted in Bonwell and Eison 1991)

15 min: 10% signs of inattention18 min: 1/3 of audience and 10%

guests were fidgeting 35 min: everyone was inaattentive45 min: Trance is more common47 min: some where asleep, and

some were reading24 hrs check, insignificant amount

of information was recalled…

Effective learning and processing

Att

entio

n

Att

entio

n

Att

entio

n

Block of 1.5 hours lecture

3 Half hour blocks

Att

entio

n

Effective learning and processing

Activity

Activity

Attention retentionAttention retention

Short lectures with adequate breaks:

•Activities involving students

• (note taking, writing on board, …)

•Partial handouts

•Quiet time, e.g. completing notes, comparing notes

•Questionnaire, checklist, or quiz to complete or to generate

Lecturer style (self- Lecturer style (self- persona)persona)

Some lecturers can inspire, provoke, stimulate…etc, others cannot!!

Lecturer must have public speaking skills

Lecturer highly engaged with learners

Lecturer StyleLecturer Style

◦A quality of birth?

◦Can it be taught, or learned?..

What makes a good What makes a good lecturerlecturerActivity: try to remember one of

your teachers that you think was distinguished….

Are Great Teachers Born or Made? (3 min)◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnT4KkT9Vbg

What makes great teachers great? (28 min, first 5 min are very good)◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXaLGt460e4◦ (Richard Gerver: author: “creating tomorrow’s schools

today”

Presentation skillsPresentation skills

Eye contactPosture, movement

◦Appropriate posture, movement, gesture (1.confident 2. relaxed 3. varied 4. empathy…..)

Body language◦involving the audience◦Call students by their name (memorize names)

Visual aidsVoice and pacing

Lecturer style:Lecturer style: Using visual Using visual images and other mnemonic images and other mnemonic techniquestechniquesMental images, vivid examplesVisual images: graphs, figures,

pictures, slides, films…etc.Analogies (e.g. tables)Dramatization:

e.g. personalisations, story, humour, movement, visuals…

Humour (jokes…)Strategic placement of

enthusiasm

Well spaced repetitions of information within and across lectures.

Inducing encoding variability.Interrogating for elaboration.

Presenting information to engage students in effective processing (learning)

Structuring…Structuring…Cross-lecture structure Within a lecture structure

Types of structuring:Types of structuring:

Progressive structure (maths)Chronological (history)Smaller to larger (matter, chemistry,

biology)inside to outside (landscape, architect)Simultaneous structure: (parallel

issues, technology and ethics or phylosophy)

Etc…

Alternative lecture typesAlternative lecture types

Team-teaching

Guest speakersGuest speakers

Role-play lectures[Neural fold acting (biology)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWcvyipTbLQ&NR=1]

Mini-lecture with student activities [Implementing Interactive Activities in a Large Class to Build

Community◦http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ReefNPdZwVo&feature=related (large theatre)]

Guided lecture (study guide by lecturer, 2 chunks with activity in between)

Feedback lecture (25-30min,

followed by small group work, reconstruction)

The responsive lecture (one lecture every 2-3 weeks to respond to questions)

Others…??

Other Lecturing tips:Other Lecturing tips:

Ground rules (management styles):

implicit vs. explicit

◦Responsibility of lecture◦Lecturer interruption◦Students asking question◦Attending lectures

(do as you preach!!)

Overview, review

◦Introduction lecture (week zero

lecture)

◦Should be used to remind students

through the course

◦End of term revision

Orientation:Orientation:◦-initial few miniutes (turn attention

to subject)

◦Title or some key words on board or

OHPs…

◦Students predict the main points of

the session

BriefingBriefing

Describes:

Sort of lecture

Sort of learning activity

Why rather than what going to say…

(objectives)..

FlaggingFlagging

Draw attention to particular tasks, activities,…

Break lectures into distinct sections.

Use a hook.

Needs analysisNeeds analysis

Initial few minutes

◦gain as much information:

Students preparation

Not to test of student knowledge, rather

encourage them to manage their

learning…

BrainstormingBrainstorming

Useful to introduce topic Response to a questionElicit pointswrite on board

Large numbers, tranmission, monologue….Detached persona

smaller numbers

Spacing, short breaks

Small group activities

Lect

urin

g

TEACHING PARADIGM------------------------------LEARNING PARADIGM

Oth

er com

plex

teac

hing

app

roac

hes

Conventional

Engagement

Dialogue, interaction….Engaged persona

Small

gro

up, in

dividu

al

ThAnK YoU

Content and structureContent and structureSubject matter in simple format

(short sentences)Material is structured

Student groupStudent groupLearners are intrinsically motivated, with above average knowledge and intelligence.

Lecturer MaterialStudent group

Material(content-structure)

Audience(student group)

Lecturer(self/

persona, style)

Restricted lecture (transmission, monologic)

Open/ engaged lecture (integration)

(Light and Cox)

Three primary features of a Three primary features of a lecturelecture

Good to see:http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=qXgX2WErXQo

Students in the best of circumstances and in their own language can take a max of 5 concepts and hour, any more will start pushing the first ones outside….

Lecture swap or guestsLecture swap or guests

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCclTgecLoI

(GMOs)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsTY7WDW-

X8&feature=related

(do it)

The Cycle of Learning

AE-RO

AC-CE

Converging Assimilating

Accommodating Diverging

ThAnK YoU

Large numbers, tranmission, monologue….Detached persona

smaller numbers

Spacing, short breaks

Small group activities

Lect

urin

g

TEACHING PARADIGM------------------------------LEARNING PARADIGM

Oth

er com

plex

teac

hing

app

roac

hes

Conventional

Engagement

Dialogue, interaction….Engaged persona

Collaborative learningCritical thinkingIT based learning Experiential learningComm. -based learningReflexive-learningproblem-based learningResearch based learningIntegrative learning

Small

gro

up, in

dividu

al

Team teachingGuest speakerRole-playMini-lec, st. activitiesFeedback lectureResponsive lec.….. Etc.

Advanced organizer Advanced organizer (anchor)(anchor)Build on what students already know:

◦Before starting a complex discussion:

Know what students have been exposed to

before, (previous experience)

Current affairs debate

……etc

◦Association with pre-existing knowledge.◦Elaboration leads to better memory

3- Generation and retrieval practice (active learning)

◦Production of information (solutions to math problems, producing a word, definition,)

◦Retrieval, to know what student know or don’t know (enhance memory).

Feb 2011Feb 2011

Tips on effective lecturing

Mai Almaghtheh