For the module 1, instructional style is the way you present your self and your subject are to your students. Therefore professionalism is important; it will provide confidence to present the subject of expertice and management the style of instruction or teaching. In addition experience in the field provide the competencies in the subject and with the real experiences you are able to link with the theory with practice, consequently you engage and challenge the students to be part of the professional process.
Edgar Cortes
My primary intstructional style is incorporating application into the lecture or theory. Students, all learners for that matter, need to understand how "what they are learning" is relevant to them. We need to see the value in what we're learning. Once we can relate to the students and understand the best way to incorporate application techniques the better. By tailoring an activitiy in a way that they can understand the application, helps them to see that we as instructors care about their learning and development.
Observation of other instructors, discussion with them about things that have been effective or ineffective would be useful in refining my instructional style.
I also like to emphasize the everyday applications of the material I am presenting, so constantly gathering case presentation material and learning how to prevent it would be helpful.
Hi Bryan,
Good point about the need for diverse instructional delivery. Through your own experiences and background as a student you can relate to the need for varied instruction.
Gary
Hi Sriram,
I don't have any additional strategies to suggest because you are following the key instructional component and that is personal contact. The more you can get students to invest in the course the higher their effort will be. If they see you as a supporter of their efforts and know that you are accessible to them their comfort level greatly increases.
As we develop more technology as well as experience in online teaching, even though it has been around for a number of years, there is still a lot we need to learn about how students react and accept online instruction and support.
Gary
Having been in the student position many years (as all of us have) an instructional style has a tremenduous amount of impact on the learning and retaining ability of the student. I am sure that as a kid I would have been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD but do remember then as well as later in my life, certain instructional styles could easily keep my attention while others, it was hopeless.
Dr. Meers,
Communication happens when the receiver understood the message from the sender. Faculty are facilitators of knowledge and by this I mean they act as both consumer and producer.
As a producer, they have to understand that not all the students are the same. They may have various background and expectation levels of the course. So, a faculty must have the open mindset to understand the student's level and customize the learning tools (slides, lectures, exercises, etc.) so that they can understand.
In one of the classes that I faciliated, at the first week of a nine-week online class, I could sense the anxiety level of students. Consequently, I held weekly scheduled teleconference calls, recorded the call and made it available as a WAV file for those that could not attend due to work and family committments, and held one-on-one with each one of them and provided additional learning materials (micro lectures, discussion threads, etc.) The net result was a better comprehension of the learning objectives.
What other techniques do you recommend? I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Thanks.
Sriram Rajagopalan, PhD, PMP
Hi Jason,
I do this as well depending on the make up of the class. I find this is fun because I get to be creative and it offers me variety. This helps to increase my excitement and interest in the course even though I have taught it many times before. It is easy to get bored with a class you teach 6 times a year but by adapting the instructional delivery to meet the needs of the current students it is still a fun course to teach.
Gary
I try to let my style alter based on the class and the response I get from students. Our classes vairy in age and backgroung of the student, the classes are quite diverse. I try to adjust my style to fit the needs of the class.
I believe staying in tune with the students comments on course evaluations allows me to make adjustments to enhance my instructional style. I also keep track of previous test scores and compare them to the current students to see if there is a significant difference, this allows me to review course material to determine if there is a problem in the presentation.
Hi Mike,
You have a very solid instructional base from which you operate. Also, your ongoing professional development plan is a good one. Each time you take a course or review instructional development material you are expanding your knowledge base. This knowledge base gives you additional options from which you can chose as you work with your students. This is a win win for everyone.
Gary
In reply to your comment: What techniques can you employ to further develop, refine and enhance your instructional style?
I bring a very motivated and compassionate attitude to the classroom environment. I find it necessary to bring compassion to the message in order to help keep students motivated as well. I also always draw the "academic to real world" relationship so they see the value in what we are discussing. However, in order to further develop, refine, and enhance my instructional style I primarily rely on feedback from my students and fellow instructors. From other instructors, I look to see what they have done and where they have found success. Frankly, I also look at certain instructors and be sure NOT to emulate what they do. I also find attending online or in-person courses on instructional theory and style helps as well. I take an annual instructor development course, which further helps me improve my classroom delivery.
M. Knetzger, Green Bay, WI
I like to incoprorate a number of real life experiences from my career to make the class more meaningful.
I am constantly looking for new and unique ways to bring interest to my class and excite my students. I come up with interestng pneumonics to help them learn lists, find unknown facts about a certain historical figure or fact and bring true life experience I've had. Since one of the subjects I teach is music theory, I have been known to make my students get up and step to the beat of a song to get then to understand a concept(and wake them up!)or bang on drums to create new rhythms. I know that the more enthusiasm I show for what I am teaching reaches my students, even the ones who don't like the subject.
Hi Dana,
This is a good idea for recalling how the projects progressed and then how each person gave input into the project.
Gary
I agree that a follow-up lessons learned discussion is valuable and should be scheduled in advance. I think if students maintain a project journal their input will be more beneficial to all the class participants when the time comes to evaluate.
Surveys are a great way to assess how well you are teaching and how much information they are retaining. Also, what changes you need to make to better help your students learn.
Creighton Dinsmore
keeping the students in the loop. in other words asking them about the projects. not assuming that, just because they are at school to learn, they don't have a voice or input about their classroom environment and the projects they are working on
this is not to say you have to cater to them. but after a project is done, it doesn't hurt to hold a discussion about it. it may actually lead to some interesting professional/aesthetic discussions about the subject at hand. and in turn broaden an understanding of said subject matter.
Hi Barbara,
I have found that the standardized course evaluation forms result in little or no helpful information. The questions asked do not accurately reflect the course since the questions are based upon such general instructional concerns. As for the changes that are made by corporate I'm not sure how to respond because the scores are what they are. No adjustments need to be made.
As for the course specific evaluations I develop my own and find that I get good accurate information that I can use in planning for my course in the future. I ask the questions that need to be answered in order for me to improve my course. I also have my students give me feedback three times during the course so I get a total course picture rather than a snapshot at the end like the traditional evaluations give.
Gary
Hi Dana,
You are doing the right thing in making adjustments in your course format as needed. By being responsive to the emerging needs of your students you are demonstrating your ability to cope with diversity in the learning needs of your students. As long as you are consistent with your grading polices and assignments there is no problem with changing the course format.
Gary
