Instructional Methods request
Upon the first day of class,I have often wondered, Would it be a good practice just to ask the students on the first day of class, which method do they learn the best? audible,graphic,lecture etc. This way the instructor will know up front how to present his material.
Alison,
It is true, variety adds interest and engagement, and often is associated with long-term memory and better student outcomes. My caveat is that all objectives are met. How I get there is what makes for interesting and more enjoyable class.
Barry Westling
I have done this in the past, just to get a feel for the particular group of students. It is a much easier thing to do with smaller classes. I have found it makes the students much more willing to speak up later in the quarter when they don't understand something.
I think it may be understood that all classes are made up of a variety of learners. Some visual, auditory and others with hand-on preferences. The key for me is variety, all three should be used to break the class up into segments that are not more than 10-15 minute blocks each.
This is a good idea to reach out and reach all students at their learning level.. I think that students might become sensitive toward one another, understanding and taking into account everyone learns different, and is at a different level with learning. For the instructor, this might lead to having a larger variety of putting the material together or presenting the subject, which might be interesting and exiting for students.
