Is "Follow Me" a good instructional technique?
When teaching a computer related course, for example MS Office, especially when I reach the intermediate level of Word, Excel or Powerpoint, I found that 15-20 min of lecture, including an instructor demo of the excercise (like working with textboxes, customizing charts, using powerpoint animation) followed by a period of individual student lab might not be most effective. The technicalities (what button to click...) might be too many for the students to follow in the individual part.
Many times I have used "Follow Me": I set the stage explaining with a schetch the desired outcome and the basic procedure, then I demo with the projector 1-2 steps at a time with 30-40 sec periods for my students to do like me, and so on to the end of the exercise.
There are immediate advantages: all students get the exercise done.
There are disadvantages: some students have to wait while I halp the 'slower' ones.
Does, in this case, the lecture loose its value?
Nanette,
Good point. The failure trail is full of people that can be and are poor role models. The students have come to school for a reason and that is to get an education that will help them with their future. By being a positive role model we instructors are part of the career development process for our students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I have a Philosophy when instructing my students, (you cannot be successful if you follow someone who has not achieved success). I encourage my students to follow me. Students have the impression that instructors are very successful, they want to be led by someone who has ethics and integrity in their field.
Peter,
I don't think it does because the time sequence is so short. The students aren't waiting long periods of time. Something you might add would be additional exercises that the faster students could work through on an option basis while waiting for the others to complete the assignment. This way they are engaged but not being loaded up with extra work for being done early.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
