Teaching
Styles
Teaching
Styles and Web Pages
This
site offers instructors a starting point for designing websites to support
distance education courses. The first step in designing web sites for
instruction is to choose an approach that is based on the preferred
teaching style of the instructor. Each teaching style involves a number
of underlying assumptions and the design of the web site must respect
these.
Grasha's
5 Teaching Styles
Anthony
Grasha identified the following five teaching styles as description
of prevalent aspects of faculty presence in the classroom.
Teaching
Styles (The Expert and Formal Authority blend is dominant)
Here
the Expert and Formal Authority blend is dominant. My observations suggested
that these styles worked best with students who were less capable with
the content and who possessed more Dependent, Participant, and Competitive
learning styles.
Teaching
Styles (The combination of the Personal Model, Expert, and Formal Authority
teaching styles)
The
combination of the Personal Model, Expert, and Formal Authority teaching
styles are prominent. Students need to possess more knowledge than they
would in a lecture class because they will frequently have to show what
they know. The coaching of various skills and problem solving abilities
characteristic of such teaching leaves students with few opportunities
to hide their ignorance.
Teaching
Styles (The blend of Facilitator, Personal Model, and Expert )
The
blend of Facilitator, Personal Model, and Expert in this cluster provides
a good match to students who have more Collaborative, Participant, and
Independent styles as learners. In addition to possessing or being willing
to acquire appropriate content, students also need to be willing to
take initiative and to accept responsibility for meeting the demands
of various learning tasks.
Teaching
Styles (This combination of the Delegator, Facilitator, and Expert modes
of teaching )
This
combination of the Delegator, Facilitator, and Expert modes of teaching
works best when students have appropriate levels of knowledge and possess
Independent, Collaborative, and Participant learning styles. Their capabilities
also must include a willingness to take initiative and to accept more
responsibility for their own learning.
Learning
and Teaching Styles in Engineering Education (PDF file)
I
have come to believe that while induction and deduction are indeed different
learning preferences and different teaching approaches, the "best"
method of teaching - at least below the graduate school level - is induction.
Reaching
The Second Tier: REACHING THE SECOND TIER: Learning and Teaching Styles
in College Science Education
Major
transformations in teaching style are not necessary to achieve the desired
balance. Of the ten defined learning style categories, five (intuitive,
verbal, deductive, reflective, and sequential) are adequately covered
by the traditional lecture-based teaching approach, and there is considerable
overlap in teaching methods that address the style dimensions short-changed
by the traditional method (sensing, visual, inductive, active, and global).
Relate
the course material as a story
In
describing his preparation for a lecture for a large class he says,
"Because I already know the material very well, most of the preparation
goes on in my head for several days. Then, the night before, I begin
to concentrate on it very intensely; it's a little like the `psyching
yourself up' that actors or football players describe before a performance
or a big game. Then I begin to outline the lecture, focusing on the
major points and how they might be told as a story."
Beginning
class with an incident, example or anecdote to get the students' attention
"I
usually end with a quotation that pulls together what I have been trying
to say," he says, "Also, whenever possible, I try to link
the past with current events, to show how the topic is important for
the present."
Focus
lectures around a common object or event
Focusing
your lectures around a common object, event or phenomenon which exemplifies
the major concepts of the course. An interactive exercise around a common
phenomenon tends to "break the ice" between faculty and students
even in a large lecture course.
Open
with gusto and finish strong
"The
opening should secure the students' attention and give them the desired
`mental set'. Get off to a good start. Do something to command attention
from the outset. Put some punch into your opening." "The ending
is as important as the beginning. Avoid letting a class session fade
into nonexistence. Make an impressive ending. For example, end with:
a question or problem - leave it for the class to cogitate and answer
before next meeting; a quotation which conveys the essential theme;
a summary--a recapitulation--a miniature review (keep it brief); or
what to do before the next class."
Invite
guest speakers to your class
Several
excellent teachers believe that guest speakers can be a real plus if
they are selected for their expertise or practical experience and carefully
informed about what is expected of them. An English professor sometimes
invites professional actors to talk about their interpretation of a
scene or a role from a play the students are studying. "It's very
important to make clear to the guest what you expect of him or her in
order to ensure that it is an educational experience for the students,"
he points out.
Teaching
Style Inventory (PDF file)
Use
this inventory to assess your teaching style.
GSU Master Teacher Program: On Learning
Styles
This
file discusses briefly (1) the four dimensions underlying the Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (MBTI), and (2) several teaching approaches that will
appeal to different MBTI profiles.
Instructional
Strategies (Teaching Styles)
There
are many teaching styles. Which one you use will depend upon the size
of your class, the content you are teaching, and the learning objectives
for the students. It is important that you feel comfortable when you
are teaching so don't try to adopt a style that makes you feel otherwise.
Promoting successful behaviors; the extrinsic techniques that these
instructors employ until the students’ intrinsic motivation takes over
Math
faculty members show how they hold their students accountable for behaviors
that typically lead to academic success. Opinions vary among these instructors
as to when this should occur. The majority tapers off accountability
as their students mature.
Models for Improving College Teaching: A Faculty Resource
Colleges
and universities increasingly are investing attention and energy on
issues related to teaching and learning. Institutions may be reacting
to public demands for improved student outcomes or criticism of dominant
research agendas. Still, because of the service they provide, some institutions
of higher education may be focusing more on teaching and learning out
of genuine concern and a sense of responsibility to students.
Ideas on Teaching; Instructional Design Process
Most
professors, when they put together a course, just make a list of topics,
and then prepare a lecture or two on each topic. This "Topics"
approach to course design is very convenient for the teacher but does
not maximize learning.
Using Rubrics to Promote Thinking and Learning
Instructional
rubrics help teachers teach as well as evaluate student work. Further,
creating rubrics with your students can be powerfully instructive.
Learning
Styles
There
are a number of approaches for thinking about learning styles of students
and a number of instruments for helping identify learning styles.
Descriptions of several instruments that have statistical reliability
and validity are listed below for your use:
Introduction to Grasha's Teaching Styles
The
late Professor Anthony Grasha identified five teaching styles that represented
typical orientations and strategies college faculty use. He claimed
that these styles converge into four different clusters that, like colors
on an artist's palette, make up the characteristic ways professors design
instructional settings.
