Demonstrating and teaching skills

Demonstrating and teaching skillsStuart Johnson and Kevin ByronStudent Learning Centrewww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcKey messages from todayAs a demonstrator youare part of a teaching teamtake some responsibility for studentsneed to think about the role and consider how you are going to approach itwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcCourse overviewReflecting on your experienceHow students learnThe role of the demonstratorAsking questionsSupporting studentswww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcReflecting on your experienceUse the handout to help you think about what it is like to learn with a demonstratorThink about how to maximise the positive features of this kind of teaching and minimise the negative features55

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www.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcCourse overviewReflecting on your experienceHow students learnThe role of the demonstratorAsking questionsSupporting studentswww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcUnderstanding learningThere are different approaches to teaching and learningThere is a body of theoretical discussion and academic research that informs how we think about teaching and learningThinking about educational theory can help us to improve the way in which we teachwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcFill them up with facts!

Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them.Thomas Gradgrindin Charles Dickens, Hard Timeswww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcTransmissive teaching

studentknowledgeteacherwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcTell me, show me, involve me

Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I'll remember. Involve me and I'll understand.

Confuciuswww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcKolbs experiential learning cycle** Adapted from: Kolb D (1984). Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development Having an experienceReviewing the experienceConcluding from the experiencePlanning the next stepswww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcFor example

OW!THAT HURTI WONT DO THAT AGAINWHAT IF I DO THIS?www.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcLearning styles** Adapted from: Honey P and Mumford A (1992). The manual of learning stylesHaving an experienceReviewing the experienceConcluding from the experiencePlanning the next stepsPRAGMATISTSREFLECTORSTHEORISTSACTIVISTSwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcPreferencesprefer concrete experience(what would happen if?)prefer reflective observation(let me think about this)prefer abstract conceptualisation(whats the relationship?)prefer active experimentation(Ill try anything once)PRAGMATISTSREFLECTORSTHEORISTSACTIVISTSwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcACTIVISTSlike to be involved in new experiencesopen minded and enthusiastic about new ideasget bored with implementationWhich one are you most like?PRAGMATISTSkeen to try things outwant concepts that can be appliedtend to be impatient with lengthy discussionspractical and down to earthREFLECTORSlike to collect data and think about it carefully before coming to any conclusions.enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before offering their ownTHEORISTSadapt and integrate observations into theoriesthink problems through in a step by step waytend to be detached and analyticalwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcBearing all that in mindHow does this help in your approach to demonstrating?What practical steps can you take to make the most of the theory?Suggestionstry and establish what knowledge exists in the room and build on ituse a variety of different teaching tactics to help different learners and different kinds of learningremember that you cant teach people against their willwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcCourse overviewReflecting on your experienceHow students learnThe role of the demonstratorAsking questionsSupporting studentswww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcThe role of the demonstratorPrepareBe pro-activeMonitor working practicesAssesswww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcCourse overviewReflecting on your experienceHow students learnThe role of the demonstratorAsking questionsSupporting studentswww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcWhy we ask questionsActive learning: doing/asking/thinkingDialoguewe are rarely if ever writing on a blank slate, however rudimentary, or wrong, pre-existing related knowledge and understanding are. (Fry, Ketteridge & Marshall 2003:11)Students make meaning by incorporating new information/ideas into what they already know/thinkwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcTransmissive teaching

studentknowledgeteacherwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcConstructive teachingStudentsKnowledgeDemonstratorwww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcWhy ask questions of your students?Many reasons, including:to check understandingto consolidating learningto stretch their knowledgewww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcHow not to ask questionsFerris Buellers Day Off, 20.00, 05.08.2004, ITV2This recording is to be used only for educational and non-commercial purposes under the terms of the ERA License

www.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcQuestion typesWhy did you make a mess of it?What does that suggest about the first sample?

What else could you have done?If you were to run the test again using twice the amount of substrate would you expect a higher or lower reading?What have you done?Can you take me through the steps and results youve got so far?Are you OK?Did you boil the mixture for 4 minutes?Reflective

Hypothetical

Open

Closed

WorseBetterTypewww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcCourse overviewReflecting on your experienceHow students learnThe role of the demonstratorAsking questionsSupporting studentswww.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcSupporting studentsThink about your boundariesThink about it from the student perspectiveAccess help and supportRefer students to your departmentRefer students to central supportwww.le.ac.uk/ssds www.le.ac.uk/students www.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcFurther helpSeek out a mentorLecturer/module convenorResources from this workshop will be held on our websiteStudent Learning Centre individual consultationsTalk to us if you need help accessing more support or training

www.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slcFurther informationResourcesText-based study guides, IT guides, interactive tutorials, check lists, templatesand recommended links to external resources.ConsultationsStudy skills consultations intended to complement the subject-specific guidance you receive from your department. WorkshopsA range of more than 20 differentinteractive workshops in six different study areas.www.le.ac.uk/slcwww.le.ac.uk/slc