improving the quality of teaching: tips from dr reiser

 

yesterday, our class was very lucky to have Dr. Robert Reiser as our special lecturer for Instructional Design. For information on dr reiser, click here.

the topics were on the definitions and history of instructional technology, constructivism, and his tips for effective teaching.

dr reiser states 3 areas to focus upon to enhance teaching effectiveness – teacher PLANNING practices, teacher practices IN the classroom, and teacher support OUTSIDE the classroom.

he actually plans before the course begins, before the class begins, after each class, and after the course ends. planning before involves identifiying learning goals, selecting materials, methods, and activities. planning after involves reflecting on the highs and lows of the class and learn lessons for improvement. “identify which on worked and which one did not.” look also at student performance to check if the problem is with the teacher and not with the class. i.e. those who are performing well in other chapters did not do so well in a particular topic.

In the classroom, a teacher has to motivate students, promote active learning, and provide structure in order to achieve effective learning.

to motivate students, dr reiser does the following:

• remember students’ names – shows that each student is important
• employ humor
• include enjoyable activities
• stand and move over – teacher does not always know everything. sometimes, students can learn from their classmates
• employ media – but must be integrated with curriculum. students must see its connection with the topics
• remain enthusiastic – if the teacher shows enthusiasm, students become more enthusiastic in learning

to remember this tips easily, take each first letter to form the REISER. (he practices what he preaches – employ humor).

to promote active learning, he asks students to sit in semi-circle so that each person see each other. he also moves around the room a lot. it makes the students more alert. he also stays at the back when he asks the person in front so that he/she faces the entire class and everyone hears what he/she has to say. he rarely lectures. instead he asks A LOT of questions. this prevented anyone from falling asleep or feeling drowsy. he also has lots of small group activities.

he provides positive feedback even if the answer is not entirely correct. instead, he asks another student to react to another person’s statement. he also remembers students’ comments and refers to them in the course of the discussion. this shows the students that he values their comments making the student feel more important in the classroom.

he also progressively discloses slides to allow students to think. if he gave handouts in advance, we would just have checked the slides when he has questions instead of thinking. simple yet so effective.

to provide structure, he recommends telling the students the objectives of the next session, giving them an assignment which the class discusses in small groups then as a whole class. ask questions and provide feedback. then give a small lecture to summarize the class. at the end of the lesson, remind students of objectives and review the key points of the class.

in dr reiser’s opinion, if a student is enrolled in your class, it is the teachers responsibility to help them learn even if it is not “class hours.” he does by using email and class websites. but most importantly, he recommends that teachers provide feedback on assignments and exams. for dr reiser, a grade is not enough. instead of just writing a grade, he places notes and comments throughout the paper. just small comments like this is good or i don’t think this is how the process goes informs the students which points he needs to work in. it also shows the student that the teacher did read his paper and did not just place a grade at random.

but these are just the means of effective learning. the ends (student learning and student attitudes) are more important. if the students are not learning or are not enjoying the learning experience, the teaching processes needs evaluation and impovement. but if they are learning AND enjoying, your methods are good (but can still improve).