Lavrysh Yu., PhD

National Technical University of Ukraine “KPI”, Ukraine

Factors Specifying the Learning Instructions Choice

Selecting an appropriate teaching method is a key factor for the learning objectives successful achievement. The strategy for teaching must be related with the environment in which students study and the learning style of the student. Since choosing the learning objectives and assessments strategy, teachers should think about the instructional activities they are planning to enable students to meet the objectives Most of instructional strategies are flexible, and can be applied for service of several learning objectives, but some of them are better suited for a particular number of objectives. For the most parts, teachers have to use a combination of instructional strategies.

Not many years ago, formal lecture and discussion predominated as the strategies of choice in teaching. And students perceived the teacher as a guide who can show the way to apply the knowledge. But things have changed. We are in a fast-paced world, where knowledge, technology and society demands grow and increase. These observations of today’s environment provide strong direction for building instructional strategy.

The most significant comprehension necessary to make instructional strategic choices are the domains of learning. Objectives assign learning in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective domains. And there are teaching strategies that better suited for one domain than another. For example, while lectures are most directed toward the thinking domain and is a teacher-centered technique, the artful teacher can incorporate an affective components, to awoke feelings and attitudes about the subject under consideration. Case studies, discussions and role playing are considered as affective domain techniques, but there is great potential to target cognitive learning. Unless the group is exclusively process-oriented, there must be an area of content to give the discussion substance.

Dick and Carey [1] use the term Instructional Strategy to describe the process of ordering and organizing content, specifying learning activities, and deciding how to deliver the content and activities. An instructional strategy can perform several functions:

- it can be used as a prescription to develop instructional materials;

- it can be used as a set of criteria to evaluate existing materials;

- it can be used as a set of criteria and a prescription to revise existing materials;

- it can be used as a framework from which to plan class lecture notes, interactive group exercises, and homework assignments.

Teaching methods should be matched and selected to sustain students’ attention, behavioral learner’s nature and maximize learning. Though such resources as time, space, budget, interactive technologies, number of students and teacher’s preference should find their reflection in instructional strategies choice. Thus, the main factor according to which instructional methods have to be selected, are the following:

- the extend of the class control provided by a teacher;

- the degree to which students have passive or active learning role;

- if the method is student-centered or teacher-centered;

- whether the learning midpoint is content or process.

The pre instructional process should also be taken into consideration while classes preparation. At the beginning of the class it is necessary to create some excitement about the content that will be learnt. Then the learning objectives are announced and discussed to confirm the relevance of the learning to real life. Finally, ensure students that they will cope with the task and will get any necessary help and feedback from the teacher.

In order to be successful in teaching and instruction methods selection we have considered and suggest you some key points. Considering the teaching is both art and science, we suggest this list of advice of excellence as a starting point for discussions about the teaching performance :

- recognize the students’ interests, previous experience, skills and knowledge;

- provide the introduction and background for the course;

- relate the course to the students’ demands, professional interests and needs;

- clarify learning objectives, tasks and instructions;

- apply and mix different methods of educational materials introduction so that it could appeal to all students;

- vary learning formats: lectures, discussion, debates, simulation, problem-based learning;

- ensure feedback on every submitted task;

- plan the course beforehand;

- set up the collaborative and sustaining environment;

- find out the barriers limiting the learning possibilities of students;

- apply alternative methods of assessment: rubrics, peer assessment or tutoring.

Teachers should continuously assess students’ achievements and the pace at which they are developing. As we prepare students for their future professional practice, our goals are to provide students with necessary practical skills such as critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, presentations skills etc. A lot of teaching strategies can facilitate the development of these skills. For example, lecture provides with the information and develops skills of gathering relevant information. Group discussion make students challenge one another and train their thinking and oral presentation skills. Debates help present opposite views of arguments. Role playing and simulation offer an opportunity to experience new situations without consequences which the reality would hold. Case studies are important to reveal and find out concepts to novel situations.

Teachers are responsible for the students learning expectations. We always should trace whether a teaching method is not working or should be revised. In some cases it may be necessary to provide a choice among teaching strategies where possible. This is the teaching nature because becoming an excellent teacher is a permanent life-long professional challenge.

References:

1. Dick, Walter, Lou Carey, and James O. Carey (2005) . The Systematic Design of Instruction .

Retrieved from: http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/instrdes/lesson8.htm

2. Drummond, T. (2002) A brief summary of the best practices in teaching.

Retrieved from: http://teaching.uncc.edu/learning-resources/articles-books/best-practice/instructional-methods/best-practices-summary#sthash.0Vqr1tww.dpuf

3 . Stephen D. Luke. The power of strategy instruction. Evidence for Education, Volume 1, Issue 1, 2006 Retrieved from: http://www.parentcenterhub.org/repository/learning-strategies/