increasing effectiveness of teaching

8/9/2019 Increasing Effectiveness of Teaching

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Increasing Effectiveness of Teaching

Excellent teachers have one thing in common a passion to keep improving their abilities. One does not

arrive at being an expert teacher. The drive toward excellence is an ongoing process that continues

throughout the teachers entire professional life.

Techniques to Enhance the Effectiveness of Verbal Presentations

Present Information Enthusiastically

Try to vary the quality and pitch of his or her voice

Use variety of gestures and facial expressions

Change position if necessary to make direct and frequent eye contact with everyone in the

group

Demonstrate as ardent interest in the topic to attract and fascinate an audience

Include Humor

Used as a technique to grab, arouse, and maintain the attention of the learner

Establishes an atmosphere that allows for human error without embarrassment

Encourages freedom and comfort to explore alternatives in the learning situations

Reduces anxiety when dealing with sensitive material

Exhibit Risk-Taking Behavior

Encourages learner to reach their own conclusions about controversial issues

Deliver MaterialDramatically

Connects the educational material directly to the learners life experiences so that information is

made more understandable and relevant

Involves the learner and can leave a profound, lasting impression that can be recalled vividly and

can be drawn upon when faced with a real situation

Choose Problem-Solving Activities

Immerses the learners in activities to help them develop problem-solving skills

Designed to help nursing staff members and students develop critical-thinking and collaborative

skills

Helps patients with chronic conditions to know how to respond to changes demanded by their

condition

Serve as a Role Model

Expanding ones own knowledge base gives credence to what is taught and gains confidence of

learners in the teachers expertise.


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Educators are seen as credible role models when they are actively engaged in scholarly activitiesand have advanced credentials to teach complex skills.

Use Anecdotes and Examples

Uses stories and examples of incidences and episodes to illustrate points

Use Technology

Broadens and add variety to the opportunities for teaching and learning

Assists the teacher in helping learners meet their individual needs and styles of learning

Technology has the potential for making the teaching-learning process more convenient,

accessible, and stimulating.

General Principles for All Teachers

Give Positive Reinforcement

Acknowledging ideas, actions, and opinions of others will encourage learners to participate

more readily or try harder to improve their performance.

Rewarding even a small success can instill satisfaction in the learner; Reproval, on the other

hand, will dampen motivation and cause learners to withdraw.

Project an Attitude of Acceptance and Sensitivity

The teacher should be believable, trustworthy, considerate and competent; exhibit self-

confidence and self-respect; and exercise patient and sensitivity.

People will learn better in a comfortable and supportive environment

Be Organized andGive Direction

Material should be logically organized, objectives clearly defined and presented upfront, and

directions given in a straight-forward, specific, and easily understood manner.

Elicit andGive Feedback

Feedback should be a reciprocal process.

A strategy to give information to the learner as well as to receive information from the learner

Use Questions

One of the means for both the teacher and the learner to elicit feedback about performance

Helps to clarify or substantiate concepts, assess what the learner already knows about the topic,

stimulate interest in a new subject, or evaluate the leaners mastery of the predetermined

objectives.


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Know Your Audience

Skilled teachers adapt themselves to a teaching style appropriate to the subject, setting, and

various styles of the learners.

Use Repetition and Pacing

Repetition is a technique that strengthens learning.

Reinforces learning by aiding in the retention of information

Pacing refers to the speed at which information is presented.

Should be slow enough for assimilation of information, yet fast enough to maintain interest and

enthusiasm

Summarize Important Points

Gives perspective on what has been covered, how it relates to the objectives, and what you

expect the learner to have achieved

Development of Teaching Plans

After mutually agreed-upon goals and objectives have been written, it should be clear what the learner

is to learn and what the teacher is to teach. A predetermined goal and related objectives serve as a basis

for developing a teaching plan.

The three major reasons for constructing teaching plans are:

1. To force the teacher to examine the relationship among the steps of the teaching process toensure a logical approach to teaching, that can serve as a map for organizing and keeping

instruction on target.

2. To communicate in writing and in an outline format exactly what is being taught, how it is beingtaught and evaluated, and the time allotted for accomplishment of behavioral objectives. If this

is done, not only is the learner aware of and able to follow the action plan, but, just as

importantly, other healthcare team members are informed and can contribute to the teaching

effort with a consistent approach.

3. To legally document that an individual plan for each learner is in place and is being properlyimplemented. Also, the existence of current teaching plans is essential evidence required byhealthcare agencies and organizations to satisfy mandates for institutional accreditation.


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Teaching plans can be presented in a number of different formats to meet institutional requirements or

the preference of the user, but all parts must be included for the teaching plan to be considered

comprehensive and complete. A teaching plan should consist of the following eight basic elements

(Ryan & Marinelli, 1990):

1. The purpose2. A statement of the overall goal3. A list of objectives (and subobjectives, if necessary)4. An outline of the related content5. The instructional method(s) used for teaching the related content6. The time allotted for the teaching of each objective7. The instructional resources (materials/tools and equipment) needed8. The method(s) used to evaluate learning

Sample Teaching Plan Format

PURPOSE:

GOAL:

Objectives

and

Subobjectives

Content

Outline

Method of

Instruction

Time Allotted

(in min.)Resources

Method of

Evaluation

Internal consistency is the major criterion for judging the integrity of a teaching plan.

A teaching plan is said to be internally consistent when all of its eight parts are related to one another.

Adherence to the concept of internal consistency requires that the domain of learning of each objective

must be consistently reflected across each of the elements of the teaching plan, from purpose all the

way through to the end process of evaluation

Example (adapted from Ryan and Marinellis self-study module, Developing a Teaching Plan):

If the educator has decided to teach to the psychomotor domain, then the goal, objectives and

subobjectives, related content, and so on should be reflective of the psychomotor domain.

Purpose: To provide the client with the information necessary for monitoring blood glucose.

Goal: The client will demonstrate the ability to test for blood glucose on a regular basis.

Objective:Following a 20-minute teaching session, the client will be able to use a reagent strip,

Chemstrip bG, to determine blood glucose level with 100% accuracy.


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Subobjective: The client will be able to assemble all necessary to test for blood glucose using a

reagent strip without assistance.

Another aspect of internal consistency that must be considered identified by Ryan andMarinelli (1990)

is related to the complexity of objective. The educator must determine the detail of the content

depending on the data obtained during assessment of the learner. The clients readiness to learn,learning needs, and learning style, must be taken into consideration when deciding the amount and

depth of information to be taught. For example, the focus for teaching a low-level learner would be to

concentrate on the need to know information. This would ensure that a skill can be performed safely

without overwhelming the learner. By comparison, a high-level learner can handle and may desire

additional nice to know information.

Use of Learning Contracts

Learning contracts are based on the principle of the learners being active partners in the teaching-

learning system, rather than passive recipients of whatever it is that the teacher thinks is good for them

(Atherton, 2005).

It is defined as a written (formal) or verbal (informal) agreement between the teacher and the learner

that delineates specific teaching and learning activities that are to occur within a certain time frame. A

learning contract is a mutually negotiated agreement, usually in the form of a written document drawn

up by the teacher and the learner, that specifies what the learner will learn, the resources needed, how

learning will be achieved and within what time allotment, and the criteria for measuring the success of

the venture (Keyzer, 1986; Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998; McAllister, 1996).

Components of the Learning Contract (Knowles, 1990; Wallace & Mundie, 1987):

Content specifies the precise behavioural objectives to be achieved.

Performance expectations specify the conditions under which learning activities will be

facilitated, such as instructional strategies and resources.

Evaluation specifies the criteria used to evaluate achievement of objectives, such as skills

checklists, care standards or protocols, and agency policies and procedures of care that identify

the levels of competency expected of the learner.

Time frame specifies the length of time needed for successful completion of the objectives.

Sample Learning Contract Format

Name of Learner:

Name of Educator:

Name of Preceptor (if applicable):

Date of Contract Negotiated:

Terms of Contract:


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Objectives Activities Evaluation Target Date Completion date

Lists cognitive,

affective, and

psychomotor

behaviours

mutually agreed

on and intended

to be achieved

Lists teaching-

learning

strategies and

resources to be

used to achieve

the objectives

Lists the criteria

to be used to

measure learning

demonstrated

Lists a realistic

time frame for

achievement of

expected

outcomes(s)

Specifies the

dates that each

objective is

accomplished

Signatures: (Learner) (Educator) (Preceptor)

Steps to Implement the learning Contract

The following steps apply to establishing and carrying out a learning contract for any type of learner:

Completed Learning Contract

Name of Learner:

Name of Educator:

Name of Preceptor (if applicable):

Date of Contract Negotiated:

Determiningspecific learning

objectives

Review thecontracting

process.

Identify thelearning resources.

Assess thelearners

competency leveland learning

needs.

Define roles.Plan the learning

experiences.Negotiate the time

frame.

Implement thelearning

experience.

Renegotiate. Evaluate. Document


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Terms of Contract: Employee will increase work efficiency at place of employment by 20% within

2months

Objectives Activities Evaluation Target Date Completion date

Improve timemanagement and

organizational

skills to increase

productivity by

20%

Read articles andbooks on topic

Interview three

managers on how

to organize work

and manage time

Observe a

productive

colleague for one

day, noting

techniques used

Report onknowledge

acquired

Performance of

productivity

observed with

feedback from

observer

Signatures: (Learner) (Educator) (Preceptor)

increasing effectiveness of teaching

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