Trouble Shooting Instructional Strategies
Thorough planning, meeting the objectives and
reaching the student is my priority.
I need to know that my instuctional methods are
making the lesson easier so the student stay
focused. Feed back from students and letting
them know that if they are having problems understanding something in the lesson, I am
available to help them resolve the problem. This
might mean a change in the way I presented
the lesson. After I find out what will help
that student, I then ask if anyone is having
a problem with the topic and use the new strategy
for them also.
Hi Ceola:
I think a good couse will have a good course description that, although general, adequately describes what the course is about.
There should be student learning outcomes (SLO's) that define the WHAT the student will learn, along with course objectives that define the HOW the slo's will be met.
Daily objectives are a subset of the course objectives. Here we can define the resources, activities, materials, lectures, , etc.
Finally assessments need to be planned. I think brief and frequent quizzes are better than lonf=ger ones, and tests should measure how close to meeting the outcomes did the students achieve?
For me, that's kind of it in a nutshell.
Regards, Barry
I use quizzes and tests to measure lesson plan effectiveness. Because my computer classes are performance based I can also use the projects to measure how well designed the lesson plans are.
If the students are not doing well on the tests and the projects, the likely culprit is my course material or how its set up.
Feedback from my students is another measurement tool for determining the effectiveness of my instructional strategies.
Every class is different and each class has its own personality. This means I have to alter each lesson plan to fit the needs of that specific class. The projects and exams are an indicator of how effective I have tailored my instructional strategy.
Hi Roger:
It seems we have to always be cognizant of what it is we're doing, is it effective, and are the students benefiting.
I mean we may have a terrific curriculum planned out, but if students don't learn, we haven't taught. So, as you said, feedback is an integral component to the instructional model.
Feed back can come from students, trusted peers, supervisors, and even peers outside the institution through blogs or discussion forums that keep a interested teaher appraised of happenings, new technologes, or alternatives to tthe tried and true.
Afterall, I woud want an instructor I felt was very knowledgeable, was linked in to contempory issues, and was current with class lessons. Looking at it from the students perspective sometimes gives a different viewpoint.
Regards, Barry
