Top ten tips for teaching

1
Top ten tips for teaching

• Kim White
• Knowledge Services Strategy Manager
• kim.white_at_westyorks.nhs.uk

2
Aims

• To experience a variety of learning situations
• To gain a basic understanding of teaching theory
• To apply these ideas to information skills
  training
• To increase delegates confidence

3
Ground Rules

• Confidentiality
• Mutual respect
• Constructive feedback
• Option to opt out - set rules
• No interruptions - turn off mobile phones
• Punctuality
• Negotiated timescales

4
Learning styles

• Activists - active participation involvement,
  games exercises, debates, teamwork. Dont like
  working alone
• Theorists - textbook type stuff, slides, facts,
  handouts, Q A. Not discussions

5
Learning styles

• Pragmatists - try things out using real examples,
  logical structured, models to follow, action
  planning. No dry theory!
• Reflectors - observation, range of material to
  reflect on, small groups, research investigate.
  No role play!

6
Learning styles - flat pack

• Activists - rip open packaging disregard
  instructions
• Reflectors - read instructions, count pieces
  think things through
• Theorists - logical step by step
• Pragmatists - practical way through

7
Adult learning

• Should be facilitated by the trainer
• Participation is voluntary
• Mutual respect
• Collaboration is important
• Action and reflection
• Constructive feedback - positive first

8
Successful learning

• Is based on what is already known by the learner
• Is led by the learners own identified needs
• Involves active participation by the learner
• Uses the learners own resources
• Includes relevant and timely feedback
• Includes self-assessment

9
Educational cycle

• Assess individuals needs
• Setting educational objectives
• Use a variety of teaching learning methods
• Assess whether learning has taken place

10
The learning cycle

• Kolbs theory - learning through experience
• Concrete experience (activist)
• Reflective observation (reflector)
• Abstract conceptualisation (theorist)
• Active experimentation (pragmatist)
• (Do, review, learn and apply)

11
Learning experience

• Identify learners needs
• Plan appropriate learning activities
• Carry out/deliver the activities
• Review/assess/evaluate
• Start cycle again

12
Maslow

• Hierarchy of needs
• physical comfort
• safe from harm
• feeling accepted
• self-esteem, pride
• self-actualisation

13
Barriers to learning

• Perceptions of lack of relevance
• Hostility towards previous learning experiences
• The belief that one is too old to learn
• Lack of confidence
• Lack of awareness of learning needs
• Language and motivational problems

14
Teaching methods

• Formal input eg lecture
• Problem solving
• Group discussion
• Experimentation
• Individual guidance/tutorial
• Question and answer

15
Active listening

• Give speaker your complete, undivided attention
• Listen without thinking what you are going to say
  next
• Paraphrase what has been said to check your
  understanding
• Do not make judgements or interrupt

16
Resources

• Good quality
• Interesting
• Clear
• Colourful
• Relevant
• Accurate
• Reinforce key points

17
Motivation

• Think of practical ways to motivate learners at
  each session
• Make the learning experience interesting
• Give constructive feedback regularly
• Remember learning feeds on success -use small
  steps towards each goal

18
Motivation 2

• Provide a good learning environment
• Ensure students have all the equipment they
  require
• Give learners responsibility - dont let them be
  passive
• Make learning useful

19
Timing

• The vital ingredient
• Stick to agreed timetable, especially start
  finish and meal breaks
• Make sure there is enough time to cover all the
  required material
• Have more/less material options for fast/slow
  learners

20
Assessment

• Formative - diagnostic
• Summative - evidence
• Fair
• Valid
• Reliable
• Sufficient

21
Assessment

• Norm referenced or
• Criteria referenced
• Reliability - repeatable measuring
• Validity - measuring the right thing

22
Evaluation

• Formative - during development
• Summative - following completion
• External
• Internal
• Scientific
• Illuminative

23
Evaluation

• Collection, analysis and interpretation of
  information as part of a process of judging the
  effectiveness of a course
• Looks at what actually happened - not what was
  supposed to happen

24
Lesson Plan

• Aims/objectives/outcomes
• Teaching methods to be used
• Timescales
• Assessment of progress
• Evaluation

25
Aims

• Overall targets for the course/session
• Give direction like a compass point
• General
• Non content specific
• Non behaviouralistic
• Hard to measure achievement

26
Objectives

• Small steps designed to achieve the aims and test
  achievement
• Short term eg one lesson
• Involve action by learners/tutors
• Specific/concrete
• Behaviouralistic

27
Outcomes

• Description of students learning if the aims and
  objectives have been met
• Intended behaviour

28
Scheme of work

• Activities - learners and tutors
• Resources - environment portable
• Assessment - ongoing or test

29
A good teacher/trainer should

• Stimulate, challenge, interest, involve and
  encourage the learner
• Prepare well
• Understand meet the learners needs
• Use a style of delivery to suit the learner
• Evaluate both the teaching and the learning
• Be a lifelong learner themselves

30
Top ten tips

• Contingency plan
• Extra copies
• Rehearse
• Assess
• Evaluate

• Plan
• Prepare
• Check everything
• Timing
• Be confident

31

• I am told and I forget
• I see and I remember
• I do and I understand
• I learn best by doing

32

• You cant make people learn, but you can make it
  much more likely that they will. (Peter Honey)

33

• Life is just one learning opportunity after
  another (Oscar Wilde)
• Training is an input. Learning is an output.
  (Peter Honey)

34
Further reading

• Chambers R Wall D. Teaching made easy.
  Radcliffe Medical Press
• Chambers, R. Prescription for learning,
  techniques games and activities. Radcliffe
  Medical 2002 ISBN 1857755308
• Honey, P Mumford A. Using your learning styles
  1986 or www.peterhoney.co.uk
• Minton, D. Teaching skills in further and adult
  education. City Guilds 1997
• Petty, G. Teaching Today. 2nd Ed. Stanley Thorne.
  1988
• Reece, I. Teaching and learning a practical
  guide. 4th Ed. Business Education 2000