Teaching Democratization by being democratic

1
Teaching Democratizationby being democratic

• Some ideas on teaching methods

2
Some basic facts about learning

• Students learn by doing, meaning the more they
  are engaged in learning activities, the greater
  the outcome learning as a way of interacting
• Students create knowledge, it is not imposed or
  transmitted by direct instruction ? meaning is
  personal (Biggs 2001)
• Two approaches to learning surface approach of
  rote learning and deep approach of understanding
  concepts (Marton/Säljö 1976)

3
Democracy in the classroom
Participation
Equality
Responsibility

• the students ...
• shape the process of teaching and learning
  themselves (prepare questions for class, organise
  working groups, presentations etc.)
• Discuss, ask and develop ideas freely and on an
  equal basis
• the teacher...
• serves as manager and facilitator of knowledge
  rather than as presenter and transmitter of
  information

4
Reality

• Students come from a learning background at
  school that doesnt support independent thinking,
  discussion culture or equality
• Assessment methods support a surface approach to
  learning and short-term memorizing of facts
• Under-graduate teaching is predominantly lecture
  based

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The Lecture

• Pro
• It accommodates large fluctuations in student
  numbers
• It can provide a wide range of information in a
  parti-cular field/discipline in relatively short
  time
• It can expose students to the most recent
  developments of the discipline better that any
  singular article does
• ? At best it combines research and teaching

• Con
• It is frontal and hierarchically structured,
  lecturer based
• It supports passivity and reduces students to
  specta-tors that can at most request
  clarifications
• It doesnt inspire students to question, to
  change attitude or undertake own research
• ? It is ineffective in stimulating higher-order
  thinking

6
The large lecture class

• impersonal atmosphere, no inter-action or small
  group discussion possible
• low student participation and activity
• insufficient learning outcome

gt A non-democratic way of teaching
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Democratize the large lecture class?

• Some strategies
• Create environment for active participation in
  class
• Strengthen the feeling of recognition, equality
  and responsibility
• Provide ways of participation in assessment
  process

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Active participation in class

• ask students to summarize the reading before
  getting started
• interrupt lecture frequently for 5 minutes to let
  them write down thoughts about the lecture
  content so far
• let students develop questions on the reading and
  send them in before lecture to be discussed in
  class
• encourage speaking up and ask questions during
  the lecture by interrupting (give them time to
  think!)
• interrupt lecture for short games depending on
  the material of the class (Pro-Cons, spontaneous
  quizzing)

9
Recognition, equality, responsibility

• make crystal clear what the requirements of the
  course are and how to get credit points
• make attendance voluntary, but make clear that
  active participation in class counts for final
  grade
• walk along the aisle during the lecture, make eye
  contact

10
Participation in assessment process

• provide lecture slides
• have several exams over the semester
• let students suggest exam questions
• make regular evaluations of the lecture, allow
  for criticism
• Be open about teaching methods discuss
  strategies for active learning