VCU CTE - Choosing teaching strategies

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Choosing teaching strategies – an overview

Matching teaching methods to course objectives is an essential, good teaching practice. Preparing your course has parallels to preparing your research. You wouldn’t choose a research method without first knowing your research questions; you should treat choosing your teaching strategy with the same mindset.

Here is the teaching/research analogy:

Research	Teaching
Questions, Aims	Course objectives
Research Methodology	Teaching methods
Data Analysis	Student assessment Faculty assessment

Here is an example of matching your teaching methods to your course objectives:

Objective	Possible Teaching Methods
Recalling, recognizing facts	Lecture
Applying facts	Active learning techniques Lecture with case study Lecture with lab Lecture with discussions
Creating new information from old Evaluating someone else’s information	Active learning techniques

In this chapter we will be discussing common teaching practices in greater detail. We'll also pass along tips on teaching large classes and enhancing your teaching with technology.

Need more information?

Instructional strategies online:
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/index.html
Developing Different Types of Learning Activities:
http://www.cmu.edu/teaching/resources/learningactivities/types.html
Indiana University. (n.d.) Preparing to Teach. Indiana University Teaching Handbook. Accessed July 6m 2009 from http://www.teaching.iub.edu/finder/
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