SMART TEACHING 2:

USING DIRECT INSTRUCTION TO
IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING

By Ron Craig, Instructor
Ryerson University Theatre School

When I taught my first class, I used a proven teaching strategy -- I imitated one of my teachers.

In fact, that is how most instructors learn how to teach: they imitate an experienced teacher, someone who teaches effectively. While there is nothing wrong with copying the teaching strategies of a more experienced teacher, I soon discovered there are some limitations to this technique.

As my class size increased, I was under pressure to teach more students in a shorter period of time. This reduced the amount of individualized instruction I was able to provide to each student, and as a result, student performance suffered. How could I maximize student-learning time? What techniques could I use to improve student learning? How could I teach my students more effectively? Unfortunately, my role model did not prepare me for these challenges.

To solve these problems, I started using different teaching strategies. These strategies or "Teaching Models" provided me with a new set of powerful tools. One of these models, Direct Instruction, is designed to maximize student learning time. And it worked! After using direct instruction in my classes, student performance increased and my teaching effectiveness improved.

If you are facing challenges in your teaching, or simply want to try new instructional methods, direct instruction will provide you with a real advantage. So, what are teaching models and how do they work?

UNDERSTANDING TEACHING MODELS

Over the years, educational specialists have studied how students process information, master skills and learn. Teaching models are a method or strategy for using this research in a classroom. Normally, a teaching model provides instructors with a plan or set of guidelines. These guidelines are a practical way to use the model when teaching students.

There are literally hundreds of different teaching models. Some are specifically designed for teaching younger children. Others are useful for teaching abstract thinking skills. Many are theories that have not been tested and are not supported by studies.

Some however, are ideal for teaching a skill-based course like welding. One of the best is direct Instruction. It is especially useful for teaching a new skill to students. And, it works well for teaching all types of students, including slower learners. Best of all, it is easy to integrate into an existing course without making major curriculum changes.

But there is another reason why direct instruction will appeal to you: it probably closely resembles the way you already teach. For example, direct instruction involves:

• Explaining the concept or skill to the class.
• Requiring the students to practice the skill under the instructors supervision
• Directing the students to continue practicing the skill independently while the instructor monitors student progress.

So, you are probably asking yourself how this teaching method differs from the way you already teach your courses. The power of direct instruction is how this strategy is applied to teaching situations. Lets see what is involved when you use direct instruction in your classes.

DIRECT INSTRUCTION

Direct instruction is a teacher directed, highly structured method of teaching. In other words, the instructor controls all aspects of the training, including what the student studies in each class, and how the students practice what they have learned.

Every lesson is prepared in advance, with the goal of keeping the students involved in learning tasks during the instructional period. There is a reason why this is important. Research has shown that there is a correlation between the time actually spent on a task and student achievement: students who spend more time "on task" have a much higher rate of learning success. One of the key principles of direct instruction is to keep the students actively engaged in skill acquisition.

To achieve this result, the teacher maintains a dominant role during the class. The instructor controls the lesson, from the selection of learning material and visual aids to student practice. Students are expected to focus on learning, so non-essential conversations between students is discouraged. The goal is to maximize the time students actually spend on learning tasks.

The instructor sets the tone for each class by placing emphasis on successfully completing the assignment and mastering the learning material. But instructors also set the tone by being prepared. Instructors use a pre-planned curriculum that results in a well thought out presentation of learning points, and concise explanations of key concepts. This not only clarifies the main learning points, but it helps the instructor stay on topic.

In other words, direct instruction requires the instructor to be organized. You must have clear, concise goals for each class, and a lesson plan that ensures the students will achieve the necessary standards for each class. But how do you put this into practice?

HOW TO USE DIRECT INSTRUCTION IN YOUR CLASSES

As previously described, educators have developed guidelines to help instructors implement teaching models. Direct instruction is no different. When using direct instruction, it is important to apply the following guidelines, and use:

• Objectives
• Standards
• A "hook", or anticipatory set
• A Presentation of the new material to be learned
• Guided practice
• Closure
• Independent practice.

Does this sound complicated? Actually, it is a logical process that every instructor can use to teach more effectively. Here is how it works:

Objectives

Creating objectives for each class is a key element of direct instruction. What do you expect the students to learn in the class? What is the student expected to know and understand after completing the lesson? What skills will they be expected to master in the class? This defines your objectives.

Your objectives should be short, concise, direct statements that describe exactly what you intend to teach in each class, and what you require the students to learn/master. The following is sample objective for teaching students how to GMAW weld a T- joint:

Objective

To teach students how to weld a T-joint in the flat position, using fillet welds, and the spray transfer process.

To teach students how to correctly adjust gas flow, voltage and wire feed speed to create quality welds.

To teach students how improper power source settings, incorrect work angle, or hand manipulation of the torch affects weld quality.

Some instructors find it difficult to write teaching objectives. Here is a tip: the Hobart Institute of Welding Technology offers Welding Training Materials that can help. Training programs are available from the Hobart Institute for all the major welding processes. Every Hobart training program comes with an Instructors Guide. Included in the Instructors Guide is a lesson plan and teaching objectives for each class. This provides instructors with a convenient way to create detailed objectives.

There are major advantages to structuring your lessons around clearly defined objectives. To begin with, it maximizes your teaching time since all teaching activity is based on a clearly defined plan. Further, once you determine the objectives for each class, the rest of your planning- presentation, practice, and independent practice-are easier to create.

In addition, I find that establishing clearly defined objectives provides me with another advantage. Before a class starts, I write the lesson objectives on the blackboard so the students can see what will be studied in the class. A typical lesson objective for teaching students to weld a T-joint in the flat position using fillet welds would be:

To learn how to weld a T-joint in the flat position, using fillet welds and the spray transfer process.

As you can see, I simply re-word my teaching objectives to create learning objectives. Lesson objectives are a positive way of telling the students what will be covered in the class and signal what they are expected to learn.

Standards

There is a direct link between establishing standards at the start of a class and improved student performance. By standards we mean the performance standards that the students are expected to achieve. The instructor establishes standards by telling the students:

• What the lesson will cover (objectives), and how the information will be presented (lecture, use of visual aids, demonstrations or group discussion, for example).
• What procedures will be followed during the instructional period (watch the instructor, then go to work stations to practice the technique for example)
• What standard of performance is expected from the students: this would include weld quality, correct welding machine adjustment, and the ability to use correct hand manipulation to produce a fillet weld.
• How the student's performance will be evaluated.

In other words, the instructor makes it clear that the students are accountable for performance and skill mastery. By utilizing this strategy, instructors directly contribute to improved student engagement in the class. When student engagement increases, overall student achievement improves.

It is useful when describing standards to show the students examples of what is expected. In a welding class this could involve sample welds that show the students how a technically sound fillet weld should look. When students are practicing the welding procedure, this provides them with a visual reference so they can compare their work against a known standard.

In my experience, this also establishes a good basis for communication between the student and instructor. Often, a student will ask, "Why does my weld look different than the sample you showed us?" Or, they will say, "What am I doing wrong here?" As a result, I am able to discuss a corrective measure that will help the student achieve the necessary standard. This reduces trial and error because students are able to self-diagnose a fault and seek a remedy immediately.

Creating A Hook (Anticipatory Set)

A "hook" or anticipatory set is designed to get the students attention by capturing the interest of the student at the beginning of each teaching session. In addition, it can be used to relate new information to past course work. Here is how you can use a "hook" in your classes.

Lets use the example of teaching students to weld a T-joint. I start by prompting the students to remember past information and I start with a question or statement. For example, "Do you remember that we discussed in one of our first classes that there are 5 basic joint designs?" Then I go on to link this information to the new lesson by explaining, "The T-joint is one of the 5 basic joints. Here is why it is important to master how to weld this joint: it is one of the most common joints used in structural welding, and you will need to know how to produce quality T-joints if you are involved in maintenance or production". By using this type of "hook", instructors are able to focus student attention on the lesson.

But there is another reason why using a "hook" is a good strategy. Students often ask, "Why am I learning this?" Adult students like to know how they will use this knowledge in the "real world," or on the job. The use of an anticipatory set answers these questions, and improves student motivation.

Presentation

The presentation is the heart of the lesson. This is where knowledge is transferred to the students and new skill acquisition takes place. The ability to deliver a professional, organized presentation is one of the most important teaching skills. Research confirms this fact. Educational specialists have discovered that effective student learning is directly related to the quality of the instructor's initial explanation, and the thoroughness of this explanation.

The following is a method for presenting instructional information that contributes to effective student learning:

1. Review the previous lesson. This is important for linking past information to the new lesson material. Typically, I select the learning points from the last lecture that are important for mastering the skills in the current lesson.
2. Break the learning tasks down into small steps, so students can master the information one bit at a time.
3. Explain the learning task by using narration, videos, visual aids, or overheads/PowerPoint presentations.
4. Demonstrate the technique (this is referred to as modeling) so the students understand what is expected from them.
5. Re-explain the most difficult concepts to ensure student understanding.
6. Check for understanding. Make sure the students "get it" before moving on to practical exercises. If you are not sure if the entire class has mastered the information, ask questions to diagnose what portion of the lesson they didn't understand, and re-teach this portion of the class before doing the practical exercises.
7. Use carefully constructed questions to make sure the students understand the lesson.
8. Remain focused on the learning task: do not digress or stray off topic.

Effective instructors tend to use different presentation techniques from less effective instructors. For example, effective instructors ask more questions. And, they ask questions differently. They never just ask the class, "Any questions?" Instead, they ask questions that test student understanding. These questions are carefully thought out in advance, so they are a realistic measure of how well the students have understood the material.

Effective instructors not only ask prepared questions, but also they respond differently when students answer questions. Instead of telling the student an answer is incorrect, effective instructors provide the student with feedback. This may involve providing clues, or prompts to coach the student to the correct answer. It may involve referring to visual aids as a way of clarifying information that is important for answering the question correctly. In some cases, the instructor may need to re-teach the material that was tested by the question. Even when the answer is correct, effective instructors use the opportunity to ask additional questions to clarify the students understanding.

Effective instructors provide better feedback to their students than less effective instructors. They also spend more time explaining concepts and tend to repeat important information during the presentation. When they are asking questions they tend to do so at a fast pace to keep the students attention. Finally, effective instructors use more of their lesson time to demonstrate new material and explain information than ineffective instructors. All of these techniques are important for maintaining student engagement and promoting effective learning.

Guided Practice

After the students have been told what they are expected to master (objectives), learned what they need to know (presentation), and shown the technique they are responsible for learning (modeling), they practice the skill under the supervision of the instructor. As the students practice the skill, the instructor monitors their progress. Advice, comments and praise or remedial instruction is provided as required. Research indicates that effective teachers spend more time on guided practice than less effective instructors.

There is one extremely important principle that instructors should follow when supervising guided practice. DO NOT let the students to practice wrong or incorrect procedures. Always ensure students are using proper hand position, torch position, machine settings, and producing high quality welds. The objective is to reinforce positive learning and eliminate errors.

Closure

Closure is used to bring the instructor-supervised part of the lesson to a conclusion. In many classes, an instructor will end the class by saying, "If there are no questions, we will see you tomorrow." This is not closure!

Proper closure occurs when you review what the students have learned, and clarify the main learning points. An instructor may say, for example, "Today we learned how to weld a T-joint. We learned the importance of proper hand position, torch angle, travel speed and machine adjustment to produce quality fillet welds. You also learned that the T-joint is one of the five basic joints and that is why it is important to master this welding procedure." By using proper closure, you help the student bring all of the lesson elements together.

Independent Practice

The final step for the student is independent practice. This practice can be identical to the guided practice, or a project that tests the student's mastery of the lesson. However, independent practice is important to ensure the student does not forget the learning. Research studies show that unless students practice a skill, they will forget as much as 80% of what they have learned within a 24-hour period!

THE BENEFITS OF DIRECT INSTRUCTION

Direct instruction is a practical method for teaching skills…and it works! Study after study has shown that direct instruction improves student performance as indicated by standardized test scores. Other educational surveys conclude that direct instruction results in significant gains in achievement and improved student performance.

My experience confirms these results. After I started using direct instruction in my classes, student grades and skill mastery (as demonstrated by practical tests) increased.

Direct instruction was able to solve the problems I encountered as my class sizes increased and I was forced to teach students in less time. How did direct instruction help me achieve this result? I was able to teach more efficiently, using proven techniques to help my students learn more effectively in less time. This was a significant improvement over simply copying the style of a teacher role model. By applying proven techniques, I was able to become a more effective instructor.

However, teaching models provided me with additional benefits. When I first started teaching, I was uncertain about my teaching strategies. I simply didn't know if there were better ways to teach my students. Teaching models provided me with a new set of tools I could apply to a variety of teaching challenges. As a result, I was able to use tested teaching methods, which increased my confidence.

How did the students react to direct instruction? Students are required to fill out a confidential course evaluation for every course they complete at the university. Students are extremely candid with their evaluation…and very critical.

When I received a summary of the evaluation, it was very encouraging. The survey asked students if the instructor presented the course material in an organized manner. The students could respond with a number between 1 and 5 (where 1 represented they agreed with the statement, and 5 they disagreed). The average for the 28 responses was 1.2! The students responded the same way when asked if the course was worthwhile, and if the faculty member was effective.

But for me, the real proof that direct instruction works occurred after the students completed their final exam. A group of ten students walked up to me as I was placing the exams into a folder. "We just wanted to tell you that this was a great course, and we really learned a lot. Thank you". Later, as I thought about their comments, I realized that -- for this welding instructor -- it doesn't get much better than that!