This is the fourth and final article in this series about SMART TEACHING.  The first article appeared in the Summer 2004, followed by the second in Fall 2004 and the third in Spring 2005.  These are available on the web site at http://www.welding.org/newsletters/index.html

A few months ago, I attended a teaching conference where educational experts described advanced teaching strategies. After one of these presentations, a fellow instructor turned to me and said, “This is really interesting, but how can I possibly use this in my teaching?  As it is, I barely have time to cover my course material without trying to use a complicated teaching strategy in my classes.”

Unfortunately, this describes the reality for most instructors. As class sizes increase, instructors are under pressure to teach more students in less time. How can instructors improve their teaching methods when they lack both the time and opportunity to try new strategies?  

Achieving positive change is actually easier than it first appears. In fact, whether you are an experienced instructor or just starting your career, it is possible to achieve a higher standard of teaching excellence by simply applying a few proven techniques.

These teaching techniques -- or steps -- are based on substantial research, and they work! Best of all, you can integrate these techniques into your courses without spending hours revising your existing courses. More importantly, they are easy to use. All that is required is a willingness to consciously apply the following techniques when you teach.

1.  Maximize the Effectiveness of Practice Sessions

Practice sessions are the single most important factor in transferring a new skill to students. After the student has learned the theory and watched a demonstration of the technique, it is the practice session that actually ensures each student masters the skill -- and retains it.

The goal of a practice session is to make sure the student can carry out the skill independently, without making errors.  Research indicates that effective skill transfer involves three steps:

• Teacher guided practice: in this phase, the instructor leads the student step by step through the skill.
• Student practice under the guidance of the instructor: assistance is provided to the student as required.
• Independent practice: the student practices the skill independently. The instructor provides remedial coaching to correct faults or errors.

Studies clearly show that effective instructors use different techniques than less effective instructors during practice sessions. For example, effective instructors provide corrective feedback to the student in order to reinforce correct procedures. This feedback is positive, never negative, and is designed to ensure that the student does not practice incorrect procedures during the early stages of skill learning.

There is a reason why this is important: when students are learning a skill, it is essential that they commit correct procedures to memory. If the student learns mistakes, these mistakes have to be corrected before progressing to the next phase of training. This slows down the students’ progress and results in longer training times.

Why is practice important? Experts have discovered that without practice, learners will forget 80% of new information within 24 hours. However, when students are required to review information -- through formal review sessions or practice sessions spread over time -- almost all newly learned information can be remembered.

How long should students practice a skill?  Many instructors believe that there is a correlation between long training periods and better student performance.  Research however indicates that belief is not correct. Short training sessions that require students to focus and intensely practice a skill are more effective than longer unfocused, unmotivated training periods!

However, to achieve this result, the instructor has to follow two principles:

1. The instructor must provide corrective feedback as the student practices a new procedure. This helps the students identify when they are making errors, and helps them to evaluate how well they are learning the material.

2. Before a student is allowed to progress -- from the student practice stage for example, to independent practice -- the student must achieve a high level of skill mastery. If the student is allowed to progress without achieving an acceptable level of skill mastery, effective skill transfer will not occur.

 To maximize the effectiveness of a training session:

Do not let a student practice errors.

Make sure students achieve an 85-90 per cent accuracy level before moving on to the next level of skill mastery.

2. Promote Effective Learning By Pacing Your Lectures

The lecture (or verbal presentation) is still an important teaching tool. Despite the use of audiovisual materials or computer technology, lectures provide some important advantages.

Nothing communicates an instructor’s enthusiasm for the subject better than a lecture. Studies indicate that student motivation increases and learning improves when an enthusiastic, motivated instructor teaches a course. No audiovisual or computer learning program can communicate a sense of enthusiasm better than an instructor in a lecture setting!

In addition, lectures are an excellent way for instructors to communicate “real life” experience to students by using stories or anecdotes. Learners are always interested in how the information they are learning can be applied to the real world. Nothing provides this connection better than the personal experience of an instructor. Similarly, verbal explanations provide an excellent way of showing students how knowledge can be used to solve real problems.

Unfortunately, we have all sat through boring 3-hour presentations that seem to never end. One look at the students who are trying to stay focused (and awake), tells us that effective learning is not taking place. And research studies confirm this observation.

Educational experts studied the amount of information actually retained by students after attending a typical lecture experience. They determined that students could remember nearly 70 percent of the information presented in the first 10 minutes of the lecture. By the last 10 minutes of the lecture however, the amount of information retained by the students was only 20 per cent. So what can we do to help learners increase the amount of information they retain?

The key to improving the effectiveness of a lecture is the way we deliver the lecture.  For example, experts have discovered that students can only concentrate for 15-20 minutes before they start losing concentration.  To maintain student attention -- and facilitate effective learning – it is important to change the pace of your lecture at least every 20 minutes.  Use the following strategies to effectively change pace during your lectures or presentations: 

• Break your lecture up into 15 or 20 minute “chunks” or sections of information that are self-contained “mini lectures”. This divides information into small steps, and facilitates excellent retention.
• Ask questions at the end of each section to get the students thinking about the material you have covered. This provides a chance for the students to test their understanding of the material.
• Challenge students to solve problems with the information you have presented in the lecture. This engages the students by requiring them to use critical thinking skills instead of simply recalling information.
• Use a number of examples to illustrate the key points of the lecture.
• Re-explain the most difficult points covered in the lecture. Students daydream 15 percent of the time during lectures. Repeating important information helps ensure that students who have a lapse of attention during the lecture don’t miss critical information. 

 To maximize the effectiveness of lectures or presentations:

Always stay focused on your lecture, and the information you are presenting. Do not drift off topic.

Explain the new material thoroughly. Research shows that effective instructors spend more time demonstrating or explaining information than less effective teachers. 

3. Present Information So It Helps All Types Of Learners

What are students thinking about as they watch you lecture or teach a lesson? When I first started teaching, I would see students sitting motionless in my class as I lectured and wonder if they were actually learning the material.

Research indicates that students in a classroom setting are engaged in a sophisticated process of information processing. As you teach, students are trying to categorize information, process it, or organize concepts into meaningful patterns. The instructor can help students achieve this goal by presenting information in a way helps the various types of learners in the class.

Learners can be divided into three categories: visual learners, auditory learners and kinesthetic learners (for more detailed information, refer to The World of Welding, Summer 2004). Visual learners learn best by seeing information – through visual aids, pictures, video or diagrams. Auditory learners learn effectively by hearing information, or talking about the learning material. Kinesthetic learners need to touch or use a “hands on” approach to learn effectively.  

Teaching Auditory Learners

Since auditory learners learn best by listening to explanations or instructions, it is useful to repeat information during the teaching period. One of the best ways to achieve this goal is by asking questions.  However, to maximize the effectiveness of your questions, use the following techniques:

• Ask questions that test the students understanding of the information, instead of simply requiring them to recall information. For example, instead of asking “What is stickout?” ask, “Why is stickout important when you are using the GMAW process?”

• Prepare your questions in advance.  By using carefully prepared questions, you can obtain other significant benefits: often, students become engaged in a discussion about the material when you ask carefully prepared questions.  This is an extremely effective learning tool

To maximize your teaching effectiveness:

Make sure you develop questions that test the learner’s ability to use information to solve problems.

Never ask a question the students can’t answer.

Never answer your own questions: if the students can’t answer a question, provide them with clues that help them recall the information.  

Teaching Visual Learners

Today’s instructors have a major advantage over instructors who taught 30 years ago: video and DVDs makes it possible to conveniently use high quality visual presentations in the classroom. Portable computers, CD ROMs and power point presentations offer additional visual resources. This provides instructors with an excellent tool for teaching the visual learners in your classes.

To achieve the best results when teaching visual learners:

• Use only the highest quality visual material in your classes

• Make sure your visual material can provide a stand-alone explanation of the concepts or information you are teaching.

When explaining new information:

Always use visual aids to help you teach new concepts or information. 

Teaching Kinesthetic Learners

When teaching kinesthetic learners, make sure you have props that you can let the students touch. For example, if I am explaining the components of a GMAW welding gun -- contact tube or nozzle, for example -- I actually pass these articles around the room. This provides kinesthetic learners an opportunity to actually touch the items being discussed.  

When teaching kinesthetic learners:

Make sure you provide an opportunity for kinesthetic learners to become physically involved during the lesson.

Appeal To All Types Of Learners

By using strategies that appeal to visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners, you create another major benefit. While students will be predominately one type of learner, they are not exclusively a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner. For example, kinesthetic learners can also be visual learners; verbal learners may also be also visual learners.

According to Steve Houston, Director of Curriculum Materials Development at the Hobart Institute, research indicates that kinesthetic learners master a skill by both practicing it and watching it being done.

“Kinesthetic learners learn 60% of a skill by doing it, and 30% by seeing it being done,” Steve stated.  “This is why you want to present information visually as well as allow the student to physically interact during the learning task.”

This supports my observations.  When I am watching students learn a new task, they will start by using their dominant learning style.  If they have difficulty, they will start using a different strategy to master the task.  As you watch, students will put down a drawing they can’t understand, and start discussing how to master the task. In other words, they shift from visual learning to auditory learning in an attempt to learn.

When teaching a lesson:

Tell your students, show them, demonstrate it, and when possible, let them touch it.    

• Start the lesson at the appointed time. Begin promptly, by describing what will be covered in the lesson (the objectives).

• Use a pace that is appropriate for the learners, but keep moving through the lesson: do not digress off topic, or engage in conversation that is not specific to the lesson.

• Answer student questions when they are asked. Give complete answers, and use the opportunity to test comprehension by asking additional questions.

To display an organized teaching approach:

Create a plan for each lesson and work the plan.

Do not stray off topic.

Focus on achieving the lesson objectives.

5.  Display A Positive, Enthusiastic Attitude When Teaching

Research indicates that enthusiasm and a positive attitude are important qualities for instructors. In survey after survey, students indicate these qualities are important teacher attributes.  But there is another reason why you should project a positive, enthusiastic attitude.

Nothing motivates students better than an enthusiastic instructor.  Studies show that when an instructor expects high performance levels from students, the students respond by applying more effort to mastering the material.

In addition, an enthusiastic instructor can overcome student apathy.  Instructors frequently teach students who do not want to be in the class.  Enthusiasm is infectious: when you are enthusiastic, helpful and have high expectations, even apathetic students can be persuaded to apply themselves in class.

Finally, a negative instructor can have a significant affect on student performance. When students are criticized, ridiculed in front of the class, or are the target of verbal abuse, student achievement suffers. The goal is to create a positive learning environment where student performance is encouraged, and negative teaching behaviors are eliminated.

When you teach:

Create an environment where learning is a positive experience. 

Achieving Teaching Excellence

There are literally thousands of learning theories designed to help instructors become more effective teachers.  Similarly, instructors can find books that help them understand the psychology of learning, or provide insight into teaching strategies.

However, effective teaching requires only two components: good instructional techniques and knowledge of the material you are teaching.  By using the proven strategies of organization, effective practice sessions, properly structured lectures and a positive attitude, you can raise your teaching to a higher level.

Introducing these changes into your teaching does not have to be time consuming or difficult.  Gradually phase in new teaching techniques one step at a time.  When you are convinced that the change is generating positive results, gradually introduce another technique.

Similarly, if you decide to add video presentations to your lectures (and you should), or decide to create questions that test a student’s knowledge (not simply recall), there is a convenient resource you can use. The Hobart Institute Welding Training Materials are an excellent way to upgrade your course.   Everything an instructor requires, from videotape/DVD presentation of welding procedures to an instructor’s guide (complete with knowledge testing questions) and student workbook, is included in these training packages. This simplifies the task of integrating professional materials into your course.

When I started to use these techniques in my teaching, student knowledge and test scores improved. This is the true measure of whether a new teaching strategy works: a technique is only worthwhile if it creates improved student performance.

Finally, not only did student mastery improve, but student ratings of my course also improved.  When students answered questions on a standard questionnaire regarding my course, I received high marks for presenting information in an organized manner, using good questioning technique, and over all teaching effectiveness.  Students also expressed a very high level of satisfaction with the course.

For me, this is the real meaning of teaching excellence: the ability to help students retain, understand and apply new information while improving overall teaching effectiveness.