The teaching strategies implemented by an educator play a crucial role in the quality of learning. Effective teaching strategies enhance learning outcomes and boost students’ academic performance. Besides, when an instructor is passionate about teaching, it increases students’ interest in the subject and understanding.
The problem occurs when teachers fail to change their strategy when teaching modern students. As time and technology change, so should a teacher. They need teaching strategies that engage learners, capture attention, and generate interest.
So which teaching techniques are educators using to make learning productive? Read on to find out.
Learning Stations
Teachers in high school and lower academic levels use learning stations to promote active learning. Some of the benefits that this teaching strategy offers include:
- Meeting all learning styles
- Giving students control and responsibility for their learning
- Decreasing the course material that a teacher has to teach
- Eradicating passive listening
Learning stations are only effective if the teacher considers the student’s interest and dominant learning style.
Before setting up the station, the teacher divides students into groups to encourage active participation, collaboration, and effective use of the available resources. An instructor will also set up stations with different tasks and allow the lesson to run itself.
This leads to greater comprehension and retention of information. This teaching strategy gives the teacher more time to focus on struggling students. The learning station is also great for reaching all students while switching the focus and spotlighting the students` learning experience.
Cooperative Learning
In traditional education, a student does most of the academic work independently. This involves reading textbooks, completing assignments, and passing end-of-semester exams. Students turn to a legit essay writing service to better understand course concepts.
However, by implementing cooperative learning, students gain real-life experience, understand the concepts of teamwork, and learn the importance of collaborating with like-minded peers. This teaching strategy is applicable in all academic levels as students, even in graduate courses, will benefit from learning in groups.
Cooperative learning requires all students working in a group to verbally contribute their ideas, which helps to sharpen their communication, a skill applicable to a personal and future career. It also enhances critical thinking skills, and others can teach students with learning gaps.
Gamification
This is another modern teaching strategy that taps into the interest of students. This technique is great because it has rewards that promote fun in class and student engagement. Besides, technology has permeated education. Hence it’s up to the teachers to introduce relevant digital tools to the classroom.
Educational games that provide personalized performance can pinpoint strengths and learning gaps and motivate learners to keep doing better. However, for this teaching strategy to work, the teacher must ensure the students understand the rules. The instructor should also keep a balance between learning and fun.
Visualization
Whether on social media platforms or televisions, students of all ages are bombarded with visual images. Besides, young people have a powerful imagination and often use visualization to understand stories. However, traditional classes tend to shun vivid imagination leading to boredom.
Students also have to deal with many workloads that eliminate the fun factor in learning. By implementing visualization as a teaching strategy, an educator enhances listening, attention and recall. Visual tools such as mind maps, Venn diagrams, flow charts, and storyboards also help students connect concepts faster. This teaching technique works because it simplifies complex information and enhances understanding of the lessons.
Utilize Formative Assessment
Formative assessment allows a teacher to monitor student growth in every lesson and adjust teaching methods or instructions accordingly to improve mastery of the subject matter. It also makes it easier for educators to provide productive and timely feedback and for the student to relearn the material in case of any learning gaps. This boosts motivation and academic achievement. It also reduces test anxiety common in most subjects since it’s not graded. Furthermore, learners will understand the concepts they need to ace an exam which boosts confidence.
Classroom Technology
Students taking technical subjects such as math, physics, and sciences benefit when technology is integrated into lessons. Since technology changes quickly, it’s up to the educator to adapt and find ways to learn and explore the tools they will need to boost engagement.
Introducing virtual field trips helps students to learn about famous historical sites that they can’t visit physically. You can also use podcasts and videos to capture the attention of different types of learners. Using tech in the classroom allows students to sharpen their skills and flourish in education and future careers.
