TEACHING STYLES

THE LEARNING PYRAMID AND LESSON PLANS Different Teaching Styles and the Learning Pyramid Published January 25, 2012 Welcome to Teaching Styles dot net! Were excited to teach the teachers and discuss the best types of learning styles. In this article we will cover the Learning Pyramid, and ways an average student will retain the information they are presented in your classroom.
The Learning Pyramid

What is the learning pyramid? There are various methods a student can engage in which will allow them to learn information at various percentages of retention. The least effective method of teaching would be a lecture. Long term retention rates of a typical lecture, where a teacher merely stands in front of students and talks is considered to be less than 10%. On the other hand, if you can get a student in front of his peers, teaching the same lesson, his or her retention rate skyrockets to over 90%. There are many types of engagement a student can participate within the classroom to receive different levels of retention. The beginning of this article discusses these activities.

less-than 10%: Lecture 10%: Reading 20% Audio-Visual 30%: Demonstration 50%: Discussion 75%: Practice Doing 90%: Teaching Others

Following we will discuss how to use these facts to enhance the learning capacity of your students, by engaging in the most favorable type of learning style as can be achieved, depending on the lesson. Lectures This teaching style includes a teacher or educator standing in front of students to do an oral presentation. This is the least effective method of teaching, and should be avoided where possible. Reading Schools are filled with text books, reading cannot be avoided! The retention rate of reading is only 10%. If reading is necessary, attempt to apply other methods of learning in conjunction with reading. Keep this in mind as we discuss various teaching styles which include a higher retention rate for students. Audiovisual This method more effectively engages different parts of the brain simultaneously. Through listening and seeing, the student will achieve a higher rate of retention. Still, this method is one of the lesser effective teaching styles (only 20% retention). Often times, audio and visual presentation materials are provided to teachers for assistance with their lessons. Try to mix these materials with other methods discussed below for maximum benefit. Demonstration It is one thing to tell students about a lesson. It is entirely something better to actually demonstrate the principles of your subject matter. If your lesson has components which can be demonstrated during your presentation, this will have a higher retention rate with your students (up to 30%).

Discussion It is advantageous to engage your students in discussion. Asking them about what they have read is an excellent method to increase the effectiveness of reading (10%) to a higher rate of retention (up to 50%). Involving students in your lecture (less than 10%) with discussion can bring their retention rate much further. If you involve students in your demonstration, you will add an extra 20% to their retention of the materials and subject matter discussed. Practice Doing When a student physically engages with the subject matter, this receives a respectable 75% retention rate. Some methods of practice are obvious, such as dissection of a frog during biology class. There are other creative methods to involve practice in other subjects. A classic method of practice involves tests and exams, where students must take the knowledge they have received and apply it to paper. Teaching Others This is the best teaching style. It involves having students study for, prepare and present a lesson to their peers. There are a number of reasons this is the most effective type of teaching style. Due to peer pressure, few students will want to fail in a public setting, in front of their peers. Therefore, they do a better job of studying their material. When they finally do their presentation, adrenalin levels are high which is known to greatly improve long term retention of information. This receives the maximum amount of remembrance of materials taught, up to a staggering 90%.

TEACHING STYLES
7 Things to Consider About Teaching Styles 1. Develop your own teaching style. 2. Consider learning styles and diversify your approach. 3. Teacher-centered approaches have pros and cons. 4. Student-centered approaches have pros and cons. 5. A student-centered approach does not undermine the teachers authority role in the classroom. 6. Consider using technology to diversify teaching approaches. 7. Try new things! Additional Resources Introduction You will realize at some point that your teaching methods and style stem from a specific philosophy of education, even if you arent aware of what that philosophy is. Your teaching style reflects on what you value in education, what methods you believe are effective, and how your students learn your subject best. 1. Develop your own teaching style Developing an effective teaching style for your subject-area requires time, effort, a willingness to experiment with different teaching strategies, and an examination of what is effective in your teaching. Dont necessarily try to mimic favorite teache rs from the past. Consider your strengths. Develop approaches that you are comfortable with and that maximize student engagement and learning in your subject-area.

2. Consider learning styles and diversify your approach Students have different learning styles. Hence, more students are reached through a diversified approach to delivering course content. Familiarity with learning style differences will help you understand implications of your chosen teaching style. Students preferentially take in and process information in different ways: by seeing and hearing, reflecting and acting, reasoning logically and intuitively, analyzing and visualizing. When mismatches exist between learning styles of most students in a class and the teaching style of the professor, the students may become bored and inattentive in class, do poorly on tests, get discouraged about the courses, the curriculum, and themselves. To overcome these problems, teachers should strive for a balance of instructional methods through a diversified approach. Tailor your approach to meet student learning needs. You can combine teaching styles for different types of content and diversity of student needs. Some class sessions may rely on lecture while others may employ more interactive models. Your subject-area may determine to what extent you are able to use varied approaches and to what extent you can individualize your instruction. 3. Teacher-centered approaches have pros and cons An example of a teacher-centered approach is the note-taking/lecture model. Teachers may attempt to maximize their delivery of information and control of the class while minimizing their time and effort. Pros of teacher-centered approaches are: A large amount of information can be shared in a short amount of time The teacher has control of organization The teacher has control of pacing and content Accommodates large numbers of students Allows for quick and easy assessment methods Cons of teacher-centered approaches are: Knowledge controlled by the instructor One-way communication Not necessarily conducive to critical thinking Promotes passive learning Not an optimal way of learning for many students

Two teacher-centered approaches are defined as: Formal authority: The teacher feels responsible for providing and controlling the flow of the content and the student is expected to receive the content. One type of statement made by an instructor with this teaching style is "I am the flashlight for my students, I illuminate the content and materials so that my students can see the importance of the material." Teachers with this teaching style are not as concerned with building relationships with their students nor is it as important that their students form relationships with other students. This type of teacher doesnt usually require much student participation in class. Demonstrator model: This type of teacher acts as a role model by demonstrating skills and processes and then as a coach/guide in helping students to develop and apply these skills and knowledge. A teacher with this type of teaching style might comment: "I show my students how to properly do a task or work through a problem and then I'll help them master the task or problem solution. Its important that my students can independently solve similar problems by using and adapting demonstrated methods." Instructors with this teaching style are interested in encouraging student participation and adapting their presentation to include various learning styles. Students are expected to take some responsibility for learning what they need to know and for asking for help when they dont understand something. 4. Student-centered approaches have pros and cons Many teachers use more interactive approaches in an effort to be responsive to a variety of learning styles. Student-centered approaches require active participation from teachers and students, putting much of the responsibility for leaning on the student. Pros of a student-centered approach include: Engages students in the learning process Encourages student ownership of knowledge Provides real life connections Promotes active learning Fosters critical thinking Addresses multiple learning styles Allows for varied assessment strategies Cons of a student-centered approach include: More difficult to implement with large numbers of students Can be more time consuming than lecturing Not effective in all subject areas Students may resist new approaches Regardless of the cons, the results of educational research studies as well as anecdotal evidence generally show that interactive, student-driven teaching results in successful learning for a broader range of learning styles. Two student-centered models are defined as: Facilitator: These teachers tend to focus on activities. There is much more responsibility placed on the students to take the initiative for meeting the demands of various learning tasks. Teachers typically design group activities which necessitate active learning, student-to-student collaboration and problem solving. This type of teacher will often try to design learning situations and activities that require student processing and application of course content in creative and original ways. While course content is obviously essential, the facilitator does not make them the principal focus of the course goals. Rather, the goal is to learn how to use the content in a problem-solving way. Delegator: Places much control and responsibility for learning on individuals or groups of students. This type of teacher will often give students a choice designing and implementing their own complex learning projects and will act in a consultative role. Students are often asked to work independently or in groups and must be able to maintain motivation and focus for complex projects. 5. A student-centered approach does not undermine the teachers authority role in the classroom Learn to find a good balance between your role as authority/content expert and co-learner/facilitator. Students appreciate teachers who make the effort to communicate on their level. It is important to find the appropriate balance of how to present yourself with confidence but also to engage as a co-learner to minimize faculty-student distance. Selected teaching strategies can bridge the distance of a traditional faculty role, some of which can be used in both teacher-centered and student-centered approaches. For example, whether information is presented or discussed, a teacher of either preferred style can use current events to engage students on topics that are relevant to both teacher and students. 6. Consider using technology to diversify teaching approaches Think of different ways to deliver information and different ways to use class time. If students access prepared lectures outside of class via Blackboard (using Camtasia for voiceover Powerpoint or Adobe Connect, for example) you can use in-class time to discuss challenging or interesting information found in the prepared content. On the flip side, if class time is devoted to lecture, post compelling discussion questions on Blackboard for students to engage in outside of class. Integrate the Blackboard time into course grading and class participation rubric. Examples of what prepared lectures on Blackboard might look like can be found athttp://breeze.sc.edu/accesst1/ and http://breeze.sc.edu/p88289572/. 7. Try new things! Finally, think about your teaching. Whether you are early career faculty or have been teaching for years, you may want to adjust your teaching style. Ask yourself questions about how you teach, why you do it that way, and how successfully the students learn the material. This brief quiz can help facilitate your self-reflection: http://members.shaw.ca/mdde615/tchstylsquiz7.htm. Are you meeting the learning needs of students in your classes? Are you flexible in trying new things? Additional Resources Student-Centered Teaching Resources. Compiled from the North Carolina Network for Excellence in Teaching. Urgings and Cautions in Student-Centered Teaching. An article by James Rhem featured inThe National Teaching and Learning Forum.

 Learner-centered Classrooms, Problem-Based Learning, and the Construction of Understanding and Meaning by Students. Tips from the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory. Teaching Styles Inventory. Answer questions and immediately see how you score on each teaching style. Compiled from: Teaching Styles.This web site has information about teaching styles, learning styles, and online teaching strategies. Learning Styles. NC State University. How Students Learn, How Teachers Teach, and What Usually Goes Wrong (PDF). An article from Richard Felder and Rebecca Brent. Understanding the Four Teaching Styles Understanding the differences in the four types of teachers will help improve the teaching style, resulting in better classroom discipline and greater student learning. There are four main types of teachers in the classrooms today. According to Dr. Phelan and Sarah Jane Schonour, M.A., in 1-23 Magic for Teachers [ParentMagic inc., 2004], there are authoritarian, permissive, detached and authoritative teachers. The type of teacher that one is will make a big difference in one's effectiveness in the classroom. Authoritarian Teaching Style The authoritarian teacher is often described by students as a screamer. This teacher expects children to obey and when they do not, this type of teacher has little management abilities beyond constant yelling at the students to get them back in line. Very little is allowed past this teacher as every little infraction is caught and disciplined. Students may obey this teacher but mostly out of fear, and the teacher will blame the discipline problems in class on the students. Permissive Teaching Style The permissive teacher is one who really just wants to be friends with her students. She may plead with students to raise their hand or follow other simple rules, but does not have a firm discipline plan in place. While students may say they like this type of teacher, when it comes down to a difficulty, students know that the teacher will not take care of a problem and will often try to take matters into their own hands as a result. Detached Teaching Style The detached teacher is one who really does not care. This teacher has become desensitized to the discipline problems and may not even care what kind of grades her students receive in class. She will sit behind her desk while students are working and grade papers during class or when on duty. There is no emotional support or behavioral management from the detached teacher. This teaching style is often the result of an illness or depression. Authoritative Teaching Style The authoritative teacher is one who has an orderly classroom, a strong discipline plan and is caring and supportive. Students respect this teacher and know that they can go to her with problems of any kind no matter how big or small. While this style of teaching is ideal, it can be difficult to achieve. Teachers need to spend time regularly reviewing their teaching style. Knowing the difference between the authoritarian, permissive, detached and authoritative teaching styles will help teachers analyze their own teaching and focus on improving. Read tips on setting goals for teacher improvement and other ways to improve ones teaching style. Goals for Teacher Improvement Whether you are a first year teacher or have one year left before you retire, goal setting will help you improve personally, and professionally.

Setting goals is a very personal decision. Many schools will require teachers to turn in written goals for the year at the start of school, a fact which should encourage every teacher regardless of requirements to do so. Personal and professional improvement throughout the year can only be a good thing. Look at three different areas when setting your goals: personal goals, organizational goals, and lesson improvement goals. Personal Goals Relating to Self and Relationships It is important for teachers to consider themselves when thinking about goals. Improvement of self will lead to a healthier teacher, who is better equipped both emotionally and physically to handle the challenges that come up each day. Improving professional relationships falls into this category as well, considering the fact that the better the working environment, the more focused the teacher will be. Examples of Personal Goals: Have a more professional appearance. Remember to have fun and enjoy teaching. Stay positive even when things change. Form a better working relationship with cooperating teacher. Improve teacher-parent communication, with a focus on positive notes home. Build better relationships with team and other staff. Establish and maintain a classroom management plan. Organization of Classroom and Materials Staying organized in the classroom can be a challenge for even veteran teachers. If organization is a weak area, talk to other teachers who are better organized for tips on how they arrange things. The better organized the classroom and materials, the more efficient planning will be, resulting in better lessons.

Examples of Organizational Goals: Organize filing cabinets by subject/theme. Put things away after using them. Plan ahead at least one week. Improve documentation for things that happen in the classroom. Keep up with grading. Collect more samples for student portfolios. Maintain two separate files for each child: a regular file for collection of student work, and a documentation file. Plan thoroughly, with a desired outcome in mind. Create curriculum notebooks. Keep a record of lessons/units and put together notebooks for each of the major themes in curriculum notebooks. Organize files by standard. Improve Quality of Lesson Plans Improving the quality of the teachers lesson plans will not only produce a more well behaved classroom, but will result in g reater student learning, and improved test scores. Making the effort to find areas to improve will be viewed positively by your principal and will help you to feel better about your teaching ability. Examples of Lesson Improvement Goals: Incorporate Literature into more lessons. Minimize wasted minutes have extra stuff ready for downtime instead of the fall back of start your homework. Spend more time focusing on vocabulary and concept development. Introduce weekly learning journals. Implement two new strategies that you have learned. Incorporate more technology in the classroom. Prepare better substitute plans. Incorporate more state test practice through instruction and homework instead of cramming before the test. When considering what professional goals to set, consider choosing one goal from each category: personal, organization and lesson improvement. Becoming a more well rounded teacher will be helpful as you continue to teach the next generation, and will hopefully improve your life as well.

Teaching Style Categories Formal Authority Teachers who have a formal authority teaching style tend to focus on content. This style is generally teacher-centered, where the teacher feels responsible for providing and controlling the flow of the content and the student is expected to receive the content. One type of statement made by an instructor with this teaching style is I am the flashlight for my students, I illuminate the content and materials so that my students can see the importance of the material and appreciate the discipline. Teachers with this teaching style are not as concerned with building relationships with their students nor is it as important that their students form relationships with other students. This type of teacher doesnt usually require much student participation in class. Sage on the stage model. Demonstrator or Personal Model Teachers who have a demonstrator or personal model teaching style tend to run teacher-centered classes with an emphasis on demonstration and modeling. This type of teacher acts as a role-model by demonstrating skills and processes and then as a coach/guide in helping students develop and apply these skills and knowledge. A teacher with this type of teaching style might comment: I show my students how to properly do a task or work through a problem and then Ill help them master the task or problem solution. Its important that my students can independently solve similar problems by using and adapting demonstrated methods. Instructors with this teaching style are interested in encouraging student participation and adapting their presentation to include various learning styles. Students are expected to take some responsibility for learning what they need to know and for asking for help when they dont understand something. Facilitator Teachers who have a facilitator model teaching style tend to focus on activities. This teaching style emphasizes student-centered learning and there is much more responsibility placed on the students to take the initiative for meeting the demands of various learning tasks. This type of teaching style works best for students who are comfortable with independent learning and who can actively participate and collaborate with other students. Teachers typically design group activities which necessitate active learning, student-to-student collaboration and problem solving. This type of teacher will often try to design learning situations and activities that require student processing and application of course content in creative and original ways. Delegator Teachers who have a delegator teaching style tend to place much control and responsibility for learning on individuals or groups of students. This type of teacher will often give students a choice designing and implementing their own complex learning projects and will act in a consultative role. Students are often asked to work independently or in groups and must be able to maintain motivation and focus for complex projects. Students working in this type of setting learn more than just course specific topics as they also must be able to effectively work in group situations and manage various interpersonal roles. Effective Teaching Strategies: Six Keys to Classroom Excellence By: Maryellen Weimer, PhD in Effective Teaching Strategies What are makes an effective teacher? This particular list of teaching characteristics appears in an excellent book that is all but unknown in the states, Learning to Teach in Higher Education, by noted scholar Paul Ramsden. In the case of what makes teaching effective, he writes, a great

deal is known about the characteristics of effective university teaching. It is undoubtedly a complicated matter; there is no indication of one best way, but our understanding of its essential nature is both broad and deep. (p. 88 -89). He organizes that essential knowledge into these six principles, unique for the way he relates them to students experiences. 1) 1: Interest and explanation When our interest is aroused in something, whether it is an academic subject or a hobby, we enjoy working hard at it. We come to feel that we can in some way own it and use it to make sense of the world around us. (p. 98). Coupled with the need to establish the relevance of content, instructors need to craft explanations that enable students to understand the material. This involves knowing what students understand and then forging connections between what is known and what is new. 2) 2: Concern and respect for students and student learning Ramsden starts with the negative about which he is assertive and unequivocal. Truly awful teaching in higher education is most often revealed by a sheer lack of interest in and compassion for students and student learning. It repeatedly displays the classic symptom of making a subject seem more demanding than it actually is. Some people may get pleasure from this kind of masquerade. They are teaching very badly if they do. Good teaching is nothing to do with making things hard. It is nothing to do with frightening students. It is everything to do with benevolence and humility; it always tries to help students feel that a subject can be mastered; it encourages them to try things out for themselves and succeed at something quickly. (p. 98) 3) 3: Appropriate assessment and feedback This principle involves using a variety of assessment techniques and allowing students to demonstrate their mastery of the material in different ways. It avoids those assessment methods that encourage students to memorize and regurgitate. It recognizes the power of feedback to motivate more effort to learn. 4) 4: Clear goals and intellectual challenge Effective teachers set high standards for students. They also articulate clear goals. Students should know up front what they will learn and what they will be expected to do with what they know. 5) 5: Independence, control and active engagement Good teaching fosters [a] sense of student control over learning and interest in the subject matter. (p. 100). Good teachers create learning tasks appropriate to the students level of understanding. They also recognize the uniqueness of individual learners and avoid the tempt ation to impose mass production standards that treat all learners as if they were exactly the same. It is worth stressing that we know that students who experience teaching of the kind that permits control by the learner not only learn better, but that they enjoy learning more. (p. 102) 6) 6: Learning from students Effective teaching refuses to take its effect on students for granted. It sees the relation between teaching and learning as problematic, uncertain and relative. Good teaching is open to change: it involves constantly trying to find out what the effects of instruction are on learning, and modifying the instruction in the light of the evidence collected. (p. 102) Instructional Strategies in the Classroom The following discussion will be directed on how you can manage a successful classroom from the beginning of your educational career. A successful classroom would include the following instructional strategies: 1. Creating the Right Classroom Climate 2. Your Classroom Plan 3. Organizing your Classroom 4. Developing Routines and Procedures 5. Assigning and Managing Work Assignments 6. Preparing for Instruction 7. Managing Behavior 8. Keeping it all Going The first instructional strategies would be creating the right classroom climate. This is to assure that your students feel safe, secure and are engaged with their own learning. Learning decreases when students feel threatened or unchallenged (Marzano, et al, 1992). Have discussions with your students on how to maintain the right climate for your classroom. Have them help formulate the way they want the classroom to run and they will help your enforce everyones expectations. The second instructional strategy would be your classroom plan. This will help you foster student involvement and cooperation in your classroom activities and will help establish a productive working environment. To establish a productive working environment you need to make your room stimulating and inviting. Classroom displays and arrangements must be functional and inviting. Your students will be more than happy to be in on the decision making process of how to make your classroom learner friendly. The third instructional strategy would involve organizing your classroom. You will need to create room arrangements that allow for activities that require movement. Stations or centers can be created for long-term learning and involvement. These stations can be placed so that your students can easily find information, use computers, and access other technologies that would help with their learning. The next instructional strategy involves developing routines and procedures. You will need to create a limited number of rules that are clear, specific, and stated in a positive manner. Always involve your students in the process of developing, understanding, and maintaining the routines and procedures. You will also need to practice and reinforce these routines and procedures throughout the school year.

The fifth instructional strategy would be assigning and managing work assignments. As a master teacher you need to provide meaningful and relevant assignments. Involve your students in real world scenarios that have a purpose. You will be amazed with your students abilities when they have an assignment that involves an audience and a real world purpose. The next instructional strategy involves preparing for instruction. When your students are actively involved in their learning discipline problem will decrease. Keep your students involved in the planning and preparation of the units of studies. Make them a part of your on going planning, implementation, and evaluation of units of study. Could your students compose a real proposal that could be submitted to a corporation, city council, or organization that needs fresh ideas. The sixth instructional strategy is discussing behavior in the classroom. Always communicate and reinforce class routines and procedures. Have your students enforce these and have classroom discussion on procedures that need to be added, deleted, or edited. You will be surprised how well your classroom will function when the students have a voice. The last instructional strategy is to keep your classroom running smoothly throughout the school year. Always reflect and evaluate each day or week during the school year. Do not settle for less than your students best efforts. Always celebrate success!!!!! These seven instructional strategies will help you become a successful teacher that students will remember forever. This will also help your students become lifelong learners. Quiz Interpretation 1. Do you find your teaching style: a. This indicates a formal authority teaching style and you may find teaching online quite challenging as many of your learners will have individual needs and expectations of instructor flexibility. b. This indicates a demonstrator or personal teaching style. You will probably feel most comfortable teaching online if you can clearly demonstrate how the various steps lead to successful performance or analysis and then provide an opportunity for your students to apply the knowledge or skills. c. This indicates a facilitator approach to teaching. You probably try to plan your lessons and educational activities with a clear view to enabling your students. d. This indicates a delegator approach to teaching and can be very effective for teaching online adult students. This type of teaching style focuses on the personal growth of the learner and is very much learner-centered. The delegator teaching style works well for students who are independent and motivated learners but may cause some anxiety for students who are used to well-defined guidelines. 2. Which of the following do you like to use when evaluating student learning? a. This type of evaluation indicates a formal authority teaching style where the educational experience tends to be teachercentered. b. This type of evaluation indicates a demonstrator teaching style in that you like to provide your students with lots of opportunities to demonstrate and reflect upon their knowledge. Instead of drill and kill this type of instructor thinks of quizzes and self-assessment opportunities as drill and thrill. This teaching style is also, along with a formal authority teaching style, somewhat teacher-centered. Using performance based criteria for evaluating students indicates a facilitator teaching style. Teachers with this type of teaching style will often ask students to develop practical applications. The goal of evaluation is often to enable the student to evaluate their own learning abilities. This type of evaluation indicates a delegator teaching style. Evaluation is often of the formative type where learners receive feedback during the development of a project.

c.

d.

3. When planning lessons you prefer to have: a. This indicates a formal authority teaching style. You might find teaching online quite challenging as this type of learning is based much more on interacting with the students on an individual basis. b. c. This indicates a demonstrator teaching style. You might find including audio or video an asset to online teaching in that you could include role playing examples for your learners to listen to or view. This indicates a facilitator teaching style. Creating peer tutoring groups can be accomplished in many ways in an online environment. One possible method is to set up small working groups and to use online communication tools (e.g. discussion forums, chat rooms, etc.) so that learners can help and tutor each other. This indicates a delegator teaching style. While sometimes harder to create in an online environment, brainstorming and other forms of synchronous group work is possible. Check out our web pages that discuss online communication for some ideas.

d.

4. When you teach face to face, your instructional time includes a. This indicates a formal authority teaching style. You are probably most comfortable when you provide teacher-centered instruction. b. This indicates a demonstrator teaching style. You might find including audio or video an asset to online teaching in that you can use these types of media to demonstrate to your students. There are many demonstrations available on the Web. Try searching the Web for demonstration activities in your field.

c.

This indicates a facilitator teaching style. Learn how to search and use Web resources to include a multitude of relevant media examples for your online learners. One caution is to be aware of the connection speed (bandwidth) of your end user when including media-rich components to your online courses. Check out your library facilities to see if some materials can be loaned to your students (videos and films may still be possible).

d.

This indicates a delegator teaching style. Online communication and collaborative tools continue to develop and improve. There are many examples of cooperative and collaborative web activities under the Tips and Strategies section of this web site. 5. You believe in teaching by a. This indicates a formal authority teaching style. You probably like to present very clear information to your students and feel that your students can get most of the skills and information they need by listening to and understanding your lectures and materials. You probably spend a great deal of time keeping current in your field and writing clear lectures for presentation. b. This indicates a demonstrator teaching style. Some online teachers have found they can provide personal examples and model behavior and analysis by incorporating audio (hear some sample audio clips from our audio web page) or linking to samples or prototypes. This indicates a facilitator teaching style. Communication between learner and teacher is very important and should be a critical part of your online teaching. However, be careful in the online setting. If you feel you need to be in the middle of every conversation or must participate in every discussion you may find you are tied to your computer and start resenting the increased demand on your time. Many online instructors find that by allowing student to student discussion and communication that they do not need to be involved in every aspect of every discussion. This indicates a delegator teaching style. This teaching style is well suited for teaching adults in an online setting. Because of the nature of online communication (email and discussion boards, for example), you will be able to answer individual or group questions as they arise.

c.

d.

6. One of your goals is to have your student a. This indicates a formal authority teaching style. You probably like to be in control of the teaching and learning environment. You may find moving to a more learner-centered and learner-controlled situation difficult. The adjustment to online teaching where the teacher has diminished control over the learning environment might be quite stressful. This indicates a demonstrator teaching style. This teaching style is still quite teacher-centered and you may have some difficulty adjusting to the online environment where you do not have direct and immediate access to your learners and their responses to your demonstrations. Using an online chat-room or some other synchronous communication tool might allow you to question your students regarding their understanding of online demonstrations and other course content. This indicates a facilitator teaching style. This is a learner-centered teaching style that is very compatible with teaching adults online. One challenge may be to bring your learners together in learning groups so that learner-to-learner communication and collaboration occurs. This indicates a delegator teaching style. This teaching style is well suited for teaching adults in an online setting. This style works well for independent learners but you will probably still need to provide some structure for your online learners.

b.

c.

d.

7. One advantage of your teaching style is that it a. This indicates a formal authority teaching style. Providing your learners with learning options that encompass each of the teaching styles may give them a new way of understanding not only the course materials but how to learn. b. c. d. This indicates a demonstrator teaching style. Providing your learners with learning options that encompass each of the teaching styles may give them a new way of understanding not only the course materials but how to learn. This indicates a facilitator teaching style. Providing your learners with learning options that encompass each of the teaching styles may give them a new way of understanding not only the course materials but how to learn. This indicates a delegator teaching style. Providing your learners with learning options that encompass each of the teaching styles may give them a new way of understanding not only the course materials but how to learn.

8. Assignments given to students are usually based on a. This indicates a formal authority teaching style. This approach to teaching generally focuses on content where the instructor defines the relevant and important material for students to learn and carefully sets clear goals, objectives and activities to provide a structured framework from within which students work through course materials. b. This indicates a demonstrator teaching style. Instructors with this teaching style generally focus on demonstrating to students the accepted method (steps) for performing a task or skill. Students are then given similar tasks to accomplish and the level of mastery acceptable for successful completion. The instructor usually gives the students enough information so that the student can evaluate their own performance (level of mastery) for each step of the task. Formative evaluation and constructive feedback are essential elements of the demonstrator style where the goal is for students to master a task or skill. c. This indicates a facilitator teaching style where formative evaluation and student reflection are essential elements. A principle goal of the facilitator is to enable students to become skilled at self-evaluation and be able to use their evaluations to improve their learning.

d.

This indicates a delegator teaching style. For delegators the activities the learners participate in are integral to the academic work. The social relationships between the learner, the teacher and other students are as important as the end product. Problem solving tasks and other challenges that require research of the course materials, interaction with other students and cooperative solutions are typical elements of a delegators assignment. As with the facilitator teaching style, the goal of enabling students to become skilled at self-evaluation and critical reflection is a critical element of the delegator teaching style.

9. Your teaching style develops a rhythm which contains a. This indicates a formal authority teaching style. Providing your learners with learning options that encompass each of the teaching styles may give them a new way of understanding not only the course materials but also how to learn. b. This indicates a demonstrator teaching style. Providing your learners with learning options that encompass each of the teaching styles may give them a new way of understanding not only the course materials but also how to learn. c. This indicates a facilitator teaching style. Providing your learners with learning options that encompass each of the teaching styles may give them a new way of understanding not only the course materials but also how to learn. d. This indicates a delegator teaching style. Providing your learners with learning options that encompass each of the teaching styles may give them a new way of understanding not only the course materials but also how to learn.