Planning Effective Classroom Sessions

The role of theory is, obviously, to guide and inform practice. Theory provides a base on which we can build...or a resource on which we can "hook" our actions. As mentioned during our class this last week, effective instruction is not accidental. Our activities in a classroom should be intentional. How much support we provide, the method in which we introduce new materials, how we gradually withdraw support once learners are mastering key ideas, how we challenge learners beyond their comfort level, etc, are all activities that need to be intentional and planned. This is not to say that we become so structured in our courses that we lose the opportunity to adjust and react to learning opportunities as they arise - we need to always remain flexible enough to include the learners needs. However, it does mean that our classroom sessions move toward a clear target - as defined by the course outline.

Planning and preparing for an instructional session (i.e. a class) is a critical task, overlooked or treated casually by too many instructors. The class pre-readings, nature of interaction/discussion, key concepts to be reviewed, resources required (i.e. audio-visual equipment, markers, case studies, etc.), points of motivation, connections to previous lessons, and more, provide the basis of our pre-class planning activities. Following each class, we then pause and determine how well we achieved our objectivse. Based on learner response (I use journals in this course, but you can gauge reaction through more informal methods - such as observations), we then begin to craft our "areas of change" for the next lesson. For example, in this course, based on early responses in journals, I made a shift to spend more time in class focusing on practical application of material presented. Instead of spending too much time on what theorists stated about learning, I focused on classroom-level application sooner than I had initially planned. Or, due to reactions to the CMAP software, I added a few additional presentations in class to ensure the process was understood.

Simply put, we as educators need to attend to several aspects in "getting ready to teach":
1. The course material (as dictated by advisory board, course outline, etc.)
2. The learners understanding (are key ideas of the course being understood at the level required for successful functioning in the program as the learner moves on?)
3. The resources/activities required (for intentional use) to assist learners in understanding course material
4. The process of planning and re-planning...continually adjusting our activities based on how learners respond - providing and withdrawing support as needed, focusing on motivation, sensing learner's level of understanding, and so on.

Obvious questions arise:
How much material should I cover in class?
How should I present the course content (lecture, group discussion, collaborative or exploratory activities, etc.)?
How do I create a lesson plan?
At which points do I move from presenting material to getting learners to draw connections and see how new ideas relate to previous ideas?

Here are a few resources to make the process of preparation (teaching with intentionality) more vivid:

How to teach a lecture class

Planning a course (just complete the first section of links on "planning a course"...don't worry about the sections on professionalism, etc.).

While this will have been (or for some of you, will be) discussed in your other CAE courses, take a few minutes to review the RRC Learning Outcomes Resource. Intended outcomes influence our instructional activities...and the depth of learning and cognition we are seeking - i.e. according to Bloom's taxonomy - influences how we teach.

Here's a very simple lesson plan structure...we will spend time on class on Tues revising this approach - blending Gagne, Keller's ARCS model, and highlighting the importance of connecting new information to what is already known.