Tutoring and Demonstrating Ch. 2

EXCERPT FROM

Chapter 2. FUNDAMENTALS

Ideas about teaching and learning

Teachers have a powerful influence over the ways in which students study. The content of the curriculum, the styles of teaching and learning in the classroom and, maybe most of all, the assessment procedures, all send powerful messages about the learning that is valued and rewarded.

It has been suggested that students tend to adopt, depending on the circumstances, one of three approaches to study: a surface approach, a strategic approach, or a deep approach (Ramsden 1992). Broadly speaking, students who take a surface approach to learning set out to memorise information. These students probably see learning in the main part as recalling information. Students who take a strategic approach, on the other hand, are concerned with discovering the secret to passing. They are especially interested in what will 'pay off' when it comes to assessment. Finally, students who take a deep approach to studying are concerned with learning for understanding. Such students try to make connections between new ideas and the concepts they have learnt before. These students tend to seek out relationships and principles that will be transferable to settings they haven't previously encountered.

It is usually argued that students who take a deep approach to study engage in learning activities which lead to more enduring learning and are later more likely to be able to apply this learning in different contexts. If this is the case, then it is wise to encourage and reward deep approaches to study.

What type of teaching encourages effective learning? While teaching is certainly a complicated business, we do know much about it. A common idea about teaching is that teachers transmit information to students. Good teachers, according to this idea, are those who understand their topics well and who are able to present information in a clear, interesting and enthusiastic fashion. Now it is true that explaining matters is indeed one aspect of teaching, and probably a major one; however, there is more to good teaching than 'telling', and there is certainly more to it than developing an entertaining classroom style.

In fact, usually teaching does not involve telling students all you know. For one thing, this usually isn't possible in the time available. For another, if you know a great deal about a topic, you can overwhelm students and leave them feeling either lost or dependent. The art of good teaching lies in understanding what students already know about a subject and judging what new information they can handle, in what manner they can access that information, and at what rate. To make such judgements you need to have some measure of the capabilities, backgrounds and level of progress of individual students. You also need to know something of the concerns and uncertainties of students in your classes.

Good teachers not only instruct, they also plan learning activities for their students. They are able to devise learning tasks that capture student interest and engage students in problem-solving and analysing new information. Good teachers are concerned with helping students to learn how to study and planning activities that require students to grapple with demanding ideas andcomplex theories. They talk to students about how they can approach their learning. Good teachers 'share the process' with students, by being explicit about the choices they have made, and why. Good teachers think about how their students engage with information and the processes through which students build frameworks of knowledge and understanding for themselves.

A final idea about teaching is a rather important one: good teachers are concerned for their students' progress. They take steps to monitor student learning and to help students overcome any misunderstandings they've developed. Good teachers are continually challenging students, while at the same time supporting them during their learning. Good teachers are frequently asking their students questions and carefully considering what their answers reveal about their learning.

What qualities do undergraduate students admire in their teachers?

Students are likely to develop a negative attitude towards tutors or demonstrators who are obviously poorly prepared, who disregard their concerns and questions, or who are regularly late to class.

On the other hand, if you ask students about the qualities of good teachers, they will probably talk of people who 'make the material interesting', who 'are approachable', and, above all, who 'have a passion for their subject'. They will also describe teachers who design interesting learning activities for them, who create a relaxed and friendly environment in which they feel free to participate and who are able, at the same time, to explain things clearly and 'make it all fit together' - or at least explain where it doesn't!

As well, students expect:

• clear statements of what they are expected to achieve;
• constructive feedback on their work, in particular what can be done to improve it;
• fair grading and an explanation of the grades awarded;
• respect for their ideas and efforts;
• encouragement and reassurance from time to time; and,
• critical but constructive comments and advice, offered with concern for their feelings.

What characteristics define an effective learning group?

Although teachers play the leading role in setting the climate for learning, students have responsibilities too. Newble and Cannon (1991) argue that, although there are many paths to developing a positive small group experience, effective groups would share most of the following characteristics.

• Learning is accepted as the major reason for the existence of the group.
• There is active participation by all.
• There is an accepting, non-threatening group climate.
• Learning is seen as a cooperative rather than a competitive process.
• There is an equal distribution of leadership functions.
• Being in the group is an enjoyable experience.
• The course content is covered.
• Evaluation is accepted as an integral part of the teaching and learning process.
• Students attend regularly.
• Students come prepared.

Making learning objectives explicit

Education is a process of influence and change in people's understanding, skills and attitudes. It follows that you can't teach unless you have some idea of what you want students to learn. This must be the springboard for all thinking about educational programs, from the broadest level of whole courses, through individual subjects, to units of study and particular classes. The extent to which objectives are articulated varies according to circumstances, but there has been a strong movement in recent years towards more explicit and formal statements of intended learning outcomes.

It can be argued that this kind of explicitness was not as necessary in earlier periods, because the selective nature of the higher education system produced a relatively homogeneous student body, at home with the traditions and culture of universities. In that context, perhaps, a good deal could be taken for granted. With the rapid expansion of the system, the student population has become much more diverse and now includes many who are the first in their families to attend university and some from very different cultures. These students may need more 'signposts'. It is also possible that, at times in the past, knowledge has been seen as less problematic than in the contemporary intellectual climate, where the 'pursuit of knowledge' is perceived by many as a struggle of competing ideologies, approaches and interests. For both these reasons, it has been increasingly recognised that educators must articulate their assumptions and state clearly what they wish students to achieve.

The expected outcomes of courses and subjects at this University are now expressed in terms of learning aims and objectives that are listed in handbooks. These are written from the perspective of the learner, and are focused statements of what the student should have learned and be able to demonstrate by the end of the program. They are not necessarily expressed in terms of behavioural outcomes. Understanding of a concept, for instance, is an appropriate objective, though of course it must be demonstrated through the performance of a certain kind of task in the processes of assessment.

As a tutor or demonstrator, you should be familiar with the aims and objectives of subjects in which you are teaching, and of the course as a whole, and you should ensure that the students are familiar with, and understand, them. Teaching and learning can become fragmented without a clear sense of the final goals. With these in mind, you can determine the objectives for each individual session. It can be very useful to spell these out, for yourself and the students, though you don't want to make this too formal. A consistent focus on intended student learning outcomes is an essential foundation for student-centred education.

Courses and subjects in higher education usually require high level intellectual skills of analysis, evaluation or synthesis in addition to lower order skills such as recall and comprehension. In determining your objectives for teaching sessions, and while assessing student achievement, expect these higher level outcomes and look for them in student responses.

These ideas are a synthesis of research into the relationship between teaching and learning in higher education. As general principles they are congruent with what most of us know from our own experiences. This list is unlikely to be comprehensive, however, and you might like to think of characteristics that you would add to it.

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