Traditional methods of teaching, such as lecture, offer a means of quickly delivering a message but can be enhanced by following with activities that reinforce the material and promote the process of self-education. A number of approaches to active learning can be used to keep students on task and focused on the learning objectives. When students are engaged in the classroom, long-term retention of the material improves.
Traditional Methods: Do They Engage Students?
Traditional methods of teaching, such as lecture, offer a means of quickly delivering a message but can be better utilized if used in small amounts and by immediately following up with an interactive class activity that reinforces the material presented and promotes the process of active self-education. Several approaches to active learning can be used to help keep students on task and better focused on the learning objectives and outcomes for a course. When students are engaged in the classroom with a reinforcement activity, the retention of the lectured or read material, according to many studies, improves.
As the K-12 environment continues to evolve and incorporate the use of different teaching modes and technologies, students most likely arrive to the university setting with an expectation that the experience will be interactive in nature, with electronic devices integrated into their learning experience. Employers will most likely expect those emerging into their field of study to be proficient, not just with the current forms of technology, but with the ability to independently develop the skills needed to meet the expectations and goals of an organization. With this in mind, it is important that lesson plans are designed to incorporate the tools of active learning and the usage of electronic devices when they support or enhance the learning objectives.
