Dealing with the Challenges of Teaching large Groups .
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Transcript of Dealing with the Challenges of Teaching large Groups .
Dealing with the Dealing with the Challenges of Challenges of Teaching large Teaching large
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Dealing with the Dealing with the Challenges of Challenges of Teaching large Teaching large
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20082008
Problems of teaching a large Group
• Over view
– Introducing MMM132– Why large Group teaching is
problematic?-Brookfield’s (1995) critical reflection
process
MMM132- Management unit
• Run across all semester• Largest unit in Deakin• First yr core management unit • Popular elective subject • 2 one hr lecture, 1 hr tutorial• 1500+ students in Sem, 2, 2007
Problems of teaching a large Group
Large Group Teaching- Why it is problematic?
• Lack of engagement• Lack of motivation• Problems of anonymity • etc, etc
Challenges of Diversity of the student cohort?
Critical reflection Process
• Brookfield’s (1995) critical reflection process
Self Reflection process
Autobiography as a teacher and learner
Students’ eyesExisting literature
Colleagues Experiences
Critical reflection (contd)
• Autobiography as a teacher and learner - ‘Well prepared’ for confidence-teaching strategies influenced by my
experiences as a learner- build a ‘trusted’ relationship with he students
Critical reflection: Autobiography as a teacher
and learner (contd)
• Strategies used:– Addressing students by their names– Asking open-ended questions– Focus on two way communication– Using MCQ and True/False questions – Summarizing the main point– Pausing after every 20 mins
Critical reflection (contd)
• Students eyes– seeing ourselves through student’s eyes is
one of the most consistently surprising elements in any teachers career’ ( Brookfield, 1995: 32)
• Challenges
Critical reflection Students’ eyes (contd)
• Strategies:– We want to learn from you– Discussing how they will learn in the unit– Showing interest– Explaining things– Making the subject interesting– Understanding the problem of students
Critical reflection (contd)
• Colleagues’ experience
• Strategies:– Using MCQ/ True/false questions – Walking up the isle– Design of DSO site – Adopting multimedia– Responding to student queries
Critical reflection (contd)
• Existing Research‘There is no one way to teach a large class. We have to take into account our teaching style, the characteristics of our students and the goals and objectives of our course’ (Handbook for Teaching Large Class, 2000).
Critical reflection: Existing Research (contd)
• Strategies– pause after every 15-20 mins (Biggs, 2003;
Mc keachie, 2003) – using self-addressed questions (Biggs, 2003)– small individual activities– ‘less is more approach’ (Ramsden, 2003)– catering to different learning styles (Fedler,
2005)
Concluding points• Large group teaching has
challenges but these can be addressed to a large extent if we use Brookfield's self reflection process.