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10/31/2007

Teaching Techniques, Tools, and MethodsWhat is the most effective method of teaching?

I believe that the answer depends on the goal, the student, the content, and the teacher.

Over the years, in each class I taught, I have used a variety of teaching techniques to be effective in teaching.

Following are some of the techniques I use:

Strengthen writing skills from writing essay, term papers, reports, conference papers, journal papers

Courses I teach fall in social sciences, behavior sciences, and humanities, and this type of courses requires essay and term paper from which students are to be trained for critical thinking.

Papers were graded for the quality of the content and original thinking, and the quality of writing.

Challenge: All of the time, effort, and skills required to correct papers, give feedback, and teach writing is the biggest challenge; however, it is a good training for students and for myself.

Teaching how to learn more from textbooks and reading assignments

In introductory classes, I help students by being explicit about why I chose the particular textbook and what I expect them to learn from it.

Helping students making good use of each textbook is effective in teaching. Texts inside of each chapter and at the end of each chapter, such as Questions for review, Questions for critical thinking, Team exercise, Case incident, are often time being used in my lecture and discussion.

Challenge: I encourage students bring textbook to each class, to make marginal notes, to write down questions as they go, and to carry on an active dialogue with me in class. For those whose English proficiency is low, it is difficult for them to complete reading as requested.

Encouraging collaborative learning, peer learning, cooperative learning

Initiate a variety of types of cooperative learning methods to students: such as student-led discussions, small-group discussion, debate, peer tutoring outside of class, and so on.

Host collaborative coopetition (cooperation and competition) seminars among two to three classes together.

Challenge: Peer learning works better for some students than others. When dealing with ability differences of students, I have to wisely initiate and arrange for a well-planned use of peer learning works.

Engaging linking theory to practice by projects

Initiate the execution of projects in which a student, or group of students, undertakes together and integrate data relevant to important problem in practices.

Students working on a project have to solve real problems and to sue their knowledge in new ways.

Through this project, students are trained to be explicit about their research questions, strategies they plan to use, about their time management, how to monitor their progress. It is a great chance for students to develop strategic learning.

Challenge: Motivation and work habits of students are important. In addition, because of the size of class, there is no sufficient of time to allow students to present their projects in class.

Teaching with cases

In almost every class, I use case method discussions to bring good student involvement.

Case methods--including Harvard cases, video cases, actual descriptions of problem situations in the field, etc.--are to develop student ability to solve problems using knowledge, concepts, and skills relevant to the course.

My role in case method is facilitate discussionquestioning, listening, challenging, and encouraging analysis and problem solving, and proposing hypothetical situations to test the validity of generalizations.

Challenge: The major problem in teaching by cases in large classes involves 1) students capability to read the case within time allowed, 2) it takes much time to involve whole class participations.

Engaging participations by instructional games and role playing

I use games to encourage students to be active participants rather than passive observers.

In OB and HRM classes, I also use role playing for students to improve their responses to certain situations.

Challenge: The major problem in teaching by cases in large classes involves 1) time-consuming for whole class participation, 2) find well-designed games that have been used in enough situations to have the kinks worked out.

Motivating life-long-learning through field work and experiential learning

I have created a broad spectrum of on-the-job experiences, such as cross-university service activities, field work, internships, and cooperative education involving work in business or industry for students.

Students are encouraging to participate in providing services in domestic and international conferences, being a volunteer in seminars, being an intern in related areas.

Teaching through role models experience sharing

Bring in professionals and practitioners in the field from business and industry to give a talk to share their stories of success.

Encourage students to bring in outside experts to form a forum and debate for specific issues/topics.

Challenge: For undergraduate students who do not have much work experience, it is still not easy for them to comprehend the speech by guest speakers. I believe that, all of the techniques described above are more than techniques. What's more involved is administration of the work and the service provided.

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