Hi folks: How much variety do you all have in your classroom instructional techniques? The other day I had a 2 students tell me that they found one of my previous classes boring and monotonous because I used the same instructional format throughout the semester (why these students felt the need to tell me this is perhaps another thread altogether). It was a theories of counseling class. We spent about three class sessions for each of the major theories. The first class session was generally a lecture and large group discussion on the particular counseling theory and techniques. The second class session was usually devoted to watching a video demonstrating the counseling theory (usually stopping the video at several points to discuss how the theory and techniques were being applied). The third class session was usually devoted to a more in-depth study of some aspect of the theory. This third class session usually revolved around small group activities and discussions followed by large group processing of the small group experiences. I've been wondering about the validity of this student's criticism and deciding what, if anything, I should do about structuring my classes. I realized that most of my classes have a fairly consistent structure. My large intro classes usually involve lectures with powerpoint assistance with activities and demonstrations interspersed. But there are very few small group discussions when I teach large intro classes. I'm teaching an upper-level child psychology course right now with 6 students that consists almost exclusively of small group interactions. My abnormal psychology class usually consists of lecture, discussion, and watching a video for each disorder. In other words, depending on the nature and size of the class, I find that there is usually one particular type of instructional format. My questions for you: Do you have variety in your instructional formats or do you follow a particular instructional format for each class throughout the semester. I can see that having some flexibility can keep student interest, but I can also see that not having a consistent format or structure could create confusion or anxiety for other students. My perspective is that some instructional formats are more conducive to particular classes. What does the research show about this? Rod
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