Multimodal Teaching: The Importance of Using

Multiple ModelsLinda Barclay

November 13, 2006

Main Idea

Both the direct teaching and situated learning models are useful and necessary for students to acquire useful knowledge of a skill.

Direct Teaching Model

Traditional teaching of concepts as “basic units of knowledge to be accumulated, gradually refined, and combined to form ever richer cognitive structures” by the individual.

(Anna Sfard, 1998).

Direct Teaching Model

Provides for efficient transmission of:Domain informationTechniques used to perform domain tasks

Helps student gain a “wire framework” domain overview

Direct Teaching Model Techniques

LectureDemonstrationPractice or drillWritten text materials

Direct Teaching Model BenefitsTransmission of expert techniquesTransmission of expert understanding

EfficiencyLeads to more comprehensive “wire framework” domain overview

Direct Teaching Model CriticismsDifficult to apply abstract knowledge to everyday contexts (Choi & Hannafin, 1995)

Highly decontextualized and simplified knowledge isolated from its context promotes rigid, incomplete, and naïve understanding. (Choi and Hannafin, 1995)

Learning only occurs in social contexts in which the skill is used. (Lave and Wenger, 1991)

Summary

Direct teaching is useful for quickly transmitting expert information to students and helping students get an overview of the domain, but students may have difficulty transferring this information to real life problems.

Situated Learning

Learning is inextricable from the context in which it occurs. (Lave & Wenger)

Knowledge is at least partially a dynamic by-product of individuals engaged within contexts in which knowledge is naturally embedded. (Choi & Hannafin, Lave & Wenger)

Situated Learning

Students need to engage in similar cognitive activities as experts to develop the skills used by experts. (Lave & Wenger)

These activities should be coherent, meaningful, and purposeful tasks that represent the ordinary practices of the culture. (Choi & Hannafin, Lave & Wenger)

Situated Learning Benefits Concretizes abstract information Applies knowledge to solve real world problems

Allows students to “fill in” their “wire framework” of the domain

May result in meaningful social interaction

Situated Learning CriticismsTaken to an extreme, results in an approach that does not allow for any formal modeling, formal schooling, or conscious thought. “Practice without reflection looks as bad as reflection without practice.” (Choi & Hannafin,1995,p. 33)

Very inefficient skill mastery, leading to student discouragement.

Situated Learning CriticismsWithout systematic instruction in the more abstract principles underlying the skill, the student can fail to quickly develop a “wire framework” overview of the domain, leading to lack of understanding.

Without an adequate abstract “wire framework” overview of the domain, problem solving ability and transfer are limited.

The student fails to become independent of the teacher.

Situated Learning CriticismsExample: Local high school sewing teacher

Authentic context: Make It With Wool Competition Many students worked with teacher in authentic context on authentic projects, and successfully competed in and won the competition.

There was little formal, direct instruction of underlying concepts and principles.

Her students came to me requesting advice on basic skills of which they should have had knowledge.

Students were not able to become independent.

Example: Law School Civil Procedure Class

Instructional Design

Objective: Provide students with opportunity to acquire sufficient useful knowledge to become independent of the teacher.

Hypothesis: Students can better become independent using instructional techniques derived from both models.

The Class

Utah Valley State College Community Education

Beginning Sewing Level 1Seven- to eight- week noncredit course, meeting two hours each week in a sewing classroom

Primarily females between 15 and 45 who have had little or no sewing experience, but want to learn

Instructional Design: Direct Teaching Aspects

Printed manual - verbal and visual information

Formal in-class lectures DemonstrationsPractice

Instructional Design: Situated Learning AspectsReal-life examplesIndividual help from instructorProduction of unique, student selected garments

Teacher-modeled problem solvingImmediate feedback from teacher and peers

Peer problem solvingPeer assistance

Results

Voluntary student evaluation of usefulness and effectiveness of all instruction in two Level 1 classes (Fall 2004, Fall 2005)

n = 3655% response rateMost (75%) completed a usable, attractive garment (vest or elastic waist skirt or pants).

Student Responses

Students’ stated objectives: Read and use commercial patterns Use a sewing machine Perform basic sewing skills

All (100%) achieved their objectives.All (100%) wanted to take additional sewing classes.

84% felt they could make a simple garment on their own by the end of the class.

Student Evaluations: Direct Learning Elements

Mean Student Rankings (1-10):Demonstrations: 9.3Practice Samples: 9.0Small Projects: 8.9Manual: 8.75Lectures: 7.9

Student Evaluations:Situated Learning ElementsMean student rankings (1 to 10):Garment Project: 9.7Individual help from instructor: 9.5

Examples: 8.75Interaction with Other Students: 8.5

Conclusions

Most students were able to become independent of the instructor as determined by:Student production of a usable garment

Student self-evaluation

Most of the students acquired some useful knowledge of the domain.

Conclusions

Students found most of the direct teaching elements as useful as most of the situated learning elements of the instructional design.

Both the direct teaching and situated learning models were useful and necessary for beginning sewing students to acquire useful knowledge.