Methods, Techniques and Tools in Teaching

Presented by

ROBERT GAGNE: A Backgrounder

is best known for his Nine Events of Instruction. He was born in 1916 in North Andover, Massachusetts. In 1937, he earned his A.B. from Yale University. After receiving his Ph.D. from Brown University in psychology in 1940, he taught at Connecticut College for Women and Pennsylvania State University.

1st EventGain Attention (Motivation)

Pique the learners' interest in the subject.

1st Event: Gain Attention continued

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedReason 1:

Research revealed that students concentration span is only within 3 5 minutes.

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedReason 2:Studies also show that during a 20 minute lecture, students retain approximately 70% of what is presented in the first ten minutes, but only 20% of what is presented in the last ten minutes, and less thereafter. The bottom line is, students need help retaining what is presented to them.

1st Event: Gain Attention continued

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedTHE PROBLEM FACED BY AN INSTRUCTOR IS NOT ONLY HOW TO GAIN FIRST A LEARNER'S ATTENTION but how to hold it throughout a course or lesson. The goal is to spend more time directing students attention than attaining it. According to Keller attention can be gained in two ways - perceptual arousal and inquiry arousal (Keller, 1983) Perceptual arousal comes from using surprise or uncertainty to gain interest. Inquiry arousal stimulates curiosity by posing challenging questions or problems to be solved.

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedJohn W. Keller in his ARCS Model of Motivational Design describes six strategies for gaining and maintaining attention.

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedStrategies for gaining and maintaining attention:1. Concreteness2. Incongruity and Conflict3. Humor4. Variability5. Participation 6. Inquiry

1st Event: Gain Attention continued1. ConcretenessThe first strategy is to use specific examples to grab your learner's interest. This may be by using distinct visual stimuli (actual object or model) related to the topic or to introduce or highlight a topic by using examples such as stories or biographies. The goal is to grab your learner's attention by tying the topic to concrete examples.

1st Event: Gain Attention continued2. Incongruity and ConflictUsing this strategy instructors may pose facts or statements that run contrary to their learner's previous experiences, or play devils advocate while discussing the subject to be covered. The goal is to stimulate interest by taking a novel or contradictory point of view while exploring a topic.

1st Event: Gain Attention continued

1st Event: Gain Attention continued

1st Event: Gain Attention continued

1st Event: Gain Attention continued3. Humor This strategy may involve using a joke as an introduction to your material or using a pun or a running gag while delivering material. You want to break up monotony and maintain interest by lightening up the subject. Just remember that your goal is to hold your learner's attention, not to become a stand up comedian. Too much humor may distract from your main topic.

Never settle on green or below-the-belt-joke for humor sake, it only cheapens the presentation.

Never settle on green or below-the-belt-joke for humor sake, it only cheapens the presentation.

1st Event: Gain Attention continued4. VariabilityAn instructor may use variability by incorporating a combination of methods in presenting material. An example would be to have the learners read an article or watch a video, then divide the classroom into groups to review the material and to answer questions posed by it. By using a change in the instructional format you can both stimulate and maintain interest in a subject.

1st Event: Gain Attention continued5. Participation This strategy may involve learners role playing or the use of games or simulations to get them involved in the material. It also may involve hands on learning by students working in a lab or teaming up to do research.

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedGame

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedParticipationGames and simulations are often referred to as experimental exercises because they provide unique opportunities for students to interact with a knowledge domain.

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedGame: A competitive activity that involves certain skills and it is played under a set of rules for the amusement of the players, which compete for points or other advancements that indicate that they are outperforming other players.Simulation: A conscious attempt to represent a real life situation in which participants take on roles that would enable them to see how a particular situation might unfold.

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedAcademic GamesAcademic games are those used in the classroom. These games should not teach students strategies that involve questionable ethics. Academic games should not allow luck or chance to determine the outcome of the game. Winning in academic games should depend on knowledge of subject-matter and on problem-solving skills (Edens & Gredler, 1990).

1st Event: Gain Attention continued

1st Event: Gain Attention continued6. InquiryInquiry is used to stimulate curiosity by posing questions or problems for students to solve. It may involve students brainstorming to come up with solutions to the lesson or letting them select topics for projects that they already have interest in.

1st Event: Gain Attention continuedConclusionAs you can see there are a variety of strategies to use when attempting to gain or sustain your learner's attention. Gaining your learner's attention is relatively easy; the key is to grab and then maintain their attention at an optimal level, having them neither bored by the instruction nor overstimulated by it. The strategy selected should focus on the task at hand and not distract or confuse your subjects.

2nd EventInform Learners of ObjectivesLet the learners know what they will be learning. Example: Today, we will learn how to use a sphygmo.

3rd EventRecall Prior Knowledge (Review/Schema)

Get the learners to think about what they already know.

3rd Event: Recall continuedAfter gaining their attention, the instructor would then need to retain the student's attention. The relevance factor involves relating the information to the student's previous experiences. This allows the student to make a connection and thus their attention is retained and enhanced.

First picture shows the effect of the teacher relating the instruction to the student's prior knowledge. The second picture shows the effect of the teacher not relating the math to what the student learned last year.

4th EventPresent Material (Discussion)Teach the topic. Example: Discuss the mechanical components of the sphygmo. Show learners how to use the gadget.

5th EventProvide Guided Learning (Supervised Activity)Help the learners follow along as the topic is presented. Example: Model a step-by-step BP taking

6th EventElicit Performance (Practice)Ask learners to do what they have been taught. Example: Ask the students to perform a dyad activity on BP taking.

7th EventProvide Feedback (Monitoring)Inform learners of their performance. Example: Go around the classroom to observe and help learners.

8th EventAssess Performance (Evaluation)Evaluate learners on their knowledge of the topic. Example: Examine learners' attempt to BP reading. If correctly done, they get some points.

9th EventEnhance Retention and TransferAid learners in remembering and applying the new skill. Example: Bring learners to a community outreach or simply a return demo.