Instructional strategies, according to Alberta Learning, are “techniques teachers use to help students become independent, strategic learners. These strategies become learning strategies when students independently select the appropriate ones and use them effectively to accomplish tasks or meet goals.” The strength of instructional strategies is that they determine how teachers can go about realizing their own teaching objectives and improving their teaching practice. Show
Instructional strategies are derived from different educational theories. Here are some examples of 4 key instructional strategies as identified by Gayla S. Keesse : 1- Direct InstructionThis is what some refer to as the traditional method. Direct instruction is primarily teacher centred and consists of direct lecturing or vertical teaching. It is a form of explicit teaching that consists of repetitive practice, didactic questioning, drill and demonstration. This strategy is particularly useful for ‘providing information, or developing step-by-step skills.' 2-Interactive InstructionAs its name indicates, this strategy consists of creating learning environments conducive to interactions and discussions. It posits that learning takes place through interactive communication of knowledge and this interaction can happen in different forms including: open or closed group discussions, collaborative project work, whole class discussions …etc 3- Experiential learningOne of the seminal works in experiential learning is Dewey’s "Experience and Education". This strategy highlights the primacy of the process of learning over the product of learning. The purpose is to enhance students' motivation and increase their retention rates by connecting classroom learning to their lifeworlds. This can happen through engaging students in reflexive thinking about their own experiences and how to leverage what they learned in the past in new contexts. 4-Independent StudyGayla defines this strategy as “the range of instructional methods which are purposefully provided to foster the development of individual student initiative, self-reliance, and self-improvement. Independent study can also include learning in partnership with another individual or as part of a small group.” Read Gayla’s post for more information on each of these strategies. In my view, the above strategies can be considered macro strategies within which several other micro or sub-strategies can be nested. Now that technology has become an essential component in the learning/teaching equation and after the sudden and transformative change in the way education is being delivered, a change triggered mainly by the current pandemic, the spectrum of instructional strategies has witnessed an exponential growth. Blended learning, flipped learning, hybrid learning, self-directed learning, online learning, are all forms that are more or less in vogue in today's education speak. But again, all of these forms can be considered sub-strategies to be included in the macro instructional categories discussed above. There is no right or wrong strategy. Every strategy emerges to address particular learning and teaching needs within a given context. For those of you interested in digging deeper into the science of instructional strategies, I recommend the following books: 1- How to Differentiate Instruction in Academically Diverse Classrooms , by Carol Ann Tomlinson (Author)"Written as a practical guide for teachers, this expanded 3rd edition of Carol Ann Tomlinson's groundbreaking work covers the fundamentals of differentiation and provides additional guidelines and new strategies for how to go about it. You'll learn
2- Effective Instructional Strategies: From Theory to Practice, by Kenneth D. Moore (Author)3- The New Art and Science of Teaching (More Than Fifty New Instructional Strategies for Academic Success) (The New Art and Science of Teaching Book Series), by Robert J. Marzano (Author)"This title is a greatly expanded volume of the original Art and Science of Teaching, offering a competency-based education framework for substantive change based on Dr. Robert Marzano's 50 years of education research. While the previous model focused on teacher outcomes, the new version places focus on student learning outcomes, with research-based instructional strategies teachers can use to help students grasp the information and skills transferred through their instruction. Throughout the book, Marzano details the elements of three overarching categories of teaching, which define what must happen to optimize student learning: students must receive feedback, get meaningful content instruction, and have their basic psychological needs met." 4- Differentiated Instructional Strategies: One Size Doesn′t Fit All Third Edition, by Gayle H. Gregory (Author), Carolyn M. Chapman (Author)"If you′re in need of a single resource to put differentiated instruction immediately into practice, then follow the lead of 100,000+ teachers and look to Gregory and Chapman′s ground-breaking text. With new strategies, updates throughout, a Common Core lesson-planning template, and a larger format, the third edition is an even richer resource with:
Sources:What is the importance of learning strategies to learning process?Learning strategy instruction focuses on strategies that facilitate the active learning process by teaching students how to learn and how to use what they have learned to solve problems and be successful.
What is instructional strategy in teaching?Instructional strategies are the different methods and plan that instructors use to teach students in their courses. There are several different types of instructional strategies, each with its own unique strengths and weaknesses.
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