What method(s) will help you accomplish your goals?
Choosing specific teaching methods that will best achieve course and session objectives is one of the most important day-to-day decisions a teacher faces. Knowing what methods are available and what objectives each method is best suited for helps teachers make this decision more easily.
Most people, when asked about teaching methods, start by identifying two main types of instruction—lecture and discussion—these, in effect, are on opposite ends of a continuum with many exciting possibilities in between. Collaborative and problem-solving approaches, for example, are two methods that fall along this continuum; they can be combined and integrated with lecture and discussion in countless creative and effective ways.
Teachers in certain disciplines often lean more heavily toward one end of the continuum or another. The question of which teaching method to use, however, is actually less an issue of discipline—or of class size—than one of purpose. A good rule of thumb is that lectures are an effective mechanism for conveying information about and enthusiasm for a field, whereas problem-solving, small group, and discussion sessions are more effective at developing new skills and changing behavior.
Because virtually all classes require both the acquisition of skills and information as well as the opportunity to apply them, you may find yourself using a combination of both formats within the same course or even within the same class period. For example, a lecture can be used to model problem-solving techniques with input from students, or it can include an interactive question-and answer period followed by small group discussions of the new concept. Becoming more aware of teaching methods and how they might work together can make your decisions about using methods to achieve course objectives more deliberate and effective.