Types of Instruction

Author David A. Welton discusses strategies and activities for effective teaching in his textbook Children and Their World, in his tenth chapter he mentions the strategies of teacher centered instruction, mixed instruction, role playing, and games. I have seen these types of instruction in all of my time in school.
The first type of instruction Welton mentions is teacher centered instruction, this is one that is perhaps the most common in a college or high school classroom. Teacher centered instruction is a direct instruction approach, and includes note taking, lecture, recitation, and discussion. I have seen the teacher centered instruction during my time at Wright State, and my time in high school.
Welton also mentions the mixed instruction technique, which is a type of instruction that is student centered , but also includes individual group investigation, which is commonly known as the inquiry process with research topics. Mixed Instruction can also include on the spot decision making, where teachers react to the topics that were brought up by students.
The third type of instruction Welton mentions, is role playing. Examples Welton gives are using the author’s chair, where students read to the class. Welton also gives examples of unstructured and structured role playing. Unstructured role playing includes giving a topic for role play but the topic can be open ended however, structured role playing includes positions in government.
Finally, Welton mentions games as another instructional method used in classrooms. Using games as an instructional technique would include using computer games and simulation games. Examples of these include rail west-railroad, and mock trials. I have seen examples of games in many classrooms including college classrooms. Examples of games I have seen include jeopardy, around the world, and the computer game Oregon Trail .
Welton details the different techniques that could be used in the classroom, and gives examples of each. He mentions a variety of instruction techniques that I have seen in a variety of classrooms, and ones that I can see myself using one day.

1 comment November 6, 2008