Increasing Effectiveness of Teaching

Excellent teachers have one thing in common – a passion to keep improving their abilities. One does not
arrive at being an expert teacher. The drive toward excellence is an ongoing process that continues
throughout the teacher’s entire professional life.

Techniques to Enhance the Effectiveness of Verbal Presentations

Present Information Enthusiastically

Try to vary the quality and pitch of his or her voice

Use variety of gestures and facial expressions
Change position if necessary to make direct and frequent eye contact with everyone in the
group
Demonstrate as ardent interest in the topic to attract and fascinate an audience

Include Humor

Used as a technique to grab, arouse, and maintain the attention of the learner
Establishes an atmosphere that allows for human error without embarrassment
Encourages freedom and comfort to explore alternatives in the learning situations
Reduces anxiety when dealing with sensitive material

Exhibit Risk-Taking Behavior

Encourages learner to reach their own conclusions about controversial issues

Deliver Material Dramatically

Connects the educational material directly to the learner’s life experiences so that information is
made more understandable and relevant
Involves the learner and can leave a profound, lasting impression that can be recalled vividly and
can be drawn upon when faced with a real situation

Choose Problem-Solving Activities

Immerses the learners in activities to help them develop problem-solving skills

Designed to help nursing staff members and students develop critical-thinking and collaborative
skills
Helps patients with chronic conditions to know how to respond to changes demanded by their
condition

Serve as a Role Model

Expanding one’s own knowledge base gives credence to what is taught and gains confidence of
learners in the teacher’s expertise.
 Educators are seen as credible role models when they are actively engaged in scholarly activities
and have advanced credentials to teach complex skills.

Use Anecdotes and Examples

Uses stories and examples of incidences and episodes to illustrate points

Use Technology

Broadens and add variety to the opportunities for teaching and learning
Assists the teacher in helping learners meet their individual needs and styles of learning
Technology has the potential for making the teaching-learning process more convenient,
accessible, and stimulating.

General Principles for All Teachers

Give Positive Reinforcement

Acknowledging ideas, actions, and opinions of others will encourage learners to participate
more readily or try harder to improve their performance.
Rewarding even a small success can instill satisfaction in the learner; Reproval, on the other
hand, will dampen motivation and cause learners to withdraw.

Project an Attitude of Acceptance and Sensitivity

The teacher should be believable, trustworthy, considerate and competent; exhibit self-
confidence and self-respect; and exercise patient and sensitivity.
People will learn better in a comfortable and supportive environment

Be Organized and Give Direction

Material should be logically organized, objectives clearly defined and presented upfront, and
directions given in a straight-forward, specific, and easily understood manner.

Elicit and Give Feedback

Feedback should be a reciprocal process.

A strategy to give information to the learner as well as to receive information from the learner

Use Questions

One of the means for both the teacher and the learner to elicit feedback about performance
Helps to clarify or substantiate concepts, assess what the learner already knows about the topic,
stimulate interest in a new subject, or evaluate the leaner’s mastery of the predetermined
objectives.
Know Your Audience

Skilled teachers adapt themselves to a teaching style appropriate to the subject, setting, and
various styles of the learners.

Use Repetition and Pacing

Repetition is a technique that strengthens learning.

Reinforces learning by aiding in the retention of information
Pacing refers to the speed at which information is presented.
Should be slow enough for assimilation of information, yet fast enough to maintain interest and
enthusiasm

Summarize Important Points

Gives perspective on what has been covered, how it relates to the objectives, and what you
expect the learner to have achieved

Development of Teaching Plans

After mutually agreed-upon goals and objectives have been written, it should be clear what the learner
is to learn and what the teacher is to teach. A predetermined goal and related objectives serve as a basis
for developing a teaching plan.

The three major reasons for constructing teaching plans are:

1. To force the teacher to examine the relationship among the steps of the teaching process to
ensure a logical approach to teaching, that can serve as a map for organizing and keeping
instruction on target.
2. To communicate in writing and in an outline format exactly what is being taught, how it is being
taught and evaluated, and the time allotted for accomplishment of behavioral objectives. If this
is done, not only is the learner aware of and able to follow the action plan, but, just as
importantly, other healthcare team members are informed and can contribute to the teaching
effort with a consistent approach.
3. To legally document that an individual plan for each learner is in place and is being properly
implemented. Also, the existence of current teaching plans is essential evidence required by
healthcare agencies and organizations to satisfy mandates for institutional accreditation.
Teaching plans can be presented in a number of different formats to meet institutional requirements or
the preference of the user, but all parts must be included for the teaching plan to be considered
comprehensive and complete. A teaching plan should consist of the following eight basic elements
(Ryan & Marinelli, 1990):

1. The purpose
2. A statement of the overall goal
3. A list of objectives (and subobjectives, if necessary)
4. An outline of the related content
5. The instructional method(s) used for teaching the related content
6. The time allotted for the teaching of each objective
7. The instructional resources (materials/tools and equipment) needed
8. The method(s) used to evaluate learning

Sample Teaching Plan Format

PURPOSE:
GOAL:

Objectives
Content Method of Time Allotted Method of
and Resources
Outline Instruction (in min.) Evaluation
Subobjectives

Internal consistency is the major criterion for judging the integrity of a teaching plan.

A teaching plan is said to be internally consistent when all of its eight parts are related to one another.
Adherence to the concept of internal consistency requires that the domain of learning of each objective
must be consistently reflected across each of the elements of the teaching plan, from purpose all the
way through to the end process of evaluation

Example (adapted from Ryan and Marinelli’s self-study module, Developing a Teaching Plan):

If the educator has decided to teach to the psychomotor domain, then the goal, objectives and
subobjectives, related content, and so on should be reflective of the psychomotor domain.

Purpose: To provide the client with the information necessary for monitoring blood glucose.

Goal: The client will demonstrate the ability to test for blood glucose on a regular basis.

Objective: Following a 20-minute teaching session, the client will be able to use a reagent strip,
Chemstrip bG, to determine blood glucose level with 100% accuracy.
 Subobjective: The client will be able to assemble all necessary to test for blood glucose using a
reagent strip without assistance.

Another aspect of internal consistency that must be considered identified by Ryan and Marinelli (1990)
is related to the complexity of objective. The educator must determine the detail of the content
depending on the data obtained during assessment of the learner. The client’s readiness to learn,
learning needs, and learning style, must be taken into consideration when deciding the amount and
depth of information to be taught. For example, the focus for teaching a low-level learner would be to
concentrate on the need to know information. This would ensure that a skill can be performed safely
without overwhelming the learner. By comparison, a high-level learner can handle and may desire
additional nice to know information.

Use of Learning Contracts

Learning contracts are “based on the principle of the learners being active partners in the teaching-
learning system, rather than passive recipients of whatever it is that the teacher thinks is good for them”
(Atherton, 2005).

It is defined as a written (formal) or verbal (informal) agreement between the teacher and the learner
that delineates specific teaching and learning activities that are to occur within a certain time frame. A
learning contract is a mutually negotiated agreement, usually in the form of a written document drawn
up by the teacher and the learner, that specifies what the learner will learn, the resources needed, how
learning will be achieved and within what time allotment, and the criteria for measuring the success of
the venture (Keyzer, 1986; Knowles, Holton, & Swanson, 1998; McAllister, 1996).

Components of the Learning Contract (Knowles, 1990; Wallace & Mundie, 1987):

Content – specifies the precise behavioural objectives to be achieved.

Performance expectations – specify the conditions under which learning activities will be
facilitated, such as instructional strategies and resources.
Evaluation – specifies the criteria used to evaluate achievement of objectives, such as skills
checklists, care standards or protocols, and agency policies and procedures of care that identify
the levels of competency expected of the learner.
Time frame – specifies the length of time needed for successful completion of the objectives.

Sample Learning Contract Format

Name of Learner:
Name of Educator:
Name of Preceptor (if applicable):
Date of Contract Negotiated:
Terms of Contract:
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Objectives

Lists cognitive,
affective, and
psychomotor
behaviours
mutually agreed
on and intended
to be achieved

Signatures:
Activities

Lists teaching-
learning
strategies and
resources to be
used to achieve
the objectives

(Learner)

Steps to Implement the learning Contract

Evaluation

Lists the criteria

to be used to
measure learning
demonstrated
Target Date

Lists a realistic
time frame for
achievement of
expected
outcomes(s)

(Educator)
Completion date

Specifies the
dates that each
objective is
accomplished

(Preceptor)

The following steps apply to establishing and carrying out a learning contract for any type of learner:

Name of Learner:
Name of Educator:
Name of Preceptor (if applicable):
Completed Learning Contract
Date of Contract Negotiated:
Terms of Contract: Employee will increase work efficiency at place of employment by 20% within
2months

Objectives Activities Evaluation Target Date Completion date

Improve time Read articles and Report on

management and books on topic knowledge
organizational acquired
skills to increase Interview three
productivity by managers on how Performance of
20% to organize work productivity
and manage time observed with
feedback from
Observe a observer
productive
colleague for one
day, noting
techniques used

Signatures: (Learner) (Educator) (Preceptor)