Module Number and Name:

Module 1

Learning Theories and Teaching strategies

Teaching strategy and teaching method

AC: Explain the difference between teaching strategies and teaching methods.

LO: Be able to implement teaching strategies which build on existing knowledge of the
student.

AC: Analyse a range of teaching strategies.

 LO: Be able to implement teaching strategies which build on existing knowledge of the
student.

I take computer science (Python programming) for Year 8 and 9 students and one of
the main learning outcomes is mastery of programming (coding in python). In most classes,
students need to generate codes using python for given tasks.

To enhance my effective teaching, I am presenting these notes, which describe,

teaching strategy and teaching methods in our teaching environment.

Difference between teaching strategy and teaching method

Teaching Strategy Teaching Method

Teaching Strategy is a long term plan of Teaching method is a systematic / well

action that is designed to achieve a particular structured way of meeting the same goal which
goal. is in our teaching strategy pan.

It has many methods that we use to teach in It has many steps that we use in order
order to facilitate our specific goal. to teach our students in a well organized way.
It would help us to order our classes greater
and better.

Adapts to situations and responding to Set of actions are ordered in a specific pattern
anticipated situations to achieve a complex to achieve our aim.
compound aim .

Actions are arranged in sequential and Actions are arranged in specific procedural
logical method order.

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It selects learning environment that helps It selects learning environment to establish
students to achieve their goals. It generates students’ guiding. It generates effective subject
conductive learning environment for matters to students. Even effective, only
students. limited subject matters are presented to
students.

It is executed and evaluated by setting It is executed and evaluated by presenting

objectives and goals. subject related matter effectively.

The actions or steps used here are not fixed. The actions or steps used here are fixed and it
gives desired result.

It includes pre determined teaching It includes only presentation of specific

objectives, students’ attitudes, behaviours, content.
interests, needs and willingness.

It is a macro approach It is a micro approach

Similarities between teaching strategy and teaching method:

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 Teaching strategies and teaching methods are relatively connected. Without anyone,
other thing cannot be implemented successfully.

 Teaching strategies are the methods that help teachers use to implement the learning
process for students by engaging and giving more practices in a variety of skills, where
teaching methods used in classroom management to achieve the goals of teaching
strategies.

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  The choice of teaching methods depends on which teaching strategy is implemented
on that.

 There are different teaching strategies and teaching methods, which are interrelated to
one another in specific aspects. As per grade level, topic content, classroom
environment and size, both are keeping different ways and techniques.

 Some teaching methods are under the same of different categories of teaching
strategies.

 Teaching strategies include one more combination of teaching methods to run day to
day classroom activities.

 They depend upon learners interest/style, classroom size / environment and material
topics.

 Teaching techniques are a detailed set of guiding for teaching methods to use.

 Both are aiming for effective teaching / learning using variety of techniques.

 Both overcome the issue faced on traditional teaching methods

 Both teaching strategies and teaching methods help us to reach a learning goal.

 Teaching methods emphasis subject matter of which is constructed in teaching

strategies (long term plan).

Teachers are most comfortable for engaging their students in activities using different
teaching strategies which connect with various / same teaching methods.

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 Teachi
Teaching
ng
Method
strategies Class Discussion

Problem solving

Experimen
tal
s Projects

Learning
Cooperativ Demonstration
e learning

Team teaching
Inquiry
based
learning Case studies
Problem
based
learning Field trips
Student
led Peer checking & Peer
classroom
Collaborati
ng Debates
learning
Flipped
Game based lesson
learning

Active Role play

Learning
learning
Guided discovery

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Examining strategies in detail:

Teacher- centred lecture method was usually used in classrooms before. Even the
lecture method is an important teaching technique and it's used to communicate a lot of
information to many learners, we can say many drawbacks over there. For example, it
increases teacher control classroom instead of learners’ centred. And also, it never
encourages students’ feedbacks. So we should look into abilities and capable of other teaching
strategies also.

I use the following teaching techniques to achieve effective teaching.

Cooperative Learning

Active Learning

Experimental Learning

Inquiry Based Learning

Flipped Learning

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Cooperative Learning:

Cooperative Learning is the process of splitting students into small groups to identify a
new idea together and help each other to learn. It encourages small groups of students to
work together to achieve the same goals such as forming learners groups, sharing new ideas,
encouraging teachers & students discussions, and supporting group work.

To implement cooperative learning, we should make sure about the correct plan and
preparation. First of all, we should know the following things:

 How to groups the students

 Whether its proper inter-dependence
 Resolve or avoid group clash among students
 Generate proper assignments and evaluation.

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Active Learning:

Active learning supports students in learning, using more activities like reading,
writing, reflecting, or problem solving. It permits students to read, write, reflect, say, listen in
their own way to proceed towards lesson content using role play, case studies, problem
solving, exercises and other methods. When students actively participate in their classes,
learning will be achieved over there. Active learning strategies attract students to learn using
critical thinking with their own freedom. It can positively improve student learning. Usually,
teaching strategies should be correctly mingled with teaching objectives in each lesson in the
classroom. It can be achieved by selecting appropriate teaching methods which can favour
these teaching strategies. Also here, students assessment grading is a little critical. Grading
must be evaluated by criteria for each assignment depends on the syllabus.

Experimental Learning:

It’s helping students to understand how to apply theory concept in real – world. It
engages students through “LEARNING BY DOING”. Using unlimited activities, hands-on lab
experiments, field exercises and field trips, students can realize the reason for their studies
and they will understand that where to use lesson theories in real time. Also, it encourages
students’ interests and increases their performance.

For example, When a science teacher teaches the lesson “Sun protection” with a lot of
worksheet and lesson notes, most of the students will not understand how is it possible in
real life. While she is taking students to Al Rawabi Dairy Company Al Khawaneej – Dubai to
show the cow protection, students will learn that an automated cooling system to protect
herds from the heat. Also, they will understand that when the temperature goes over 21°C
outside, the system turns on, enabling cows to live a stress-free life. This is more effective and
realistic for the students to understand their theory concept in real life.

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Inquiry Based Learning:

Inquiry-based learning is a learning strategy to encourage students' questions,

thoughts and ideas by sharing their thinking, innovation and ideas to achieve their knowledge
in topics. It is contrasted with the traditional teaching method.

Here teachers are facilitator rather than explain their own knowledge of the topic or
book content to students. It’s mainly using problem solving learning method. It's generally
used in projects and research work.

Flipped Learning:

When we compare the traditional teaching method or a single teacher lecturer method
with flipped learning, students get more conceptual related knowledge and they score more
grades in examination. The statistical analysis says that students perform well in flipped
learning than other traditional lecturer methods. Flipped learning gives positive motivation to
the students to learn any topics.

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Importance of the strategies:

To engage students actively, Digital media such as interactive whiteboards or mobile

devices which display images and videos, which help students visualize new lesson concept.
Also, students research their thinking, which develops autonomy.

Students can use electronic devices such as iPads, tablets in the classroom to save
important lesson notes and videos.

Experimental Learning:

 Students get real world experience: For example, students who major in
computer science may have chances to interact with software companies.
 Students learn their concept with creativity, innovation and new ideas:
Students can apply their creativity in and better way with their concept. Also, they
will find many more solutions to the given task.
 Students increase the execution and performance: For example, the company
trainers who worked in a software company can have better knowledge in coding
than classroom trainers.

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Active Learning:

It has many benefits.

 It is simple and easy to execute.

 More efforts or preparations are not required.
 Gives opportunities to learn through play or games.
 Gives more often and immediate response or feedback to students.
 Encourages students to think, talk and process the topic content freely.
 Generates motivation to learn the topic.

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Inquiry based Learning:

Students can use open learning.

 It does not have a specific target to achieve.

 Encourages students’ individual thoughts and creativity from the given topic.
 Students do not simply study in a routine fashion. They think and discuss their topics
outcomes.
 Unlike the traditional method, students can evaluate the plus points and minus points
of the concept.
 Students identify their values.
 Students understand what they are learning and they can execute in their practice.

Cooperative Learning:

Cooperative learning has more benefits. Here students are starting with a discussion of
the topic by themselves. So they get more focus on the lesson content. It often generates few
issues like noisy or arguments, it has too many advantages.

 Encourage student learning at a mastery level.

 Promotes students’ knowledge to remember and recall as per lesson content
 Improves student viewpoints as per their learning methods.
 Improves and encourages students’ communication skill.
 Eliminate stage fear and talking fear.
 Improves self - esteem

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Flipped Learning:

*Survey says more than 80% of teachers are using flipped strategy in their teaching. It
modifies traditional education method into new technology oriented through multimedia,
online materials, etc.

*Actually, we(teachers) spend more time to bring students’ interest to a specific

lesson. So students are engaged with more topic related content. So, students become more
advanced learners.

*Students feel free to investigate or gather information at home.

*Students get the opportunity to find some more effective data related to the topics
which are missing in the learning content.

*It increases studies through online supports.

* Students are getting the opportunity to learn the topics in their own way or own
style.

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Analyse Teaching strategies:

To design proper teaching strategies in real classrooms, we can achieve knowledge

and behaviour in the classroom.

Cooperative Learning:

It creates a new concept together and helps others to understand. The idea of
cooperative learning is engaging students in reading and writing. Students easily develop
their ideas to write at a mastery level. This is not the process of putting students into any
specific group of students. But here students work together, exchange and share their ideas
and thoughts. Mainly they take extra concentration and responsible to complete their task in
the group. It helps each other in getting the ideas to develop in written communication during
the teaching-learning process.

Active Learning:

In Active learning, students learn and understand more than they think. It involved in
group or team in some situation. Here students work together to share their result and
evaluation. Here the teacher can easily implement discipline. It gives professional real life
experience to the students. If proper advice is not given to any team, it gives a problem
sometimes. Also sometimes, it creates disappointment with some groups, while other groups
scored well. So It is important to generate responsibilities with clear guidance among groups
of what is needed.

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Experimental Learning:

It focuses on the individual learning process. It gives valuable experimental learning

which achieves the student's overall understanding of the concept in a real-life environment.
It encourages observation and reflection. Also, it develops a student’s knowledge to think
about how to improve the way in the given concept. It is using Concrete Experience, Abstract
Conceptualization to achieve Reflective Observation. It is the process of gathering knowledge
and information by direct experiences. So it aims to impress learner’s knowledge in more in
concrete experiences.

Inquiry based Learning:

It concentrates on the improvement of intellectual problem-solving skills using the

scientific process. There are many misunderstanding about inquiry based learning. Some
people think that there is only one solution method of inquiry based on each concept. There
are many aspects, skills and a level are there to engage students in learning. But All the
students are not learning the same amount of content in inquiry based learning lesson.
students must be involved in their study faithfully to achieve their learning goals.

So, students can achieve the following:

 Prepare a different question from different perspectives

 Finding more than one solution for the same task.
 Understand the quality and necessity of the lesson topic.
 Reflect knowledge.

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Flipped Learning:

Flipped learning is a type of blended learning. It increases student engagement in

learning by having students complete readings at home already. Then they execute on live
problem-solving in the classroom.

Here Teacher role is just providing lesson materials and presentations to students to
view at home. So it creates the opportunity for the students to think, find, explore the topic
more, before the class lecturing. So this strategy supports students to participate in class very
actively. Overall, it is student-centred active learning.

Flipped learning strategy is transferring lesson content from face- to - face lecturing to
provide the lesson content as homework before the class.

Due to students watching lesson videos and teacher’s lesson notes before the class, It
produces more interactive learning during class time.

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Relating strategies to practice:

Cooperative Learning:

Generally, many classrooms are resistant to setting up an environment in which

students to be allowed to do free communication with one another. Many of us can think like,
it can create chaos. However, after a few trials of practise, we will be surprised.

More importantly, using cooperative learning, the students are more engaged with
their learning content. We can highly recommend cooperative learning for our students in the
classroom to receive the outcomes of given topics in one convenient environment. We can
talk about group assignments for cooperative learning.

The following learning styles are used here:

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  physical-bodily-kinaesthetic
 visual /spatial
 verbal
 logical / mathematical
 Interpersonal
 Intrapersonal

Active Learning:

Instead of making students attend teacher’s question papers, we can encourage

students to generate brainstorm possible exam questions and answer script for the given
lesson topic. Then we can ask the students to evaluate and investigate their question paper.
This will reflect on students understanding of the topic at all level.

For that, before starting any topic, if we give a minute to students to think about the
topic, It will encourage students to get some ideas and interest in it.

We can use any of the following teaching methods to implement Active learning teaching
strategy in classrooms.

 Think- Pair – share

 Fish bowl

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Experimental Learning:

For example, when a science teacher teaches the lesson “Sun protection” with a lot of
worksheet and lesson notes, most of the students will not understand how is it possible in
real life. While she is taking students to Al Rawabi Dairy Company Al Khawaneej – Dubai to
show the cow protection, students will learn that an automated cooling system to protect
herds from the heat. Also, they will understand that when the temperature goes over 21°C
outside, the system turns on, enabling cows to live a stress-free life. This is more effective and
realistic for the students to understand their theory concept in real life.

Inquiry Based Learning:

For example, when the Computer teacher explains to her students what are expression
and selection using(IF Format), all students can say the general syntax and theory notes given
for that topic. But while using inquiry based learning, students can share their thinking and
ideas of the selection process in their own way. It will express the students to investigate “IF
Format” in a different way in a different situation to relate their outputs in selection(YES/NO)
or (TRUE/FALE). So next time, they can generate code as per the situation given in the task.

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Flipped Learning:

During this online time, we, teachers started to take online classes. We use so many
online teaching methods like Google classroom, Google form, Active learn / Active teach
platforms, which shows us clearly how students performance and understanding increased in
learning.

Also while uploading our lesson videos in YouTube and providing link to the students to
access are affecting students’ learning in mastery level exploring. During regular school hours,
whatever the worksheet, PPT, lesson videos are played in the class lecturing time, few
students used to miss the logic to understand. Now while watching these uploaded lesson
videos repeatedly at home till understanding the topic, the majority of students could realize
that they are getting full knowledge about the topic with full freedom. Even the exam results
on standardized assessments are increased. So these teaching strategies deliver a consistent
standard training and support to the students all around the world.

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References:

 Action Learning – How does it work in practice? MIT Sloan Management. Retrieved
2016-03-16 Archived 2016-03-08 at the Wayback Machine
 Giles, D.E., Jr., & Eyler, J. (1994). "Theoretical roots of service learning in John Dewey:
Toward a theory of service learning." Michigan Journal of Community Service
Learning, Fall, 77-85.
 Hawtrey, Kim. "Using Experiential Learning Techniques". ProQuest 235244213.
 Bing, A. (1989) "Peace Studies as Experiential Education," Annals of the American
Academy of Political and Social Science
 https://www.quizalize.com/blog/2018/02/23/teaching-strategies/
 Gass, Mike (2003). "Kurt Hahn Address 2002 AEE International Conference". Journal of
Experiential Education.
 The Power of Experiential Learning, 4-H Cooperative Curriculum System. Retrieved
2016-03-16 Archived 2016-03-06 at the Wayback Machine.
 Bergmann, J (2018) Supercharge Your Flipped Class with these Five Strategies, Flipped
Learning Review
 Bergmann, J (2018) Creating Homework that Doesn't Suck, District Administration
 Neil, J. (2005) "John Dewey, the Modern Father of Experiential Education",
Wilderdom.com.
 Bergmann, J (2018) Don't Even Think About Doing this on the First Day of School,
Flipped Learning Review
 Starnes, B.A. (1999) "The Foxfire Approach to Teaching and Learning: John Dewey,
Experiential Learning, and the Core Practices." ERIC Digests - ED426826.

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