Direct Instruction
Direct instruction is a teaching approach that breaks down skills into simpler components, engages the learner to participate, requires mastery of each simpler step before moving forward onto more difficult components, and will only be a successful teaching method if the instructor follows the teaching approach correctly (Louden, 2014). Louden (2014) suggests that direct instruction falls under the behaviourist learning theory. The link between direct instruction and the behaviouristic theory lies within the very important key factor of motivation. To obtain successful direct instruction, teachers must motivate their students to build upon background knowledge, explain to the students what skills they are expected to learn, model the expected product, and provide guided practice (undefined [TeachLikeThis], 2013).
I would argue that this approach does align with our chosen topic, growth mindset. First, it would be important to gather information on how much background knowledge the learners have on topics related to a growth mindset. According to (undefined [TeachLikeThis], 2013), this would be the time to explain the ‘What?’, and the ‘Why?’ of the lesson. What do these learners previously know about a growth mindset that could help build the current foundation? Do they know why it is important? Next, we would provide the learners with the ‘How?’ (undefined [TeachLikeThis], 2013). This is where we would break down the skill (in this case, understanding growth mindset) into components. Make sure to clearly state each step, with the intended goals of how to achieve them. Once we have gone through each step, the instructor should model or provide a model with the finished product, including steps on how the final product is achieved. Here, it would be in the form of a written piece on information regarding growth mindset. Once all steps have been successful, we then provide the learners with guided practice. Here is where we would provide a written passage with true/false statements regarding growth mindset. An accomplished student should be able to identify the true statements regarding growth mindset from the false (undefined [TeachLikeThis], 2013).
Comments
Thank you for your insights into the direct instruction approach. Great job connecting this method with Behaviourism and the topic of your learning resource – Growth Mindset. Direct instruction usually helps learners achieve lower division outcomes of Bloom’s taxonomy at “remember” and “understand” levels. If your course goals are to help students “apply” the knowledge/skills/concepts, you may also want to consider experiential learning, for example.
For some reason, your comments section is missing in Blog 3, so I post here. Excellent overview of the inclusive design strategies to ensure that your learning resource meets the needs of diverse learners. I wonder if self-paced delivery would help Grade 4 students achieve their learning goals. I believe they need adults to direct their learning at this age so that they can stay focused on the learning tasks. Who would take that role if the teacher is not physically/virtually present?