Twelve Principles of Effective Teaching and Learning (2)

7. Learning is enhanced in an atmosphere of cooperation

Learning is enhanced when it is perceived as a collaborative and cooperative effort between students. The opportunity to share ideas without threat of ridicule and the freedom to respond to the ideas of others increases complexity of thinking and deepens understanding.

8. Material must be meaningful

If new material is presented in a pattern or framework that the learner can perceive, it is more readily learned and retained. New material will be more easily learned if the learner is helped to see its relationship to wahat s/he already knows. Material which is seen by the learner as relevant to his or her own problems and experiences will be more readily learned.

9. Both teaching and learning are enhanced by descriptive feedback

Without feedback neither learner nor teacher can improve because they will not know what they need to know or to what extent they are fulfilling their goals. The learners’ behavior will more quickly reach the objectives if they are informed (or given feedback) frequently about the correctness of their responses. Correct responses should be immediately reinforced to increase the permanence of lerning. A positive reinforcer is anything that will increase the probability that the desired behavior will be repeated. A smile or comment to let the learner know he or she has successfully completed the task is especially good because awareness of successful comletion is, in itself, the most effective of all reinforces.

Feedback about progress is helpful because learning is facilitated when the learner is aware that he or she is progressing towards the goals.

10. Critical feedback is only useful if the learner has alternatives to pursue

There is no use giving teachers or students feedback about their performances unless they can do something about it, that is, unless they have some alternative course of action or behaviour.

11. Time plus energy equals learning

Lectures or seminars that are canceled will not help the learner. Conversely, teachers who arrive at their lecture or small group setting a little before the scheduled time and stay around for a few minute afterward provide opportunities for valuable interaction between students and teachers. Office hours also help students to arrange time to talk with teachers. Students must learn how to organize their time so that they can find time to study. And the curriculum must be organized to allow students time to study.

12. Experience usually improves teaching

Experience is associated with increasing teacher effectiveness for some teachers, probably for those teachers who obtain feedback about their teaching and who are flexible enough to modify their methods in response to the feedback.

Tiberius & Taipping

University of Toronto, 1990