How do we get there?
Learning is an active process in which the learner constructs meaningful relations between the new knowledge presented in the instruction and the learner’s existing knowledge. A well designed instructional strategy prompts or motivates the learner actively to make these connections between what the learner already knows and the new information (Kemp, Morrison, Ross).
You have been exposed to instructional strategies ever since you started going to school. You have been developing them since you started teaching. An instructional strategy is simply the method of teaching that ensures your students achieve the mastery of the subject matter. In what ways are you going to ensure that your students master the learning objectives? What activities, exercises, projects, etc will you use to aid in the learning process- and how can you make meaningful connections with what your learners already know? This is your instructional strategy.
In regards to online learning, many of the instructional strategies you use in your traditional classroom will transfer over to the online environment. Choosing which strategy to use to achieve mastery of an objective involves knowing what is available technologically, and what has been proven to work and be effective.
In this section, we will talk about the main strategies being used in education today. Below is a list of various instructional strategies we will cover.
- Learning Contracts
- Lectures
- Discussion Format
- Self-Directed Learning
- Mentorship
- Small Group Work
- Project Based
- Case Study
- Forum
*Note: These instructional strategies are used in all forms of education and are not limited to online education.