Traditional Teaching Methods (traditional + teaching_methods)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


STUDENTS, PERCEPTIONS OF WORKSHOP BASED INTRODUCTORY MACROECONOMICS TUTORIALS: A SURVEY

ECONOMIC PAPERS: A JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECONOMICS AND POLICY, Issue 3 2006
AMEETA JAIN
The declining popularity of Economics courses, evident in the last decade, has fuelled a debate on the nature of Economics units and the way in which they are taught in tertiary institutions. The effectiveness of traditional teaching methods has been questioned as ,lecturers search for alternative ways of presenting material and engaging students. In recent times, workshop-based/cooperative tutorials have become more popular in promoting deeper learning. This paper assesses the application of such an approach at a large tertiary institution. It evaluates student perceptions of this tutorial method in an Introductory Macroeconomics first-year unit. An anonymous questionnaire was used. Whilst the sample size is small (n = 56), the results are important in that this is the first such study in Macroeconomics. Students found workshop-based tutorials useful, preferred them over lecture style tutorials, and found that they fostered inclusivity. The importance of tutorials per se, is reiterated. Students state that tutorials are an important adjunct to lectures. This study also looks at students' study habits: finding that on average they spend less than one hour per week studying Economics and most prepare only occasionally for tutorials. The sample studied indicates that there are notable differences in the perceptions of tutorials and teaching methods between the genders and between local and international students. This may impact on the way in which tutorials are conducted effectively. [source]


Dental undergraduate expectations and opinions of Web-based courseware to supplement traditional teaching methods

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 3 2003
R. Eynon
The rapid growth of Internet for the delivery of information has enabled teaching materials to be placed on websites allowing student access to course material. It is the aim of this paper to evaluate a cohort of dental undergraduate students who have used Web-based courseware in prosthetic dentistry for a semester. A questionnaire was distributed to clinical undergraduate students prior to the use of the prosthetics course to determine their experience of using the World Wide Web (WWW) and their expectations of an online course. A second questionnaire was distributed at the end of 6 months which asked about their usage and opinions of the prosthetics Web-based courseware. The main concerns raised at the beginning of the course were related to computer access, the ability to use computers, the time involved and their conception that the e-course would be an additional burden. The main potential benefits were perceived to be convenience, availability of information and the ability to reinforce or catch up on aspects of the module they did not understand or had missed. Feedback at the end of the year showed that most students had accessed the Web-based courseware site at least once a month and, generally, their comments were favourable, dispelling some of the initial perceived fears. They felt that the website was a quick and convenient way to access information and was a good additional resource. Access to the site and printing information were the main problems raised by the students who had to use a shared cluster. In conclusion, Web-based courseware was felt to be a useful additional resource for students. However, this research showed that sufficient computers and printers must be available for such a resource to become an integrated part of the dental course. [source]


The effects of Common Knowledge Construction Model sequence of lessons on science achievement and relational conceptual change

JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 1 2010
Jazlin Ebenezer
Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Common Knowledge Construction Model (CKCM) lesson sequence, an intervention based both in conceptual change theory and in Phenomenography, a subset of conceptual change theory. A mixed approach was used to investigate whether this model had a significant effect on 7th grade students' science achievement and conceptual change. The Excretion Unit Achievement Test (EUAT) indicated that students (N,=,33) in the experimental group achieved significantly higher scores (p,<,0.001) than students in the control group (N,=,35) taught by traditional teaching methods. Qualitative analysis of students' pre- and post-teaching conceptions of excretion revealed (1) the addition and deletion of ideas from pre- to post-teaching; (2) the change in the number of students within categories of ideas; (3) the replacement of everyday language with scientific labels; and (4) the difference in the complexity of students' responses from pre- to post-teaching. These findings contribute to the literature on teaching that incorporates students' conceptions and conceptual change. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 47: 25,46, 2010 [source]


Understanding fatty acid metabolism through an active learning approach

BIOCHEMISTRY AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY EDUCATION, Issue 2 2010
M. Fardilha
Abstract A multi-method active learning approach (MALA) was implemented in the Medical Biochemistry teaching unit of the Biomedical Sciences degree at the University of Aveiro, using problem-based learning as the main learning approach. In this type of learning strategy, students are involved beyond the mere exercise of being taught by listening. Less emphasis is placed on transmitting information and the focus is shifted toward developing higher order thinking (analysis, synthesis, and evaluation). However, MALA should always involve clearly identified objectives and well-defined targets. Understanding fatty acid metabolism was one of the proposed goals of the Medical Biochemistry unit. To this end, students were challenged with a variety of learning strategies to develop skills associated with group conflict resolution, critical thinking, information access, and retrieval, as well as oral and written communication skills. Overall, students and learning facilitators were highly motivated by the diversity of learning activities, particularly due to the emphasis on correlating theoretical knowledge with human health and disease. As a quality control exercise, the students were asked to answer a questionnaire on their evaluation of the whole teaching/learning experience. Our initial analysis of the learning outcomes permits us to conclude that the approach undertaken yields results that surpass the traditional teaching methods. [source]