Methods of Teaching

 
l
describe the purpose of cooperative learning groups and the plan they followed to
achieve a learning goal by cooperative work
 
l
identify when to use a lecture, demonstration, or discussion to achieve a
learning goal and describe the essential features of an effective lecture,
demonstration, and discussion
 
l
differentiate a lesson where the teaching method is recitation from a lesson where
the teaching method is discussion, and produce illustrative questions for recitation
and for discussion
 
l
have a written record of a lesson they produced in a cooperative learning group
that was either a lecture, demonstration, or discussion and that includes a peer
critique of the lesson.

---

52
UNIT 1
UNIT 4
UNIT 5
UNIT 3
UNIT 6
UNIT 2
UNIT 7
ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN EDUCATION/B.ED. (HONS) ELEMENTARY
Handouts 
Handout 7 ‘Recitation and Discussion Require Different Questions’
Week 7: Cooperative learning
Sub-topics
• Peer teaching practice
• Rationale for cooperative learning
• Different models of cooperative learning
• Cooperative learning procedures
• Incentive structure of cooperative learning
• Limitations of cooperative learning
• Checklists as assessment devices
NOTE TO FACULTY: The use of peer teaching as a form of teaching practice has become 
more common recently in teacher education programmes around the world. This unit is 
an example of that practice. The methods of instruction to be practised are ancient, dating 
back to early Greek philosophers. Modern interpretations of the methods (e.g. active 
participation by students during a lecture) reflect contemporary learning theories that 
acknowledge learning as the student’s responsibility. This unit was structured to reflect 
another tenet of contemporary learning theories: the opportunity to learn can be enhanced 
by two or more students learning together. Week 7, session 1 is described below. Its pur-
pose is to explain the peer teaching process in detail and introduce cooperative learning 
as a group experience. 
Week 7, session 2 can be used to study cooperative learning; the most efficient way to 
cover this topic is with a lecture. The following website, designed for university faculty 
who teach geosciences, can inform your lecture: http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/
cooperative/index.html. Explore the links to find everything you need to know about 
cooperative learning. (If this URL does not work, try typing ‘cooperative learning’ 
into a search engine to find similar pages.) 
Week 7, session 3 can be used to model how to create a checklist, as this will be needed 
during week 9’s peer teaching practice. Ask two Student Teachers to summarize for the 
class the essential features of cooperative learning based on the lecture about the topic. 
All Student Teachers should take notes on each summary. Organize Student Teachers 
in small groups (three of four Student Teachers per group) and have each group use 
their notes from the summaries to create a checklist for assessing individual and group 
performance during a cooperative learning activity. Have each group post their checklist 
on the wall or board, and as a whole class, create one list from the group lists. 

---

COURSE GUIDE: Methods of Teaching