As the slide presentation noted, A-T instruction is making a comeback via Podcasts & Vodcasts. I think it's a valuable addition to almost any teaching format -- I've had several students over the years who use tape recorders to record what happens in the classroom, and then play the tapes back to themselves as they go over notes and practice activities at home. For those students, being able to revisit the class has made a huge difference in retention and comprehension. Including an A-T presentation for this purpose would be worthwhile for most any content area.
There's still a large part of me that thinks A-T presentations should be limited to just supplementing what happens within a more traditional learning environment, and should not be the sole means of instruction. For example, if ECI 517 was limited to watching PowerPoint presentations and completing mini-quizzes, I think we students would feel that we only accomplished part of our learning objectives. However, integrating A-T presentations along with projects and group discussions goes a long way into making the course seem well-rounded.
The success of A-T-presentations really seems to depend on the content area of the instruction. As the Kulik study noted, some students experienced higher retention, comprehension of material, and satisfaction using the A-T approach, whereas others succeeded more in a traditional classroom setting. If we go with the A-T approach in developing instruction for certain content areas, we need to make sure that the format of instruction matches the goals, and that we aren't limiting the learning that takes place.
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Hi Paul.
ReplyDeleteI was immediately turned off my the A-T approach, but after reading the first paragraph of your post, I started giving it a little more thought. My son, a cellist, takes his ipod with him to his lessons each week. Often his teacher goes over techniques in great detail. When he gets home (especially if a day or two goes by before he sits down to practice) he often cannot remember everything she said. Having access to the recorded lesson really helps him a lot. So, yes, I can see where this approach would very beneficial for retention and comprehension. Thanks for raising that point.
I also like what you said about supplementing instruction with audio, i.e. using it as appropriate (in line with the goals and objectives) alongside other methods of instruction. IMHO, that sentiment goes for each instructional method and strategy - educators must be careful not to use a particular method just because it's what we're comfortable with or what has been done before, but really focus on what would work best for the particular situation.
ReplyDeletePaul, I agree that AT methods are better used as supplemental lessons. I do not think that I would like to have to cycle through the three phases for an entire course. Good point.
ReplyDeleteKaren Hughes