| Curriculum: Select Instructional Strategies |
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The emphasis first on the curriculum and then on the instructional strategies is based on a concept stated about 150 years ago by an Italian architect who said. "Form follows function." We could develop a tortuous alliteration for our field. but to avoid any ambiguity let us put it in direct terms: "Instructional strategies follow the curriculum." This is not an easy rule to abide by. for the selection of instructional strategies is far from an automatic procedure. There are some general guidelines. which we will explore, but there are so many variations that it is generally impossible to list a particular element of the curriculum and automatically state that there is one way (that is. instructional strategy) to learn that element. Complicating the situation further is the virtual explosion of instructional strategies. It is easy. therefore, to become embroiled in semantic confusion. When looking at any particular learning activity (for example, case study. overhead transparency, or simulation), the temptation is to try to put a label on it. There are still those who argue about what a particular learning experience are many more examples, but the point has been made. No single strategy suffices for all learning situations. Note that such a division suggests a gulf between the teacher and the learner. It negates an often used approach in which roles may be reversed for a brief period. It overemphasizes one-way communication from the teacher to the learner. I propose to use the term instruction (or instructional) to refer to the process that occurs during a learning experience. Therefore the reference to encompasses all the various teaching-aid learning activities as well as the supporting mechanisms that are used by all involved in the experience. Perhaps an equally valid argument could be made for calling these learning and if that term is more acceptable to some readers 1 can only ask that they make the translation in their minds. It would be cumbersome to continually refer to "learning/instructional strategies."
Factors Involve in SelectionThe selection of appropriate instructional strategies becomes more challenging with each passing year. The availability of sources is rapidly increasing as the market for HRD continues to expand. New producers continually enter the field. That is good, for it provides more possibilities, but it does complicate the selection process.The continuing Impact of new technology must also be considered. In the early 1950s. I conducted a study and discovered that for classroom teachers, the 16 mm projector was considered the ultimate in technology. Today that machine has been wonderfully simplified, but there are other technologies that are more threatening, or challenging, depending upon the competency and experience of the Designer. The field has expanded to the point where the Designer may not be the appropriate person to make a decision about a specific instructional strategy. but instead calls upon a specialist who has a wide range of experience with a variety of instructional strategies. There is an trap that the Designer endeavors to avoid, when utilizing an expert In the field of instructional strategies. One organization, which must remain nameless for ethical reasons, found that it was developing instructional programs that required numerous slides. It was a large, multisite, multinational organization, and the: need for the slides was directly related to programs that were produced, in a packaged form. to be sent all over the United States, as well as various parts of the world. It seemed logical, at the time, to hire an instructional strategies person who had competency in the area of slides. They did this, but within months discovered that they needed two people and more equipment! As their slide operation grew, it soon became evident to some that they had experienced that not unusual phenomenon, "If you give person a hammer, it will not be long before d is decided that everything in sight must be hammered!" In the organization, not only was everything reduced to slides, but it meant the exclusion of almost every other mode of presentation from the packages. The HRD director had to actually dismantle this part of the operation before Designers could begin to explore alternative learning strategies. A question that is asked frequently is: "What criteria can I use to select an appropriate instructional strategy?" The assumption buried in the question is that there B a direct one-to-one relationship, when in fact this does not exist. A mixture of variables must be considered. The Designer must identify where a particular unit of a program exists on the scale between any two facts. For example, will the particular instructional units (part of a lesson plan) be individual or group? When the Designer can identify this component, there is some focus on the appropriate instructional strategy. Obviously individual or group is not the only factor that play be considered also the Designer will have to use most of the list in making selections. Though this is time consuming, the end product is certainly worth the effort. As a Designer develops a level of competency in using the list the task becomes easier, but by no means should it be ignored or overlooked. Final selection is based on a combination of factors, and some require much more insight than just. checking a list any list. Let us look at: learning psychology, administration, culture, the instructor, and the learners. |
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