Dear Amir,

No formal lecturing. Group discussion based on food for thought and critical thinking!

Dear Amir,

I don´t want to give a general statement. My technique is in first order humor, changes in didactic and understanding of students problems. No formalism or strict behaviour.

Dear Amir,

No formal lecturing. Group discussion based on food for thought and critical thinking!

Dear @Amir, in the last years, I have to teach graduate courses at the afternoon period; it is really first priority to keep the students awake and focused. Therefor, as dear @Hanno said in his comment, the techniques of humor, interactive, and direct eye contact with the students have the highest priority.

Dear Amir,

I deeply respect all my friend Marwan's opinions, and I value the Socratic (discussion) method above all others as a teaching device. But flexibility should indeed be the rule.

 In certain circumstances, formal lectures, at least in part, are indispensable.  I remember teaching as a visiting professor in Brazil. Since Brazilian classes are so often taught in the form of lectures, if you wait for a student response, it may never come. So I started my course as a formal lecture, then gradually moved to a Socratic dialogue with student response. Initially there was also a language barrier: I had been hired to teach in Spanish. However, my students begged me to teach them in their native Portuguese.  Because Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese are so close, I was able to teach myself Portuguese in a week,  and this fact also encouraged student responses. 

There is no one best method of teaching all the time. Mostly, I prefer using lecture with discussion which allows the lecture to be interactive. Also, I use exercises that allow creative thinking for new ideas and encourage full participation.

I take all forms of teaching as important and appropriate for particular subjects and levels. There are cases where lecture is important, at times group discussion is indispensable and demonstration is an imperative for technical teachings. In teaching graduate courses of mathematics for instance, both lecture and class discussions of critical thinking are good combinations to see how the would be researchers think critically to address issues of higher level abstractions.   

Dear All,

A have too many and variegated subjects furthermore the number of classes is too little thus often I have to speak with the rapidity of an express because the students have not even textbooks (there is only one usable Hungarian agricultural entomology textbook which cannot be got). The entomology is a very detailed subject which from point of view of students seems to be boring, the ecology is too difficult and most of them cannot understand it, thus I have to “fight” for the attention and against the running of time. Frankly spoken, I have no time to reflect on teaching methodology.

Ecletic is the word. I like PBL (problem  based learning),  group discussion. Role play, learning tbrougb music. It all will depende on the students. This is why for me the evaluation of the teaching method daily is so important. Teaching without it is like something close to a fortune Teller having to guess how the next class will be. I like using games too.

I use mix of white board, LCD, Discussion on critical issues, lecturing, etc. It depends on topic to be covered for the MBA students. I use different method to teach the research scholars i.e. discussing the good research papers published on the topic.

Hi,

I believe in communicative teaching.

There are various types of learners including

• visual learners 
• kinesthetic learners 
• auditory learners 
• stress learners 
• ease learners 
• scribble learners 
• trust learners 
• teach learners 
• copy learners 

Therefore, I intend to mix all these to ensure the learning process. Students are required to provide presentations before the lecture, and usually discussions and evaluation takes half of the time of the class.

I agree with Hanno and Abdallah comments and believe in challenging student thinking. I raise issue that they like to solve and trigers discussion. 

I handle Master's Level course, the flow is

• Content
• Comprehension facilitation
• Application orientation
• Group Participation
• Peer Learning
• Demonstrations
• Documentation

Since I am teaching mathematics, I try enhance the formal way of teaching mathematics, with historical remarks, biographical notes, humour, and enlighten the teaching by giving conceptual explanations, with the final objective to demystify the subject. 

Using a teaching method, you must grasp at any time, if you have your students with you or not. In the extreme case, there is a mystic communication, and teacher   and students make one communication channel!

The general strategy is to win the students, and then pass some difficult points more easily. 

Dear @Amir, I do apply different teaching techniques and lab approach. As suggested, face-to-face approach in small groups with many interactions brings better results!

I use mix of white board, slides, discussion on critical issues, and giving practical examples whenever possible. For graduate courses, discussing the research articles and seminars given by students  are on the menu!

Teaching is an art in which the teacher ought to transfer knowledge in an efficient way. A good teacher will not follow the sender-receiver method in a monotonous way. There has to be diversification of activities in the classroom. One may start the lecture by an interesting question which gains full attention since curiosity is the main driving force for learning. Then the lecturer moves on to comment on the answers if there are any. Next, comes writing on the board & asking for explanation or giving clarification. It is essential to develop in the students the capacity for innovation, deductive reasoning, and creative thinking.

Sometimes, the teacher ought to give false information as a tool for finding out who is awake. If the students do not oppose, then the falsehood is negated with an aim at encouraging analysis, brainstorming, and critical thinking.

In all the times of the lectures, there has to be variations in activities with an unpredictable mechanism until the teacher becomes satisfied about the output by the end of the semester.

I do not believe in sitting on a chair while teaching even if the LCD is operating. It is comfortable to sit & point at the slides with a laser but I like to become tired & I hate to see the students sleeping or pretending to follow up.

There are six teaching techniques we should know. They are: 1. Flipped Classroom (Inverting your class): The Flipped Classroom Model basically involves encouraging students to prepare for the lesson before class. 2. Design Thinking (Case Method): This technique is based on resolving real-life cases through group analysis, brainstorming, innovation and creative ideas. Although “Design Thinking” is a structured method, in practice it can be quite messy as some cases may have no possible solution. 3. Self-learning: The key is to let students focus on exploring an area which interests them and learn about it for themselves. 4. Gamification: Learning through play or ‘Gamification‘ is a learning technique that can be very effective at any age. It is also a very useful technique to keep students motivated. 5. Social Media: Students today are always connected to their social network and so will need little motivation to get them engaged with social media in the classroom. The ways you can use this method of teaching are quite varied as there are hundreds of social networks and possibilities. 6. Free Online Learning Tools: There is an array of free online learning tools available which teachers can use to encourage engagement, participation and a sense of fun into the classroom. Teachers can create an interactive and dynamic classroom environment using, for example, online quizzes to test student’s knowledge.

With respect to Engineering (theory and practice), the method that I prefer is the promotion of an active participation of the student in the learning process. The student is not regarded as a mere receptor of knowledge. The development of critical thinking is very important too (as stated by Marwan), as well as the capacity of autonomy. But this procedure requires some available time in order to complete the program of the disciplines, and it is not always possible. The student should be able to get her/his notes of the basic theories, concepts and formulations (in a theoretical phase), and apply then them with some autonomy controlled by the teacher (that acts more or less, depending of the time available, program and knowledge acquired, like a tutor in this practical phase). I like very much this method because is possible in real time correct rapidly some difficulties in the learning process.

I prefer inter-active teaching techniques, like group discussion, think pair-share, and presentations from students, and like.

Teaching methods:

1-Inquiry-Based

This is a learning process that is based on inquiry or asking questions. Through asking challenging questions learners get intrinsically motivated to start delving deeper to find answers for these questions and in doing so they are exploring new avenues of knowledge and insight.

2- Problem-based

In a problem-based learning (PBL) model, students engage complex, challenging problems and collaboratively work toward their resolution. PBL is about students connecting disciplinary knowledge to real-world problems—the motivation to solve a problem becomes the motivation to learn.

3- Discovery

Discovery learning is a kind of teaching that is based on the student finding things out for themselves, looking into problems, and asking questions. Essentially, it's all about students coming to their own conclusions and asking about things in their course that might not make particular sense.

4- Cooperative

Several definitions of cooperative learning have been formulated. The one most widely used in higher education is probably that of David and Roger Johnson of the University of Minnesota. According to the Johnson & Johnson model, cooperative learning is instruction that involves students working in teams to accomplish a common goal, under conditions that include the following elements

5- Project-based

“ an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation. These activities are designed to answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom.

read more at: http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2013/03/6-learning-methods-every-21st-century.html

The good questions can make your class exciting, so we can get beneficial uses whether we are asking for facts or known information, asking question of interpretation or evaluation or asking participants to think deeper and come up with creative answers. Very important is also trying to involve students in out of class experiences.

Dear All,

I deeply appreciate all your contributions.

Any teaching technique(s) that generates the learning interest and motivation of the students, we must use. What are we using, that is not important?

There was EU project on Inquiry-based learning!  "Inquiry-based learning aims to develop and foster inquiring minds and attitudes that are vital for pupils being able to face and manage uncertain futures. Fundamentally, learning is based on pupils adopting an active, questioning approach."

http://www.primas-project.eu/artikel/en/1302/what-exactly-does-inquiry-based-learning-mean/view.do

In the group discussion format the teacher needs to develop creative ways of introducing materials to the group and try to involve members in discussion.

One must meet three requirements before being able to teach adults: a love for the subject to be taught, a desire to share it and competence in the subject.

Dear @Amir, speaking about adult teaching, let me bring something to this thread."Ifyou're teaching adult students, for the best results it's important to understand and practice five principles espoused by Malcolm Knowles, a pioneer in the study of adult learning. He observed that adults learn best when:

They understand why something is important to know or do.

They have the freedom to learn in their own way.

Learning is experiential.

The time is right for them to learn.

The process is positive and encouraging." Link follows!

http://adulted.about.com/od/teachers/a/teachingadults.htm

http://regentschoolofed.wordpress.com/2011/12/07/two-cents-principles-of-adult-learning-an-esl-context/

Engaging Education

• Project-Based Learning: Collaborative, facilitated, team-based activities that work toward and deliver a significant, clearly communicated and useful product for a real or hypothetical client.
• Design-Based Learning: Small team, problem-solving activities that utilize principles of design thinking, including rapid prototyping and iterative modeling.
• Studio-Based Learning: Open-space, individualized, iterative instruction in the form of modeling, critique, guidance and support.

http://www.udel.edu/udaily/2015/dec/engaging-education-120914.html

Very nice quote dear Eraldo, thank you.

Good practice in teaching

http://teaching.uncc.edu/learning-resources/articles-books/best-practice/education-philosophy/seven-principles

In the traditional approach to higher education, the professor dispenses wisdom in the classroom and the students passively absorb it. Research indicates that this mode of instruction can be effective for presenting large bodies of factual information that can be memorized and recalled in the short term. If the objective is to facilitate long-term retention of information, however, or to help the students develop or improve their problem-solving or thinking skills or to stimulate their interest in a subject and motivate

them to take a deeper approach to studying it, instruction that involves students actively has consistently been found more effective than straight lecturing.\

The challenge is to involve most or all of the students in productive activities without sacrificing important course content or losing control of the class

That is right dear @Behrouz, to involve the most of the students..., YES! Activities that involve and engage students are ones in which they manipulate information, physically and mentally. Students need to be moving around, working in groups, and discovering information for themselves. Reading along, taking notes, listening to a lecture, or copying vocabulary words are all passive learning activities. You want to get students actively thinking and moving. How can you accomplish that? You need to start thinking "out of the box." Fine reading follows!

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald007.shtml

First understand students' interest, level, and motivation, then one should devise and use teaching techniques. Teaching method used must create interest and motivation among students.

Dear Amir,

For advanced students I prefer teaching of Geology, Petrology or Conservation and Restauration with in situ explanations and  work during field trips or at the monuments. But this kind of teaching is only possible with small groups of students of course. The theoretical background  in the classroom will be transported by lectures and self-contained term papers. The feedback of the students is very important for me and I try to respect and incorporate their special interests and questions.

The basic lecture Engineering Geology for about 400 students each semester, is a classical ex-cathedra teaching with PP-presentations, but I try to encourage the students to ask questions after the lectures as far as possible.

In my opinion the creation of interest and positive motivation is very important for all teachers and one of the most important basic for a positive motivation, beneath professional and scientific competence is a positive, self - confident and encouriging body language. Every teacher, even at universities should be trained in these soft skills as soon as possible, at the beginning of their teaching-career!!

Best regards

Andreas

Dear Andreas,

Your post is comprehensive. Teaching with small groups of students of course is decisive and winning solution.

Learning by doing - Kinesthetic-Tactile Style

• Like to make things with your hands
• Remember best when you make things for your studies
• Making something for a subject helps you understand better
• Prefer making charts or posters for group projects to gathering the information
• Remember spelling words better if you write them several times

http://www.houghton.edu/academics/academic-resources/center-for-academic-success-and-advising/study-advisement/general-study-information/kinesthetic-learning-style/

I think a teacher should be flexible towards their students regarding iteration but must be strict regarding dealing concepts.

Case studies and simulation and story telling..

I prefer student-centered teaching approach becuase it shifted the focus of activity from the teacher to the learners.

Great discussion

6 Teaching Techniques You Should Know:

1. Flipped Classroom (Inverting your class)

2. Design Thinking (Case Method)

3. Self-learning

4. Gamification

5. Social Media

6. Free Online Learning Tools

https://www.goconqr.com/en/examtime/blog/teaching-skills/

https://www.goconqr.com/en/examtime/blog/teaching-techniques/

A mixture of some of them depending on the feasibility of applying them.

There is need for flexibility in every situation. A basked of teaching techniques is always best and the teacher must adapt to every situaion depending on topic, mood etc

I suggest you to see links and good file in topic.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjP3LitgYHaAhVSNMAKHRpwC7cQFggoMAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goconqr.com%2Fen%2Fexamtime%2Fblog%2Fteaching-techniques%2F&usg=AOvVaw3UTbWMong8vdEZYXk6D36z

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=15&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjP3LitgYHaAhVSNMAKHRpwC7cQFgiGATAO&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.powtoon.com%2Fblog%2Feffective-teaching%2F&usg=AOvVaw0JGH06Jnqbk4j_ukuulzCa