Teaching and Learning Resources

Different instructors perceive the classroom environment in different ways. There are also many different teaching styles for instructors to consider. Which ones you choose depend upon a number of considerations including the size of your class, the content you are teaching, and the learning objectives you have for your students. Teaching Styles have been categorized into four main categories. These methods are ways of organizing and presenting content and information to students.

Teaching styles range from a direct, teacher-centered approach to an indirect, more student-centered approach. Teacher-centered methods have been used predominately in higher education for many decades. However, more recently the trend is shifting towards a more student-centered approach.

Teacher-centered strategies such as lecture are effective if you want an organized class, are limited in time, have a large crowd, or want students to have a clear picture of the objective. However, the student-centered approach meets the individual needs and differences of all the students. It allows the students to be more involved in the decision making and encourages critical thinking, usually resulting in more enjoyment and a better understanding of the content. The benefits of using student-centered styles easily outweigh the time that it demands.

Teacher vs. Learner-Centered Instruction

Teacher-Centered	Learner-Centered
Focus is on instructor	Focus is on both students and instructor
Focus is on what the instructor knows about the content	Focus is on how students will learn about and utilize the content
Instructor talks; students listen	Instructor models; students interact with instructor and one another
Students work alone	Students work in pairs, in groups, or alone depending on the purpose of the activity
Instructor monitors and corrects every student utterance	Students talk without constant instructor monitoring; instructor provides feedback/correction when questions arise
Instructor answers students’ questions about content	Students answer each other’s questions, using instructor as an information resource
Instructor chooses topics	Students have some choice of topics
Instructor evaluates student learning	Students evaluate their own learning; instructor also evaluates
Classroom is quiet	Classroom is often noisy and busy

The following resources also include links to teaching surveys and inventories, and suggestions for how to use this information to address a multitude of student learning styles.

Related Resources
Anthony Grahsa’s Five Teaching Styles is a description of prevalent aspects of what he considers “faculty presence in the classroom”. He also discusses advantages and disadvantages of each. The Grasha-Rieachmann on-line questionnaire to find your teaching style is in the next link.

Grasha-Rieachmann Teaching Style Inventory

Teaching Perspectives Inventory (TPI) is aimed at helping you think about and summarize your ideas about teaching. It can be useful in examining your own teaching as well as helping clarify the teaching views of others. The TPI is quick to complete online and to automatically score your results.

Teaching strategies that promote active student learning and engagement based on a number of different teaching styles and student learning styles.