Structures for Success

One of the most valuable aid a college teacher can give to his or her students is a clearly structured learning environment. Unfortunately, the structures that make sense to the instructor are not necessarily very obvious to the student. Because teachers are familiar with the course material, they are aware of the connections between ideas (and between activities). They reasonably assume that students also see these connections. Susan Johnston claims this is one of seven deadly assumptions made by college teachers (ask the CIRT for a copy of her list). She explains that students lose direction and motivation when they have to struggle to figure out the structure that make the lesson make sense. Below are some tips that can help you provide clear structures that will enhance students' success.

Introductions

As you begin the working phase of your lesson, take a couple minutes to make sure student know what to expect.

Outlines. Provide an overview that explains how the work today fits in to the rest of the semester. Use an outline or other visual. Point out any important connections to other parts of the course.

Identify Main Point. Start your lesson with a clear statement of what it is you want them to learn. Be precise with the verbs you use -- "recognize", "identify", "compare", or "analyze", for example. Ask the CIRT for a list of words that can be used to make your expression of learning goals more precise.

Establish Expectations. Tell students what you expect them to be able to do by the end of the lesson (and how well they should be able to do it). Stating what you expect to achieve does not count.

Information

An uninterrupted stream of information can be overwhelming

Provide Order. Give verbal directions as you move from point to point. Ask the CIRT for a short list of ideas to make your presentations clearer.

Chunk It. Break your lecture into smaller segments (about 15 minutes long). Give students a chance to understand each point and then show them how the points fit together. Ask the CIRT for a list of "Quick Thinks", handy techniques to check understanding as you go.

Visuals. Use visuals to highlight and organize the main points of the lesson. Use diagrams, concept maps, appropriate cartoons or other ways to give a visual summary.

Sequences. If your material follows a series of steps or phases, or a timeline, provide students with a working sequence. Make sure they know how to use it to accomplish the tasks you have set out.

Matrices. Some material is better remembered when it is summarized in a matrix. This is especially true of material that needs to be compared or contrasted. Give students the outline of the matrix and have them fill it in.

Providing students with organizers help them manage and understand complex information. You can also teach students how to create their own organizers. The CIRT will send you a chapter with helpful steps to follow.

Instructions

A frequent failing for college teachers is their reliance on vague instructions. Simply asking students to interpret, compare, analyze or critique does not assure that students are certain about what to do in each case. Try these tips.

Criteria. Include in your assignments clear criteria for the finished product. When possible, provide samples.

Steps. If students should follow certain steps to complete an assignment make sure -- either in class or as homework -- that they have an outline to follow. This is a good place for the scaffolding techniques described last week.

Expectations. When involving students in group work, set clear expectations of what each participant is expected to do. Assign various roles or duties (a short sample is available from the CIRT) for each student or be precise about what is expected of every one.

Final Comments

When we assume that students know how to put information together in complex ways or how to carry out sophisticated intellectual tasks, we may be assuming too much. Our instructions, which to them are apparently vague and ambiguous, can confuse students who need more guidance than we are providing. By making clear the structures that will guide them in accomplishing assignments, we give students the opportunity to succeed. Rather than limit students' freedom to think, these structures provide them with platforms or models that allow for putting forward their best ideas. Use your understanding of your field to give students structures that will lead to their success.

This Teaching Tip was first published by Indiana State University’s, Center for Teaching and Learning.