Lecture

STRENGTHS:: - presents factual material in direct, logical manner; - contains experience which inspires; - stimulates thinking to open discussion; - useful for large groups
LIMITATIONS:: - experts are not always good teachers; - audience is passive; - learning is difficult to gauge; - communication in one way
PREPARATION:: - needs clear introduction and summary; - needs time and content limit to be effective; - should include examples, anecdotes

Lecture With Discussion

STRENGTHS:: - involves audience at least after the lecture; - audience can question, clarify & challenge
LIMITATIONS:: - time may limit discussion period; - quality is limited to quality of questions and discussion
PREPARATION:: - requires that questions be prepared prior to discussion

Panel of Experts

STRENGTHS:: - allows experts to present different opinions; - can provoke better discussion than a one person discussion; - frequent change of speaker keeps attention from lagging
LIMITATIONS:: - experts may not be good speakers; - personalities may overshadow content; - subject may not be in logical order
PREPARATION:: - facilitator coordinates focus of panel, introduces and summarizes; - briefs panel

Brainstorming

STRENGTHS:: - listening exercise that allows creative thinking for new ideas; - encourages full participation because all ideas equally recorded; - draws on group's knowledge and experience; - spirit of congeniality is created; - one idea can spark off other other ideas
LIMITATIONS:: - can be unfocused; - needs to be limited to 5 - 7 minutes; - people may have difficulty getting away from known reality; - if not facilitated well, criticism and evaluation may occur
PREPARATION:: - facilitator selects issue; - must have some ideas if group needs to be stimulated

Videotapes

STRENGTHS:: - entertaining way of teaching content and raising issues; - keep group's attention; - looks professional; - stimulates discussion
LIMITATIONS:: - can raise too many issues to have a focused discussion; - discussion may not have full participation; - only as effective as following discussion
PREPARATION:: - need to set up equipment; - effective only if facilitator prepares questions to discuss after the show

Class Discussion

STRENGTHS:: - pools ideas and experiences from group; - effective after a presentation, film or experience that needs to be analyzed; - allows everyone to participate in an active process
LIMITATIONS:: - not practical with more that 20 people; - few people can dominate; - others may not participate; - is time consuming; - can get off the track
PREPARATION:: - requires careful planning by facilitator to guide discussion; - requires question outline

Small Group Discussion

STRENGTHS:: - allows participation of everyone; - people often more comfortable in small groups; - can reach group consensus
LIMITATIONS:: - needs careful thought as to purpose of group; - groups may get side tracked
PREPARATION:: - needs to prepare specific tasks or questions for group to answer

Case Studies

STRENGTHS:: - develops analytic and problem solving skills; - allows for exploration of solutions for complex issues; - allows student to apply new knowledge and skills
LIMITATIONS:: - people may not see relevance to own situation; - insufficient information can lead to inappropriate results
PREPARATION:: - case must be clearly defined in some cases; - case study must be prepared

Role Playing

STRENGTHS:: - introduces problem situation dramatically; - provides opportunity for people to assume roles of others and thus appreciate another point of view; - allows for exploration of solutions; - provides opportunity to practice skills
LIMITATIONS:: - people may be too self-conscious; - not appropriate for large groups; - people may feel threatened
PREPARATION:: - trainer has to define problem situation and roles clearly; - trainer must give very clear instructions

Report-Back Sessions

STRENGTHS:: - allows for large group discussion of role plays, case studies, and small group exercise; - gives people a chance to reflect on experience; - each group takes responsibility for its operation
LIMITATIONS:: - can be repetitive if each small group says the same thing
PREPARATION:: - trainer has to prepare questions for groups to discuss

Worksheets/Surveys

STRENGTHS:: - allows people to thing for themselves without being influences by others; - individual thoughts can then be shared in large group
LIMITATIONS:: - can be used only for short period of time
PREPARATION:: - facilitator has to prepare handouts

Index Card Exercise

Guest Speaker

STRENGTHS:: - personalizes topic; - breaks down audience's stereotypes
LIMITATIONS:: - may not be a good speaker
PREPARATION:: - contact speakers and coordinate; - introduce speaker appropriately

Values Clarification Exercise

STRENGTHS:: - opportunity to explore values and beliefs; - allows people to discuss values in a safe environment; - gives structure to discussion
LIMITATION:: - people may not be honest; - people may be too self-conscious
PREPARATION:: - facilitator must carefully prepare exercise; - must give clear instructions; - facilitator must prepare discussion questions

COMMON TEACHING METHODS