Teaching Should Coordinate Form, Function
by
Ruta Stropus

Much has been said lately of the "new" ways to teach. "Collaborative learning," "experiential learning," and "peer review" quickly have become familiar phrases in law teachers' vocabulary.

We have begun to understand that different people learn differently, and some of us have begun to teach differently. Especially in teaching writing, there are many opportunities to experiment with different types of teaching methods. However, before embarking on this experimental journey, we should think about the purpose of the teaching method.

Coordinate form and function

A teacher should spend time thinking not only about what she will teach but also about how she will teach it. The teaching method must serve a purpose. One should not do something "creative" in the classroom just for creativity's sake.

Sometimes, traditional lecture is the best way to teach something. For example, I teach a legal drafting course. In trying to teach students how to draft a will, I have to give an overview of estate law, just to provide the context students need to complete an assignment. Lecturing is the most appropriate method to teach this material.

Form should follow function. Lecture might be the appropriate method if you are trying to provide a context or background, or to make sure everyone understands basic concepts.

Balance the methods

No one method is perfect or suitable for everyone. I balance the teaching methods I use by keeping a record of what I did in the previous class and what I plan to do in the following class. I like to follow lecture classes with either group or individual exercises. For instance, if I lectured in the last class on the principles of organizing a document, in the next class I have students review a sample document and evaluate it in terms of these principles. Sometimes, I team students up into small groups and have them review the document as a team. At the end of the class, all the teams present their opinions to the class as a whole. Other times, students review the document individually and complete a "critique" sheet that they turn in to me. I consciously vary the group and individual activities so that all students, whether they prefer to work with a group or by themselves, have a chance to maximize their learning.

Especially after a lecture class, I like to give quizzes to test students' understanding of the material. Sometimes I grade the quizzes or ask the students to exchange papers and grade someone else's work; sometimes we use the quizzes solely for discussion purposes. This variety keeps students on their toes and lets me track how well the class understood me.

Seek student comments

Although semester-end evaluations are helpful in assessing the course as a whole, they are not retroactive. I prefer to know whether my teaching methodology is working while the class is in session. I periodically ask students to write down what they have learned in the course so far and how they learned it. I then ask a student to share a "tip" with the class -- the one thing that has helped her most so far. Mid-semester, I ask students to fill in an evaluation sheet for the course, in case I need to make any adjustments.

Most importantly, I try to really listen to what students are saying. I do not want to get so caught up in trying out a new teaching method in each class that I forget about the big picture -- maximizing student learning.