This can also be done with pre-tests, and by having students re-check the facts they verbalize or wrote in class (Kerns, et al., 2005).
Provide timely feedback
Students can presume they know how well they are doing in class, but they may not. In order to help them focus on what they need to know, the teacher should spend time going over quizzes, homework and tests to link incorrect information to what was actually studied.
Also, students should be given techniques and hints for self-assessment in order to provide their own feedback. They should be taught not to assume they know why they missed an answer and understand how to explore and research the correct one (Kerns, et al., 2005).
Constructive education-related interaction between students, and between students and teachers should be encouraged (Kerns, et al., 2005, n.p.).
Though it seems odd currently to encourage this interaction, if, indeed, an educational relationship is going to be developed between professor and student, then some group activity must be encouraged. Study groups are a possibility with the teacher participating.
Any familiarity between students, or students and instructor may assist a student who needs help and has some relationship to fall back on.
Teaching "sameness" of structure assists the student in accessing needed research.
Students should be shown how to recognize certain patterns in the information they are taught or that they gather for papers. It is like teaching the person to fish instead of catching a fish for him. If students can learn to associate process and structure between academic courses, they can apply the process no matter what the subject they are studying.
In the classroom, practically speaking, the teacher can persuade and enforce the use of analogies and metaphors to push the student into comparing one thing to another. The mental and verbal state of discovering that what he or she learned and how they learned it is "the same as"...
And it allows the teacher, under normal circumstances, to teach more in less time (Ellis, Worthington, & Larkin, n.d.).
Conclusion
The extensive studies and research into "effective teaching research" over the decades has presented some real, practical conclusions to how relational teaching and learning are superior to some of the older methods. This research goes on, but we are beginning to know "what works and what doesn't." And, sometimes it is easier to mouth the right words and have a surface understanding of the concepts presented here, but much more difficult to put it into action. The impact of this research should be that teachers now have a "research-based" platform from which to make decisions relating to teaching style.
Reference List
Berg, C., & Clough, M. (n.d.). "Alternative" still requires reaching your destination: A visual framework for teacher decision-making. Retrieved June 28, 2009, from stemtec.org: http://www.stemtec.org/act/ABSTRACTS/CRAIG%20BERG.doc. (Google Search Name of Web Page)
Brophy, J. (1988). Research linking teacher behavior to student achievement. Educational Psychologist, 23(3), 235-286.
Ellis, E., Worthington, L., & Larkin, M. (n.d.). Executive summary of the research synthesis on effective teaching principles and the design of quality tools for educators. Retrieved June 28, 2009, from University of Oregon: http://idea.uoregon.edu/~ncite/documents/techrep/tech06.html
Kerns, B., Elhouar, S., Sterling, M., Grant, J., McGowan, McGowan, M., et al. (2005, August). Ten principles of effective teaching and practical examples for the classroom and blackboard. Retrieved June 28, 2009, from Bradley University: http://blackboard.bradley.edu/faculty/Recommended_Ef_Use_BB/index.shtml
Perry, R., & Smart, J. (1997). Effective teaching in higher education: Research and practice. Edison, N.J.: Agathon Press.
