It is an acknowledged fact and there is a consensus that the large volume of lecture materials and notes has contributed in a great way to the development of the habit of cramming amongst students in Nigeria educational facilities.
The students are always exposed to large and sometimes archaic volumes of materials to digest and be assessed upon at the end of each course. There is an urgent need to find alternatives to the normal and accepted popular style of teaching by delivering lectures so as to reduce the inclination of students to resort to cramming in order to prepare for exams and be considered successful after taking the course.
Some types of methods are commonly used in passing across instructions. They are:-
Teacher-centred methods
Learner centred methods
Content focused methods
Interactive/ participative methods
However some specific methods can be drawn from in the course of classroom instruction. It is however,important to note that the choice of any form of method should not be arbitrary, but needs to be governed by the end result of making the learner better. Each method is not fool-proof, but has its own advantages and disadvantages.That is why it is recommended that we use complementary methods rather than one method.
1. LECTURE METHOD
Alecture is an oral presentation of information by the instructor. It is the method of relaying factual information which includes principles, concepts, ideas and all theoretical knowledge about a given topic. The instructor is very active, doing all the talking. Students
on the other hand are very inactive,doing all the listening. Despite the popularity of lectures,the lack of active involvement ofstudents limits its usefulness as a method of instruction. This remarkably is the most widely used method in the Nigeria educational system.
2. THE DISCUSSION METHOD
Discussion involves two-way communication between participants. In the classroom situation The lecturer or teacher and students all participate in discussions. During
discussion, the instructor spends some time listening while the students spend sometime talking. The discussion is, therefore, a more active learning experience for the students than the lecture.
3. THE DEMONSTRATION LESSON
The is the most effective way to teach an occupational skill. One of the two most essential teaching skills is the ability to demonstrate; the other is the ability to explain. Both are vital to the success of either an operation lesson or an information lesson.
4. BUZZGROUPS
Another method of instruction is the buzz group.During a longer session, the large group can break into smaller groups to discuss one or two specific questions or issues. The room soon fills with noise as each group ‘buzzes’ in discussion. If appropriate, after the discussion one member of each group can report its findings back to the large group.While they are buzzing, participants are able to exchange ideas and draw on their wide collective experience. A good buzz session will generate many ideas, comments and opinion, the most important of which will be reported back.
5. BRAINSTORMING
The purpose of a brainstorming session is to discover new ideas and responses very quickly. It is particularly a good way of getting bright ideas.It differs from the buzz groups discussion in that the focus is on generating as many ideas as possible without judging them. In this technique, all ideas are given equal credence. Participants are encouraged to let ideas flow freely, building on and improving from previous ideas. No idea, however crazy,should be rejected. Even the more reserved participants should feel bold enough to contribute.
6. ROLEPLAY
In role plays, The teacher or lecturer use their own experiences to play a real life situation. When done well, role plays increase the participants self-confidence,give them the opportunity to understand or even feel empathy for other people’s viewpoints or roles, and usually end with practical answers,solutions or guidelines.
It is observed that regular use of the lecturing method to pass across instruction to students results in the accumulation of large volumes of lecture notes and materials Because there is always a need for the student to catch up on what he or she was taught. It is proposed that fresher and different methods be used in passing instructions to students and methods of assessment like test and exams needsto also be reviewed. It is my considered view that a class in which the student participates actively will drastically reduce the need to try and assimilate information in order to fully understand the subject of discourse.
Written by: Tola Arawomo
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