Whenaskedaboutteachingmethods,mostpeoplequicklyidentifytwomaintypesofinstruction—discussionandlecture.Infact,manywouldarguethatthesearetheonlytwomethods—withallothersmerelybeingvariationsonthesetwobasicthemes.Debatesaboutwhichmethodispreferableseemtobeanannualeventinacademiccirclesandfrequentlyaredividedalongdisciplinarylines.Teachersinthephysicalsciencesgenerallyleanmoreheavilytowardthelectureformat;whereas,thoseinthehumanities,andinsomeareasofthesocialsciences,leanmoretowardthediscussionformat.
Thequestionoflectureversusdiscussion,however,isactuallylessadisciplinaryissuethanoneofpurpose.Wheretheprimarymissionistosupplyinformation,thelectureformatisgenerallymoreeffective.Conversely,whenthegoalsareorientedmoretowardprocessandchangingbehavior,discussionteachingistypicallymoreeffective.Inthefollowingsections,eachformatisdiscussedseparately,butyoushouldreadbothsectionsasyouarepreparingtoteach.Intheseaddresses,threeexperiencedteachersoffergoodadviceforteachingingeneral,whethertheassignedtopicisdiscussionteachingorlecturing,andallthreeraisesomecontroversialpointsthatyoumaywanttoconsiderforfurtherdiscussionwithyourpeers.Allmethodsofinstructionareusefultomeetsomegoal.Therefore,evenifyounowthinkthatyouwillbeexclusivelyusingthelecturemethod,itmaybeusefultohavesomeideasaboutwhatcanbeaccomplishedviadiscussion,andvisaversa.
