Methods, Pedagogy, and Technology

Teaching methods are the approaches of learner engagement you pursue as the educator in the classroom. Do you play the role of learning facilitator, coach, and/or content expert? There are four main schools of teaching methods and it is very helpful to let your students know at the beginning of the semester which approach you subscribe to and why.

1. Teacher-centered methods
2. Learner-centered methods
3. Content-focused methods
4. Interactive/participative methods

The curricular structure developed in the syllabus needs to be put into action through deliberate pedagogy, methods of teaching, and the integration of technology where appropriate. This is as important for interdisciplinary electives as it is for structured prerequisite courses that have threshold concepts that must be learned to advance in the program. The construction of teachable units, whereby faculty develop instructional materials with goals and evaluation in mind are created by combining the teaching method with the pedagogical strategies inside that approach. When used appropriately, technology can help students to interact with the content of the course, as well as engage with each other.