Educational system failure could be a national problem since education and knowledge are the root to everything new in life. Therefore, the instruction’s role and instructional strategies need to be precise and practical, which is one of the central focuses of executive education.
According to Schon(1987), the instructor’s role needs to be reviewed. Instead of teachers using the traditional lecture technique, instructors should use more interactive techniques by promoting dialogue and role-play with students, as well as performing as coach or mentor. This would allow students to stimulate the discovery of new meanings along with new ways of interpreting and solving problems.
As reflective practitioners, instructors serve as role models to students. In the world of education, we cannot deny that instructors are role models for students by encouraging them to do the same as their instructor. For example, when an instructor constantly arrives to class late, students will think being late is acceptable (De deaRoglio and Light, 2009).
Instructional strategies can be defined as techniques used by teachers to help students become independent, strategic learners. These strategies guide and facilitate the learning process for students to effect effectively accomplish tasks or meet goals. Effective instructional strategies not only motivate students, but also help them focus, understand, and organize information.
Instructional strategies can be categorized two ways: direct instruction and indirect instruction. Direct instructional strategy is highly teacher-directed and the most commonly used. Whereas indirect instruction is mainly student-centered; although the two strategies can complement each other.
Indirect instruction seeks a high level of student involvement in observing, investigating, drawing interpretations from data, or forming hypotheses. It takes advantage of
students' interest and curiosity, often encouraging them to generate alternatives or solve problems, (Saskatoon Public Schools). With indirect instruction, the role of the teacher shifts from lecturer or director to that of facilitator, supporter, and resource person. The teacher arranges the learning environment, provides opportunity for student involvement, and when appropriate, provides feedback to students while they conduct the inquiry.
Good instructional strategies need to be applied to educational systems that encourage students to acquire an active role in the classroom. This could take place using case studies and role-playing to stimulate and guide students to real world situations, as well as real world solutions. As presented by Brookfield (1987), role-playing can produce remarkable outcomes since it promotes critical thinking.
According to Schon (1987), “microworlds” are learning environments capable of reproducing essential characteristics of the practice to be learned, providing experimentation without risks of a real situation. They are also capable of facilitating adjustment to the pace and focus of work according to the students’ and instructor’s needs. And lastly, “microworlds” can enable repetition of actions when necessary. In a virtual world, restrictions that can inhibit experiences in the real world are limited, as they are contexts for experiences where students can suspend or control some of the impediments to rigorous reflection-in-action” (De deaRoglio and Light, 2009).
The “microworld” concept seems true considering the pace and nature of change that has substantially increased in the last few decades. Thus, change has altered the environment that executives must operate in.
References
Alberta Education, 2002. Health and life skills guide to implementation - Instructional strategies, Alberta Learning, Alberta, Canada, www.education.alberta.ca/media/352984/is.pdf.
Brookfield, S. D. 1987. Developing critical thinkers: Challenging adults to explore alternative ways of thinking and acting, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Franciso, CA
De deaRoglio, K., Light, G., 2009. Executive MBA programs: The development of the reflective executive, Academy of Management Learning and Education, Vol. 8, No. 2, p.156-171.
Saskatoon Public Schools, 2009. Instructional strategies online, http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/indirect.html.
Schon, D. A., 1987. Educating the reflective practitioner, Jossey-Bass Publishers, San Francisco, CA.
