Centre for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning

UWA SPOT/SET Project

163)          material has been presented at an appropriate level

Appropriateness can be a tension between challenge and frustration for a student.

·         Lieb (1999) says that an instructor can help motivate a student when they:

Set an appropriate level of difficulty. The degree of difficulty should be set high enough to challenge participants but not so high that they become frustrated by information overload. The instruction should predict and reward participation, culminating in success.

·         Abella (Abella, 2000) from the University of Chicago discusses rules of teaching in “Effective Lecturing”. She says, concerning an appropriate level of presentation, that knowing what the students know requires an understanding of the heterogeneity of the group.

·         The Teaching with Diversity Checklist (University of Western Australia, 1999) provides “questions and suggestions … to assist teaching staff develop curricula appropriate to a diverse student population”

 

Abella, I. (2000). Effective Lecturing. In Teaching at Chicago: A collection of readings & practical advice for beginning teachers. [World Wide Web]. The University of Chicago Centre for Teaching and Learning. Retrieved 22 October, 2002, from the World Wide Web: http://teaching.uchicago.edu/handbook/tac14.html

Lieb, S. (1999). Principles of Adult Learning. Honolulu Community College. Retrieved 22 October, 2002, from the World Wide Web: http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm

University of Western Australia. (1999). TEACHING WITH DIVERSITY CHECKLIST [World Wide Web]. Retrieved 9 December, 2002, from the World Wide Web: http://www.csd.uwa.edu.au/tl/99TDChecklist.htm