Journal of Academic Development and Education JADE Issue 9 | Page 20

20 | JADE
ARTICLE #1 | 21
HELEN A. MILLWARD
and adaptive to the needs of each student in order to ensure that
the intended learning outcomes of a class can be achieved by all
learners. As Cuthbert (2005:235) suggests, this illustrates the need
to ‘focus on understanding the individual student’, as gaining such
an understanding will enable the teacher to gain perspective as to
what each student requires in order to learn effectively. Facilitating
such discussions, however, also requires the creation of a friendly
yet professional working environment for both students and
the teacher. Failure to create such an environment may result in
learners not achieving their intended learning outcomes, as they
may be uncomfortable in asking questions or engaging in class
discussions with other students. As such, the ability to provide a
productive working environment for all learners can be seen as a
key characteristic in creating a positive teaching experience for all
involved.
A further characteristic of good teaching is situating theory in reality.
Aligning theory with a more ‘practical aspect of learning’ (Sreedhar,
2013:53) can help students to realise where theory can be seen
in real life situations, while also potentially giving them a better
understanding of how that theory might be applied in the real world
and any consequences it may entail. As such, a good teacher should
be able to respond to the different learning styles of students through
the use of varying techniques of knowledge dissemination. It may
also be seen as helpful for the teacher to link theory to relevant ‘real
life’ experiences that students have previously experienced; allowing
the student to see the theory in a context that they can relate to.
Indeed, teachers who can draw from their own backgrounds and
research can also make learning more interesting and fun for their
students through connecting theory and reality.
The final characteristic of good teaching to be explored by this paper
is that of communication. Good communication with students can be
seen as a key aspect in both good teaching and learning. If a teacher
cannot effectively communicate with students, understanding could
be reduced and as such, students will be unable to learn to their
maximum potential. This type of communication could also include
the transfer of knowledge from the teacher that is not seen as
subject specific. For example, a tutor could be knowledgeable about
the course they are presenting to students, future career paths that
the course could lead to, or future education paths that could be
accessed by completing the course. Again, here a good teacher is
required to assess the differences between learners and be able to
communicate the knowledge required by that student. For example,
a mature student may be interested in a career path, whereas a
recent school leaver may be interested in future educational paths
to be accessed by the completion of the course. Similarly, the use
of multiple forms of technology can be seen as a valuable tool
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TEACHING:
THE USE OF CREATIVE METHODS WITHIN OUR UNIVERSITY CLASSROOMS?
for student engagement and communication (Millward, 2016).
Embracing technology within the classroom through, for example,
with using polling software, allows technology to become a valuable
part of the learning experience, rather than a distraction to learning,
while also encouraging students to participate.
The characteristics of good teaching discussed within this article
can be seen as helpful in promoting a positive learning environment
for both students and teachers. They will also help to facilitate
students’ attempts to accomplish the intended learning outcomes
of their courses, while continuing to develop the teaching style
and capabilities of the education professional. This continued
development will allow future teaching opportunities to be improved
from the perspective of both students and the teacher. Improving
an individuals’ teaching skills could also be beneficial to them in the
future in a wider context, for example, with improved communication
skills being utilized at conferences or events.
Creative methods of teaching
In addition to the more traditional characteristics of teaching
discussed in the previous section of this paper, education
professionals are increasingly utilizing creative methods within their
teaching practices. Creative methods, such as theatre, painting,
poetry, dance, drawing and making (Dezeuze, 2010) are increasingly
becoming viewed as novel ways in which to engage students. As
focus is primarily placed upon the activity, rather than its intended
outcomes, such methods can be viewed as particularly helpful when
attempting to engage students who may dislike the traditional forms
of verbal and written learning.
Mattern (1999) suggests that, the use of arts-based activities may be
seen as a substitute for the more traditional verbal and written forms
of communication. Indeed, creative methods hold much potential for
increasing engagement and understanding for a variety of students,
including those with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, those
for whom English is not their mother tongue, individuals who lack
the confidence to contribute to discussions, or those who may find
public speaking particularly difficult. As such, creative methods
illuminate an alternate way in which students can participate in and
engage with classroom activities. Furthermore, as such activities are
unlikely to have been previously undertaken by any member of the
class, issues of status can, to a certain extent, be removed, as even
students who typically attempt to dominate group discussions will
have the same experience and authority in completing the activity as
those who typically would not contribute to discussions.
This leads us next to the notion of creative methods as an alternate