Structure

Structure: Facilitate the Learning Process

As instructors, we feel great joy when students learn from our classes and when we see great outcomes of our students. Hence, it is important to design the class structure including in-class and out-of-class learning activities to facilitate the learning process. Many studies show that effective instruction design is created based on the principles of “How People Learn”. For more information, please refer to How people learn II: learners, context, and cultures, 2018.

Associated Principles	Observable Behavior
S1: Provides clear goals/outcomes	S1.1: Provides purpose and learning outcomes of the lesson S1.2: Places the lesson into the overall arc of the course S1.3: Gives clear instructions on activities and assignments and tied them to student learning outcomes
S2: Organizes class effectively	S2.1: Defines relationship of this lesson to previous/future lesson(s) S2.2: Presents an overview of the lesson S2.3: Presents topics in a logical sequence S2.4: Defines unfamiliar terms, concepts, and principles S2.5: Summarizes what was covered and the next steps at the end of the class
S3: Employs instructional design based on knowledge of how people learn	S3.1: Includes material appropriate to student prerequisite knowledge S3.2: Actively relates the lesson topics to the students’ lived experiences S3.3: Relates new ideas to familiar concepts through examples that are meaningful to the student S3.4: Varies explanations or demonstrations for complex and difficult material S3.5: Paces lessons appropriately to allow diverse learners to grapple with ideas or apply concepts
S4: Structures activities to develop effective learners	S4.1: Uses a variety of instructional activities S4.2: Uses scaffolded activities  S4.3: Uses activities that requires students to explain their approach to the solutions, recognize structure, etc. (metacognitive components)  S4.4: Asks students to generate their own explanations and justify their thinking S4.5: Includes reflection activities