Cooperative Learning, Paideia, Role-plays and Simulations, Inquiry Based Learning, Mastery Learning, and The Glasser Approach are six common strategies used in language education. Cooperative Learning, Paideia, and Role-plays and Simulations focus on group work. The students work together to facilitate the learning process. Students are free to be creative. Inquiry Based Learning, Mastery Learning, and The Glasser Approach are more student-focused. The teacher focuses on the individual students.
Cooperative learning: A method of learning in which students work together to answer a question or complete a task. Individual students must participate in the group in order to help the group succeed. Students can be assigned roles (e.g. facilitator, time-keeper, reporter, etc) in the group to help keep the group organized and on task. Students can be assessed both individually and as a group. The assessment is usual based on the end result of the project. Every student must participate and contribute to the group. In the process of answering the question or completing the task, the students help each other learn the material.
Paideia: This method breaks the lesson up into three different parts. First there is the lecture. This is when the teacher introduces the material to the students. This occupies 10% to 15% of the class. The second step is putting the students into groups and having them work on a project. This usually comprises 60% to 70% of class time. The third and final step is a class discussion about what was learned. During the class discussion the teacher tries to challenge the students’ current thinking. This is done during the last 15% to 20% of the class.
Role-play and Simulations: Students work in groups to create real life, or imaginary, scenarios to show the use of learned vocabulary and/or grammar points. The simulations are intended to be real life roles (e.g. a business meeting). The role-plays are usually imaginary and can be used to show a situation (e.g. meeting a friend). Students are assessed for their performances according to specific guidelines put in place by the teacher. After the role-play, there is a class discussion about what happened.
Inquiry Based Learning: A method of teaching where students actively take charge of their own learning. The class is led by student questions and interests rather than the teacher’s lesson plan. The teacher adapts the lessons to help the students learn what they want to learn. Open learning takes place, because the students are asking questions in search of a solutions that do not have a single answer. The main goal of this method is to teach the students to learn on their own by asking questions.
Mastery Learning: A method of learning based on the idea that all students can learn but need different amounts of time to accomplish their tasks. Two important aspects of Mastery Learning are feedback and consistency. The teacher pre-tests the students to find their mistakes. Then, designs a lesson to correct the students’s mistakes and re-tests the students to make sure that all the students have mastered the skills. A lesson is then made that have the students use the skills they have learned and mastered in the previous lesson.
Glasser Approach: Students choose what they study based on future goals. This is so they enjoy the learning process and find the lessons useful. The teacher finds out which topic the students want to learn more about and then suggests topics to study. This method focuses on the behavioral aspects of learning, such as how the students feel in the class.
Rebecka Benedict, M.A., is an EFL instructor with over ten years’ experie