Direct Instruction Method:(Lower order learning)

What Is Direct Instruction? Direct instruction is the use of straightforward,

explicit teaching techniques, usually to teach a specific skill. It is a teacher-
directed method, meaning that the teacher stands in front of a classroom and
presents the information.
Direct Instruction is a model to teach students that focuses on carefully
planned and well-developed lessons created around clearly explained teaching
tasks and small learning increments. Direct Instruction is based on the theory that
clear instruction eliminates misinterpretations, which can greatly enhance and
accelerate the learning process.

DI Fundamentals:
• Everyone can learn .
• Every student can advance in their education.
• Every educator can teach successfully when appropriate coaching and data are
provided.
• Students who perform lower than the others need to learn at a higher speed if they
want to keep up with their equals.
• Every learning sequence must be under supervision to reduce the possibilities of
errors and misinterpretation and maximize the effects of curriculum implementation.

Direct Instructions Step-By-Step:

Everything about using Direct Instruction starts with careful planning. The lessons
need to be planned in detail, and the teachers should introduce every piece of information
with clear instructions, giving the floor to students. And students should have all the time
to practice new skills to perfection. Also valuable are the teachers’ feedback information
(guided practice) and the students’ immediate reflections (independent practice), followed
by postponed students’ feedback (after some time has passed).

1. Presentation/Assessment
When entering the classroom, it is important to do it in a way that captures the
students’ attention. Call for their prior knowledge and skills, and have them share and
listen. Introduce a piece of new information and link it to what they just said. Build upon
their foundations and make them realize how vital prior and new information is to your
future goals. Keep your learning objectives at a visible sport, on a module, or on the
wall/board. Make your students check the objectives as you move along with new content.
This way, they visualize where you want them to go and assess if they are moving forward
or not. Keep your explanations simple and understandable to all.
 2. Introduce New Learning Content
As said before, a good organization is half the work done. Keep your
instructions simple and understandable. Introduce new learning content slowly, brick
after brick. DI enables you to do it using either lecture or a demonstration.
Lecture Method:
The frontal way – standing before your students and introducing new
content – may be the most common and successful way to do it. How? Using five
small but important steps:

1. Give the main facts.

2. Present the idea or theme of the lecture.
3. Have examples demonstrating every idea.
4. Repeat learning points to empower learning.
5. Provide the summary and check it with your ideas and goals.

Demonstrations:
The demonstration means that it is time for small steps. Skill is a big
word and needs to break down into pieces. After every stage, you should learn if
everyone shares the knowledge. Use various methods – lectures, audio-visuals,
work in small groups/pairs – to increase engagement and receive feedback from the
students.

3. Guided Practice
It is the step where your students put their knowledge into practice and build
skills. It is a joint effort of the teacher and students, although the teacher is the one to lead
the way. Practice straightens the errors, makes perfect, and equips students with enough
confidence to practice skills independently.
There is no good understanding without checking out your students’
knowledge and understanding of what you learned. Ask questions, and then ask more
questions. Only when they speak – you can be sure that the transfer is solid and you
managed to build new skills. And when they connect the dots between those goals and
their skills and knowledge, you can be sure you did your work well. Also, use worksheets
to get comments that students are not so eager to share verbally. Whatever you do, make
sure that you provide enough explanations. And when you receive poor feedback, you
need to go back and do more explaining and clarification.
And then there should be enough learning, trying, and repeating to make their
memory permanent. Not doing this properly will only make your work more in the next
phase.

4. Individual Practice
In this phase, your students own the right thing: learning material and new
skills are ready to put into individual practice. They finally broaden their knowledge and
build upon their old skills.
 With the repetition process in individual practice, your students will realize
that they need to spend less and less time thinking about their skills. They will come to
them naturally as riding the bicycle. Again, make sure to have enough feedback to
address possible misunderstandings and errors.

While working individually, students are going through two

steps: unitization and automaticity. The first one enables them to use what they learned in
everyday situations, and the latter to do it automatically. The fastest they learn and adopt
new skills, the fastest they will go from unitization to automaticity.

5. Assessment/Review
More than often, teachers cross paths with Direct Instructions and are
prone to criticize the approach and its methods. They say the DI provides too little room
for students to show their ideas, explore their creativity, and state their opinions.
Everything is supposed to be tight on schedule, with no freedom for the students to
express themselves.

They also claim it is a rather elite learning program since it takes serious
funding to implement all phases of the DI. It remains a mystery how a high-cost program is
one of the most represented ones in school districts of the US.

Not all students learn skills at the same pace, and it is up to teachers to
invest additional efforts to make the curriculum fulfilled by all.

Last but not least, a concern comes from large and diverse communities
with a mix of races and cultures. More and more teachers say that DI is uniform, with no
concern for races or minorities, cultural, social, and economic background of students.

Role of Students in Direct Instruction Method:

The students' role in direct method is the active learner. They are active in
exploring new words, expression, etc. The students are also the observer and practitioner.
They are the audience for the lecturer's presentation and are responsible for
understanding the content being presented.

Role of Teacher in Direct Instruction Method:

The role of a teacher during direct instruction is that of a controller,
organizer, and expert. Supporters of direct instruction point to the fact that it helps
students develop their deductive reasoning, which is reasoning from the general to the
specific.
What is Inquiry based Learning? (A higher order learning)
Inquiry-based learning is a student-centered teaching method that encourages
students to ask questions and investigate real-world problems. In this type of learning
environment, students are actively engaged in the learning process and are given the
opportunity to explore their natural curiosities.
This type of learning is often hands-on and allows students to connect what they
learn in the classroom and the real world. Inquiry-based learning has been shown to
improve critical thinking skills, problem-solving skills, and creativity.

The four Types of Inquiry Based Learning:

1. The Structured Inquiry Approach:

The structured inquiry approach is a sequential process that helps students
learn how to ask questions and investigate real-world problems. This type of
inquiry-based learning is often used in science classes, where students are
given a problem to investigate and are taught how to use the scientific process
to find a solution.
2. The open-ended inquiry Approach:

The open-ended inquiry approach is a more free-form approach to inquiry-

based learning. In this type of learning environment, students are given the freedom
to explore their interests and ask questions about the topic they are studying. This
type of inquiry-based learning is often used in humanities classes, where students
are asked to explore a topic in-depth and debate different viewpoints.

3. The Problem-Based Inquiry Approach

A problem-based inquiry approach is a problem-solving approach to inquiry-
based learning. In this type of approach, students are given a real-world problem to
solve. This type of inquiry-based learning is often used in mathematics and
engineering classes, where students are asked to apply what they have learned to
solve a real-world problem.

4. The Guided Inquiry Approach

The guided inquiry approach is a teacher-led approach to inquiry-based
learning. In this type of approach, the teacher guides the students through the
inquiry process and helps them to ask questions and find solutions to real-world
problems. This type of inquiry-based learning is often used in elementary and
middle school classrooms.
Benefits of Inquiry-Based Learning:
1. Encourages critical thinking
Inquiry-based learning encourages students to think critically about the
information they are presented with. They are asked to question the information and
develop their own solutions. This type of learning helps students develop problem-solving
skills and critical-thinking skills.

2. Improves problem-solving skills

Inquiry-based learning helps students develop problem-solving skills. When they
are given the opportunity to explore real-world problems, they are forced to think outside
the box and come up with their own solutions. This is an important skill that will help them
in their future careers.

3. Encourages creativity
This concept of learning encourages creativity. When students are given the
opportunity to explore a problem independently, they often come up with creative
solutions. This is due to the fact that any particular way of thinking does not restrict them.

4. Improves communication skills

It also helps students improve their communication skills. When working on a
problem, they often have to explain their thoughts and ideas to others. This helps them
learn how to communicate effectively with others.

5. Connects learning to the real world

Inquiry-based learning helps connect learning to the real world. When students
are allowed to explore problems that exist in the real world, they can see how what they
are learning in the classroom is relevant. This also helps them develop a better
understanding of the material.

6. Helps students understand complex topics

Inquiry-based learning can also help students understand complex topics.
When they are allowed to explore these topics in a hands-on environment, they can learn
about them more meaningfully.

7. Encourages engaged learning

Finally, this type of learning encourages engaged learning. When
students are actively involved in the learning process, they are more likely to retain the
information. This is due to the fact that they are invested in what they are doing.
Inquiry-Based Learning Examples:
1. Science Experiments
One way to incorporate inquiry-based learning into your classroom is to allow
students to conduct experiments. This will encourage them to ask questions and think
critically about the results.

2. Field Trips
Another way to encourage inquiry-based learning is to take students on field trips.
This will allow them to explore real-world problems and see how what they are learning in
the classroom is relevant.

3. Classroom Debates
Classroom debates are another great way to encourage this type of learning. When
students debate a topic, they are forced to think critically about both sides of the
argument.

4. Projects
Projects are another great way to encourage inquiry-based learning. When students
are given the opportunity to work on a project that is related to the topic they are studying,
they will be more likely to learn and remember the information.

5. Group Work
When students work in groups, they are able to share their ideas and thoughts with
others. This helps them to understand the material better.

Strategies and Tips for Implementing Inquiry-Based Learning:

Now that we have looked at the benefits of inquiry-based learning and some examples,
let’s look at some inquiry-based strategies and tips that you can use in your classroom.

1. Start with a Question

The best way to start an inquiry-based lesson is by asking a question. This will get
students thinking about the topic and will encourage them to ask their own questions.

2. Allow for Exploration

Once you have asked a question, allow students to explore the topic on their own. This
will help them to understand the material better.
3. Encourage Discussion
Encourage students to discuss their ideas with each other. This will help them to
develop a better understanding of the material.

4. Provide Resources
Be sure to provide students with resources that they can use to explore the topic. This
will help them develop a better understanding. Teachers can also give access to online
learning platforms like SplashLearn, which further help enhance the knowledge of the
concepts.

5. Summarize What Was Learned

At the end of the lesson, be sure to summarize what was learned. This will help
students to remember the information.

You can use different models to encourage inquiry-based learning in your classroom.
The important thing is that you allow students to be actively involved in the learning process.
Let’s have a look at a few models that you can use.

Models To Use in The Classroom:

Now that we have looked at the benefits of inquiry-based learning and some
strategies for implementing it in your classroom, let’s take a look at four models you can
use.

1. The Question Model

The question model is one of the most basic models for inquiry-based learning. It
involves asking students questions about the topic you are teaching. This will encourage
them to think critically about the material.

2. The Problem-Based Learning Model

The problem-based learning model is another excellent option for inquiry-based
learning. This model involves giving students a problem to solve. They will need to think
critically about the problem and find a solution.

3. The Project-Based Learning Model

Project-based learning is a great way for students to explore a topic in depth. This
model involves giving students a project to work on that is related to the topic you are
teaching.

4. The Inquiry Cycle Model

 With the inquiry cycle model, students are given the opportunity to ask questions,
investigate a topic, and then share their findings. This model allows students to explore a
topic in-depth and share their discoveries with others.

What are the roles of students in inquiry-based learning?

In inquiry-based learning, students take on the role of researcher. They are
encouraged to ask questions and explore new ideas. Students also have the opportunity
to share their findings with their classmates and learn from each other.

What are the role of Student in inquiry-based learning?

The role of the teacher in an inquiry-based classroom is quite different from that of
a teacher in a conventional classroom. Instead of providing direct instruction to students,
teachers help students generate their own content-related questions and guide the
investigation that follows.

Let’s Wrap!
Directed method, meaning that the teacher stands in front of a classroom and presents
the information. Inquiry-based learning is a teaching method that encourages students to
ask questions and explore their answers. This type of learning has many benefits, both for
students and teachers. In this article, we’ve looked at some of the critical benefits of both
methods (direct and inquiry based), strategies you can use to get started in your own
classroom, role of students as well as role of teacher. We hope you’re inspired to give it a
try!