Although the audio-tutorial method has its place among certain subjects, the thought of math classes being taught in this method makes me cringe. Having participated in an online math course during my undergrad at UNC Pembroke, I have reservations about math being taught in almost any distance method that does not allow an instructor to:
a) show how a problem is solved
b) get immediate feedback on how a student is doing
c) view the facial expressions of a student
d) assess not just the final answer but also the processes taking place in a student's work
That being said, the audio-tutorial method offers quite a bit as a supplementary method of instruction, particularly with the current multimedia capabilities that are present. For the subjects I am teaching, I envision a tutorial with visuals, audio and motion that allow students to take individual concepts and review them as deemed necessary.
Where the audio-tutorial method offers a great deal of promise is in the sciences and social studies subjects. In science, it allows students the benefit of being able to progress as they comprehend the material. Multimedia elements are able to help teach concepts and keep the material from being too dry. While there is no substitute for a hands-on lab, interactive applets do provide some level of experimentation with laws and theorems. For social studies, there are already vast resources available that cover our world and its' history in great depth. All that is needed is an organizational layout and the instructor can almost be replaced in many cases. When all that a history teacher does is lecture, he lends himself to replacement pretty easily.
As technology has evolved over the past fifteen years, the audio-tutorial method has become an increasingly rational method for inclusion in public education. While an audio-taped lesson would be very dry, the inclusion of photos, video and non-linear interactivity allows such a lesson to be spiced up to where it is bearable for the student. It still requires more effort and self discipline on the part of the student, but in return offers the learner a chance to break free of the structure enforced by the traditional learning environment.
References: KULIK, J. A., KULIK, C. C., & COHEN, P. A. (1979). RESEARCH ON AUDIO-TUTORIAL INSTRUCTION: A META-ANALYSIS OF COMPARATIVE STUDIES. RESEARCH IN HIGHER EDUCATION, 11(4), 321-341.
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2 comments:
lol "I'm overall pretty awesome!" like that !
I'll just mention here what I said to another math teacher in the class who also indicated AT might not be great for math: I would submit there is a great deal to be known about math (for instance, its vocabulary) that could make very good content for an AT approach. Mathematicians would benefit immensely from being forced to sit down and explain in words - not symbols - the ideas they are trying to convey. Obviously, the problem sets would need something else. As far as historians go - you are right, plain old lecture could easily be replaced. For good history teachers, though, the ones that get their students actively involved in the act of *doing* history, AT would not work any better than it would for show how to solve a quadratic equation.
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