# What is the most effective form of teaching? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 28, 2009, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-teaching/497911 "2009-05-28T07:21:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-teaching/497911/21 "2009-05-29T00:01:40Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > Someone said: You say that as if it’s gospel. ---
**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-teaching/497911/22 "2009-05-29T00:09:08Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > You say that as if it’s gospel. I have always heard it as “Experience is what you have right after you need it” ---
**Author:** ![MandaJo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@MandaJo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MandaJo)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-teaching/497911/23 "2009-05-29T00:46:51Z")
If you want someone to memorize something long and complicated, drilling/flashcards seems really effective, but that doesn’t help them learn how to solve a problem. If you want to learn to be fluent in a language, total immersion seems to be effective, but totally immersing someone with no science background in a University Science Lab is probably just going to lead to them being frustrated and confused. If you want to teach someone to dance a Foxtrot, you’ve got to show them, watch them, correct them, but that method won’t work if you want to teach them how to “get” Bach–there’s no cues for them to follow, or for you to correct. ---
**Author:** ![Kolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e56c9b/32.png) [@Kolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolga)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-teaching/497911/24 "2009-05-29T01:08:06Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Take a class of any size. Assign reading material…say Chapter 1 of the text. > > Next class, call on students and ask questions. First student with a wrong answer, shoot him in the head. Assign Chapter 2 for tommorrow. Class dismissed. I find your ideas intriguing and would like to subscribe to your newsletter. Is there a recommendation for the caliber of the weapon? ---
**Author:** ![yelimS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/54ee81/32.png) [@yelimS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yelimS)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-teaching/497911/25 "2009-05-29T07:44:17Z")
Tangential, if I’m allowed: I’ve been wondering what would be best (generally, that is) of making the teaching more accessible, so they’re easily understood, or less, so the student is forced to work more with it. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-teaching/497911/26 "2009-05-29T08:24:47Z")
1. Learning by doing - learning that involves applying knowledge and skills to physical acts (i.e. lab) rather than just memorization 2. Teaching - communicating knowledge to others or helping them learn bolsters one’s own depth and strength of knowledge and skill 3. Involving the senses - either involving more than one sense in the learning process (reading, listening, visual aides, smell, touch) or targeting the most effective sense for a particular person 4. Passion - being passionate about the subject, or finding a way to make it more enjoyable or personally relevant makes for more efficient learning ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2009, 8:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-teaching/497911/27 "2009-05-29T08:44:23Z")
Not only does the ‘best’ method depend on the student, but also on the skills of the teacher. I use [the Socratic method](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method) a fair bit, because I enjoy working out what is puzzling my student and what question to ask so they realise the answer. You asked for non-anecdotal evidence, so let me teach you that on the Internet you can’t always get what you want. 😉 1. As a teacher with nearly 30 years experience, small class sizes are better. Not necessarily a single pupil, because they only have one viewpoint. But lecturing to a hundred people is a way of saving money. it may be an experience, but it’s not ‘the most effective form of teaching’. 2. I learnt chess from a book (‘Chess for children’ by Bott and Morrison). Never had a single chess lesson in my life. Now [I’m a successful professional chess teacher.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=517459) This method would definitely not work for everyone. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-most-effective-form-of-teaching/497911.md?page=1)