Quality instruction begins with an opening that engages students in the lesson’s purpose and processes. A critical element in the beginning of a lesson is linking new information to prior knowledge. The opening minutes of class offer a rich opportunity to capture students’ attention and get them prepared to learn. It is really useful for instructors to begin class with deliberate efforts to bring their focus to the lesson of the day.
Cueing whets student’s appetite for what is to come. You inform students what will be taught, how the instruction will be carried out, give an explanation regarding how the teaching process will help students learn, and identify your expectations. Cueing can take as little as a few minutes and serves to focus attention on how the lesson will transpire.
In the Do phase, you lead the learning activities while eliciting responses from students regarding their understanding of content and concepts presented. The “Do” phase asks questions and helps students evaluate the information they are learning. This phase is the main course of the lesson. Although most time is spent here, the likelihood that information will be assimilated and applied effectively is largely dependent on the degree to which the lesson was initiated with a “cue”.
Finally, in the Review phase, you reinforce learning, and ask students how the teaching approach guided their learning. Critical content from the lesson is discussed and reviewed. During the last few minutes of class, many instructors try to cram in additional information, make added points, or issue reminders as students are packing up and ready to go. Not only are these last-minute bits of information largely ignored, but faculty miss opportunities to collect learner feedback.