OSU Master's of Adult Education Cohort '02

Description:

Demonstrations serve two purposes for instruction. First, they may be used to provide a model of a skill.   Second, they may be used to support an explanation of an idea, theory, belief, concept or skills. This strategy is based upon experiential learning. Demonstrations show learners how to do a task as well as why, when, and where it is done.   Learners view a real or lifelike example of a skill or procedure. Demonstrations can set performance standards for student work; by demonstrating how to properly perform a task, you establish the criteria you expect students to meet.

There are five basic types of demonstrations :

1.   Instructor : Instructor bears the full burden of showing and telling
2.   Participant Volunteer : A volunteer demonstrates a task, a process, or a behavior and then discusses it.
3.   Full Participation : All learners are required to demonstrate and one or all are required to discuss the experience.
4.   Job Instruction Training (JIT): This type calls for a demonstration sequence in which:

a. Instructor introduces a task and demonstrates it
b. Participants explain the same task and demonstrate it.
c. The instructor provides feedback on how well participants performed the task, then introduces another task and demonstrates it.
d. Tasks a-c are repeated through an entire chain of related behaviors or tasks.

5.   Behavior Modeling :   This type requires a sequence of demonstrations.

a. Adult educator introduces a topic and “models” effective and ineffective behavior.
b. Adult educator shows a videotape or file that simulates job conditions and “models” effective and ineffective behavior.
c. Learners discuss the behavior and then demonstrate it themselves
d. Adult educator and/or learners critique the demonstrations.

*These steps are repeated until mastery occurs

Advantages :

• Arouses interest or motivation, and gains the attention of learners
• Provides an economical use of time, materials and equipment
• Utilizes several senses; learners can see, hear and possibly experience an actual event
• Helps reduce the gap between theory and practice
• Has dramatic appeal if the presenter uses good showmanship techniques, such as demonstrating an unexpected result or a discrepant event
• Provides a holistic perspective by showing a complete performance before learners learn to do part or all of it.
• Easy to develop and usually inexpensive to design and produce.   They do require the adult educator to maintain a mastery level of knowledge and skills to develop demonstration which reflects practical and real life situation.
• Reduces hazards and trial-and-error learning of experiments or procedures involving materials and equipment (as in woodshops, cooking classes)

Limitations :

• May be difficult for all students to see the demonstration if a large group.
• May negatively motivate learner after demonstration because they are unable to perform the skills as well as the adult educator
• Adult educators who do not possess a mastery level of skill or cannot demonstrate the correct procedure and/or behavior should not attempt demonstration as an instructional strategy
• Some skills are difficult to break down into components and thus are not good candidates for this strategy
• Is time consuming if demonstrations are done live and practice is encouraged.   The cost-benefit factor should be considered.  
• It is difficult to provide timely, detailed feedback on performance to each individual in a group situation. This strategy requires that adult educators possess the communication skills necessary for adequate feedback.
• Demonstrations may not go as planned

Mitigating Limitations:

A very talented colleague shared the following regarding e-learning:   “With online demonstrations, well designed ones of course, you can address some limitations of SOME types of classroom demonstrations because students can repeatedly watch or pause the demonstration if they need to. It would work well for number 1 and 5 (The five basic types of demonstrations). If using video, you can design the demonstration for desktop presentation and manage the large group problem of not being able to see very well and if like me- you might want to see it several times to let it sink in. If we use flash as the production tool, we can also add stop, play, and pause buttons to stop demonstrations OR design them so they automatically stop at the end of each small step, then direct you to hit the next button when it's time” (Schmitt, 2004).

Uses/Options:  

Demonstrations may be done live or recorded on a media format, such as videotape or CD-ROM.   You may use demonstration to illustrate how something works, to show how to perform a task, or to teach safety procedures.   Demonstrations are essential when teaching a psychomotor procedure (such as jumping rope) or an interpersonal skill (such as participating in a discussion).

Materials :

Assure the materials are relevant to the situation, topic, and/or subject being discussed.   The nature of the materials will be in accordance with the topic.

Instructions:

• Analyze the process, breaking it into small sequential steps.
• State Objective(s)
• Have all material in place
• Check the operation of all equipment before the demonstration.
• While planning, preparation and practice are important for all instructional methods, they are especially critical for demonstrations if you are going to be manipulating materials and equipment that you do not use regularly.
• Ensure that all can see and hear.   Position or scale the models so all learners can see all parts all the time
• Intersperse the demonstration with questions to help learners focus their attention
• Provide fact and/or information sheets outlining steps or detailed illustrations to focus attention of learner
• Allow learners to practice.
• See ASSURE Model below for steps in planning for a demonstration

Adapted from Kemp, William H. (1988)

Tips/Personal Experience:

An effective demonstrator:

• Rehearses the presentation prior to delivery to make certain that information is correct and clear as well as visible to all participants
• Explain the goals of the demonstration at the beginning, in a two-way discussion with the learner.
• Presents the operation one step at a time and explain each step as the demonstration proceeds and assure demonstration can be duplicated
• Assures the demonstration is relevant to the situation, topic, and/or subject being discussed
• Allows the earliest possible tryout of the demonstrated skill, procedures or behavior
• Reinforces everything learners does correctly in their practice session
• Evaluates the demonstration for effectiveness

My personal experience utilizing the demonstration strategy in technology education has been to know your learners and pace the demonstrations to the speed which they will tolerate.   You may need to adjust the pace as needed.  

References:

Galbraith, Michael W. (Ed.) (1988). Adult Learning Methods: A guide for Effective Instruction. Malabar , FL :Krieger Publishing Company.

Jackson, Lewis and Caffarella, Rosemary S. (1994). Experiential Learning: A new approach. San Francisco : Jossey-Bass.

Kemp, William H. (1988). Instructional Strategies for Technology Education. Mission Hills , CA : Glencoe Publishing Company.

Newby, Timothy J. (2000). Instructional technology for teaching and learning: Designing instruction, integrating computers and using media. Upper Saddle River , N.J. :Prentice-Hall.

Schmitt, L. (2004). [Mitigating Limitations]. Unpublished commentary.