Teaching context and philosophy

“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn.” 
Benjamin Franklin.
I believe that students learn best when they are actively involved in the learning process where they get to think aloud, articulate their thoughts, discuss concepts critically with their peers or their teachers and have opportunities to apply what they've learned into problem solving novel challenges  (Freeman et al, 2014). Therefore, in my classes, I incorporate activities such as recall with the person next to you, engage in live quizzes to think out loud and discuss as a group to solve scenarios presented to them.  

“You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives.”  Clay P. Bedford
I believe in fostering lifelong learning by promoting curiosity amongst my students. Furthermore, I agree with Ausubel that when a learner sees and understands the purpose and meaning of what they are learning, they can be driven to connect their existing knowledge with novel knowledge that is acquired (Sexton, 2020; Vallori, 2014). Through this, they are driven to challenge themselves to think critically in novel ways to solve pressing issues in society. Therefore, I like to motivate my students and allow space for creativity when it comes to problem solving by stating that “There are no wrong answer or stupid question. All attempts lead to learning”. I like to encourage critical discussions on current medical issue that may be controversial by looking at it from multidisciplinary angles.

“A teacher shall delight.” Cicero
Cicero, an ancient philosopher from 55 BC, stated that a supreme orator is one who’s speech teaches, delights, and moves the minds of his listener. This wisdom is more than 2000 years old, but recent research also supports this notion that joy, passion and delight enhance learning by promoting affective engagement (Bowden et al, 2021; Joy, 2011; Pekrun et al, 2002). Therefore, I strive to create a learning environment that is engaging, encouraging, delightful and warm in my classes by developing a friendship with my students, showing concern for their learning progress.

“Each student is unique.”
Finally, I believe that each student learns differently as per their preferred learning style. VARK model categorises learners according to their dominant sensory inclination (Visual, Auditory, Read/Write, Kinesthetic - VARK). Literature indicates the effectiveness of employing the VARK model in tertiary education (Mirza, 2020; Prithishkumar, 2014) . Some may find visual aids stimulating whilst others require hands-on or live demonstration, and some may need group discussions or audio recordings. Therefore, in my class, I like to incorporate the use of attractive images as well as dialogues between peers as well as demonstrations and applications where possible. I do this to accommodate the diverse group of students I have during my lessons which may have different learning styles.