Advantages and Limitations of Instructional Methods

Pro's and Con's of each instructional method

Advantages and Limitations of Instructional Methods

Instructional Method	Advantages	Limitations
Presentation	Can be used with groups of all sizes Gives all students the opportunity to see and hear the same information Provides students with an organized perspective of lesson content (i.e., information is structured and relationships among concepts are illustrated) Can be used to efficiently present a large amount of content	Requires little student activity Makes assessment of student's mental involvement difficult Doesn't provide feedback to students; by definition, presentation is a one-way approach
Demonstration	Utilizes several senses; students can see, hear, and possibly experience an actual event Has dramatic appeal if the presenter uses good showmanship techniques, such as demonstrating an unexpected result or a discrepant event	May be difficult for all students to see the demonstration Is time-consuming if demonstrations are done live Demonstrations may not go as planned
Discussion	Allows students to actively practice problem-solving, critical-thinking, and higher-level thinking skills Is interesting and stimulating for teachers and students alike Can change attitudes and knowledge level Makes effective use of students' backgrounds and experiences	Students must have a common experience (reading a book, viewing a video, participating in an activity) in order to meaningfully participate and contribute Teacher must prepare and possess discussion-leading skills for the method to be effective
Games	Actively involves students and encourages social interaction through communication among players Provides the opportunity for practice of skills with immediate feedback Can be incorporated into many instructional situations to increase student motivation Helps students learn to deal with unpredictable circumstances	May involve students with competition more than content Can be impossible to play if pieces are lost or damaged Can be time-consuming to set up if games have many components
Simulation	Provides practice and experimentation with skills Provides immediate feedback on actions and decisions Simplifies real-world complexities and focuses on important attributes or characteristics Is appealing, motivates intense effort, and increases learning	Can cause deep emotional involvement {e.g., students in veterinary school get very attached to "sick" animals they diagnose and attempt to "save," even though the animals exist only within the simulation} Both setup and debriefing can be time-consuming
Cooperative Learning	Promotes positive interdependence, individual accountability, collaborative and social skills, and group processing Encourages trust building, communication, and leadership skills Facilitates student learning in academic as well as social areas Involves students in active learning	Requires a compatible group of students {this may be difficult to form} Takes more time to cover the same amount of content than other methods Is less appealing to individuals who prefer to work alone
Discovery	Encourages higher-level thinking; students are required to analyze and synthesize information rather than memorize low-level facts Provides intrinsic motivation (where merely participating in the task itself is rewarding) to discover the "answer" Usually results in increased retention of knowledge; students have processed the information and not simply memorized it Develops the skills and attitudes essential for self-directed learning	Allows for the discovery of "incorrect" or unintended information Can be time-consuming
Problem Solving	Increases comprehension and retention; students are required to work with everyday problems and to apply theory to practice Involves higher-level learning; students cannot solve problems by simple memorization and regurgitation Provides students with the opportunity to learn from their mistakes Develops responsibility as students learn to think independently	Limits the amount of content covered; can be time-consuming Selecting, modifying, and/or designing effective instructional problems can be time-consuming Requires teachers to have good management skills to coach students without giving them the "answer"
Drill and Practice	Provides repetitive practice in basic skills to enhance learning, build competency, and attain mastery Promotes psychomotor and low-level cognitive skills Helps build speed and accuracy	Students can perceive it as boring Does not teach when and how to apply the facts learned
Tutorial	Provides optimum individualized instruction; all students get the individual attention they need Provides the highest degree of student participation Expands the number of "teachers" in the classroom by using students or computers as tutors Frequently benefits student tutors as much as, or more than, the tutees Introduces new concepts in a sequenced, interactive way	May be impractical in some cases because appropriate tutor or tutorial material may not be available for individual students May encourage student dependency on human tutor; students may become reluctant to work on their own

 Mt. Hood Community College