To facilitate learning in the classroom, an instructor must use techniques to differentiate and manage instruction while balancing the type and amount of instructional support necessary to help learners achieve their goals. A major set of considerations for an instructor or facilitator in the classroom has to do with determining (1) the appropriate philosophy of teaching and learning for a given body of knowledge or set of tasks, (2) how to optimize the learning environment to make it conducive to learning, and (3) the amount of support or scaffolding that will be required within educational contexts. This perspective piece is intended for pre-service teachers; however, the main ideas surrounding the 3CE model of classroom facilitation can be used by any instructional leader in various instructional formats (online, face-to face, or blended).
TopIntroduction
A major objective of teaching and course facilitation is ensuring that the proper conditions exist within the classroom to promote among students learning, understanding and appreciation for what is being taught. Educational professionals (i.e., teachers, curriculum developers and school administrators) devote considerable time and attention to tailoring effective approaches to facilitation of learning for students at all levels. This perspective article discusses an approach to classroom facilitation that is not based on a scientific model, but is supported by the author’s 20 years of experience teaching in online, face-to-face and blended learning modalities. The 3CE Model of instruction is a classroom management strategy. This short article presents readers with a practical approach to establishing best conditions for learning in the classroom.
The 3CE Model is associated with four main leadership actions in the classroom that support the cultivation of knowledge and understanding: communicate goals, provide context, create the learning environment and evaluate. The model is a guide for how course facilitation should unfold, with the instructional leader applying basic principles of learning in any setting, regardless of whether the learning occurs online or face-to-face. Arguably, primacy of decisions for instructional facilitation has to do with determining: (1) the appropriate philosophy of teaching and learning for a given body of knowledge or set of tasks; (2) how to optimize the learning environment to make it conducive to learning; (3) the amount of support or scaffolding that will be required within educational contexts, and; (4) how learning will be evaluated.
Utility of this Model
The 3CE Model addresses the need to enhance conventional or traditional approaches to instruction within the classroom. If the focus of leadership and facilitation in the classroom is to apply strategies that engage, empower and effect learning of genuine depth (Lovat, 2010), then this model meets the criterion. The focus of this article is on providing pre-service teachers or new faculty with a basic framework for facilitating learning. Certainly, most primary and secondary level educators are familiar with principles of learning that we discuss here. Ironically, it is still the case today that many post secondary and college level faculty find themselves being thrown into brick and mortar or online classrooms without adequate preparation.
What’s new or novel about this article? New teachers and facilitators of learning are inundated with many grand theories about what leads to effective outcomes in the classroom. Practical application of theory in instructional contexts is important to what we do as educators. However, without an organizing framework for one’s efforts, confusion and a lack of efficacy can result. For pre-service and new teachers assigned to leading instruction, first and foremost considerations for effective classroom leadership should take into account the needs or motivations of learners, their level of experience or prior training and the amount of time available to teach new skills. Regardless of whether one has been teaching for one year or ten years, the instructional framework addressed within this article can inspire better praxis in the classroom. The 3CE Model discussed in this article lays out basic precepts that if followed will make the job of organizing and leading instruction a better experience for both teachers and learners.