Supporting Student Success in Online Courses: What COVID-19 Has Taught Us About Effective Teaching and Learning

Overview Of Effective Instructional Practices

Effective instructional practices are something that are acquired and refined over a long period of time (Kealey et al., 2000). At the collegiate level, teachers often experience some initial training in teaching in their graduate programs, some even as teaching assistants where they have received feedback on their practices. In many situations, teachers learn some of the key pedagogical tools from advisors and are able to “sample” these instructional practices in lower risk situations where they are often supervised by veteran faculty. As individuals begin university teaching positions, they further enhance their teaching practices. This is frequently complicated because college professors often teach a wide range of courses where different teaching styles are warranted. For example, what works in a large lecture introductory psychology course, is unlikely to succeed in a twenty-student discussion-based Ethics course. Over time, college faculty identify what strategies work best in their own discipline and context, and they utilize the evidence from their students’ success to drive modifications in their practice.