Teaching Philosophy
Inspirated by Socio-constructivism and Vygotsky’s constructivism, IIRHD considers learning as the acquisition of knowledge through exchanges between the teacher and students or between students. Participants do not only learn through the transmission of knowledge from the trainer but also through groups interactions. Learning experience is enriched through collective experience and intelligence.
In Parallel, Connectivism becomes increasingly an important learning approach; Internet technologies, including web browsers, email, online discussion forums and training platforms, social networks, YouTube, etc. have created new opportunities for participants to learn and share information on the Internet and between each other. With the beginning of digital age, much learning take place online through peer networks. In this context, we guide, and we encourage participants to critically search knowledge online and share findings. Learning experience becomes the center of a connected community around this shared information, collective experience and collective intelligence.
Our teaching approach is based on technical/organisational, relational and emotional competencies. The first concerns my knowledge and techniques of organisation and transmission; the second my ability to create a strong relation and inclusive frame; and the final my ability to trigger emotional intelligence to inspire participants creating through learning and practicing a new perspective and vision. The latter constitute our long-term goal.
The application of strong human competencies such as: establish and cultivate strong relation of trust and security; listen actively; identify student’s needs; maintain presence, be open, curious, flexible and participant – centered; evoke awareness and above all facilitate participant’s growth.
Our short-term objectives are:
- initial transmission of knowledge;
- enriching integrate and consolidate knowledge through collective workshop and teach-back;
- train critical thinking through interactive workshop;
- reinforce and enrich learning experience
- initiate creativity through assignment and evaluation which encourage inspiration towards new perspectives and vision.
The starting point of our organisational teaching strategy is backward design and a comprehensive syllabus including effectively designed and justify assignments aligned with the learning outcomes. This following by adapting teaching strategy, best concepts’ combination, and storytelling trigger participants’’ motivation and increase their engagement satisfy their expectations.
Technically, I focus on small teaching sessions (25% lecturing and 50% workshops), aiming quality and integration of the new knowledge, including: Pre-class period of establishing rapport; Introduction to subject; Session’s body (theoretical presentation and peer workshops); Conclusion, assignment and both formative and summative critical feedback.
We create a motivating, engaging and inclusive learning environment by: Providing simple and attractive learning material in both content and presentation; Using interactive methods to increase awareness, ability to consider others’ perspective, emotional intelligence and inclusion; Testing frequently through assignments; Adopting supportive attitude through: clear teaching goals; strong relation of trust and safety; maintaining presence and active listening; evoking awareness and facilitating growth; embodying a learning mindset; providing and encouraging mutual feedback between students
Although our added value is that we care, we value, we trust, we inspire and we challenge students to create new perspectives and vision based on their new knowledge, we have to pay attention to the gap of knowledge and keep teaching ludic and simple.