Overt instructionBased on observations and other forms of assessment, teachers identify students' specific learning needs for extended learning that will contribute to the overall project outcomes. By providing interventions and scaffolding learning, teachers assist students to conceptualise, theorise, develop explicit generalisation and learn appropriate technical points of language and metalanguage. (Henderson, 2012) |
What does overt instruction include?
"Overt instruction does not imply direct transmission, drills, and rote memorization, though unfortunately it often has these connotations" (The New London Group, 1996) as it is often confused with similar terms such as explicit or direct teaching. Instead, overt instruction recognises the strengths and weaknesses of the students, and allows for the teacher to plan to provide resources and tools to help the students structure their learning.
"Another way of conceptualizing overt instruction in this context is to think of it as providing scaffolding to students as they write" (Ranker, 2009).
Gibbons (2002) further expounded this point by noting "It doesn’t mean a return to the teaching of traditional grammar.... Neither does it mean a breaking up of language into its component parts of speech, or a fragmentation of the timetable into spelling, dictation, composition, and so on, or a separation of the macroskills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking... (It is the) understanding about language is developed in the context of actual language use" (p. 60).
A comprehensive list of aspects of overt instruction can be found above in 'The Multiliteracies Pedagogy' image.
"Another way of conceptualizing overt instruction in this context is to think of it as providing scaffolding to students as they write" (Ranker, 2009).
Gibbons (2002) further expounded this point by noting "It doesn’t mean a return to the teaching of traditional grammar.... Neither does it mean a breaking up of language into its component parts of speech, or a fragmentation of the timetable into spelling, dictation, composition, and so on, or a separation of the macroskills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking... (It is the) understanding about language is developed in the context of actual language use" (p. 60).
A comprehensive list of aspects of overt instruction can be found above in 'The Multiliteracies Pedagogy' image.
Why is it important?
According to the multiliteracies pedagogy, each of the components is required to achieve an effective and skillful literate student. However according to the design by the New London Group (1996), the overt instruction should be coupled with situated practice in an activity to achieve the required outcomes. Therefore the students would receive the skills and resources to help them build their own knowledge through experience. This design is supported by the findings of a research paper focused on multiliteracies by Kathy Mills (2006). Mills (2006) found that learners had difficulties understanding new, multimodal designs of meaning without the prior overt instruction.
Although many teachers feel that overt instruction may be outdated (as it reflects direct and explicit teaching in some aspects), it is still a necessary component to ensure that students are given the tools to understand and draw meaning from information. There may currently be more emphasis on students creating their own meaning from texts, however they will still need to be guided through the process by either teachers, tools, resources or other means of overt instruction.
Although many teachers feel that overt instruction may be outdated (as it reflects direct and explicit teaching in some aspects), it is still a necessary component to ensure that students are given the tools to understand and draw meaning from information. There may currently be more emphasis on students creating their own meaning from texts, however they will still need to be guided through the process by either teachers, tools, resources or other means of overt instruction.
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