Direct Instruction (DI) works to shift the focus from personal experience to student-generated data through a highly structured approach (Mason & Otero, 2021). It encompasses the following characteristics, which have been derived from Mason and Otero (2021): (1) Overarching Theme: Structured/Scripted lessons, (2) Goal: Teaching Core Concepts Directly, (3) Activity: Choral Responding and Error Correction, and (4) Assessment: Measurement of Student Behaviour. 

  1. Overarching Theme: Structured/Scripted Lessons
    1. DI takes a highly structured approach in which lessons are pre-made and carefully sequenced to ensure students understand a concept before moving to the next (Mason & Otero, 2021). 
    2. This structure would be good for teaching about cyberbullying and its effects on mental health because it provides a clear outline for such a sensitive topic, ensuring all students receive the same foundational understanding; however, its limited flexibility does not leave room for the emotional responses students may have to the topic. 
  2. Goal: Teaching Core Concepts Directly
    1. The structure of DI is made to ensure learners understand overarching concepts (i.e., big ideas) not just isolated facts. Therefore, learners should be able to apply a concept across a variety of examples (Mason & Otero, 2021). 
    2. Learning overarching concepts such as digital citizenship (and traits such as empathy or respect) would serve learners while in their education and lives. It could help students to recognize bad patterns in their behaviours before engaging in harmful activities on or offline. 
  3. Activity: Choral Responding and Error Correction
    1. DI is applied through using techniques such as choral responding and error correction (Mason & Otero, 2021). Choral responding is when students respond to a question on a teacher’s cue all together and generally in response the teacher will immediately correct any errors (error correction) (Hill, 2023). 
    2. These activities promote immediate participation and feedback which may not be great for a topic as heavy as cyberbullying and its effects on mental health. Additionally, this style does not leave room for much personal reflection which is important when dealing with conversations surrounding mental health. 
  4. Assessment: Measurement of Student Behaviour
    1. DI puts an emphasis on direct measurement of student behaviour through the production of relevant outcome data and systematic measurement practices (Mason & Otero, 2021). 
    2. A direct measurement of the learner’s understanding can be helpful in determining whether or not they are grasping the concept at surface level; however, it does not capture possible shifts in empathy, respect, emotional awareness, etc. 

Resources 

Hill, M. (2023, June 22). Why Unison Response Works in the Classroom. Inspired Ideas. https://medium.com/inspired-ideas-prek-12/why-unison-response-works-in-the-classroom-1c867e53acf3 

Mason, L., & Otero, M. (2021). Just How Effective is Direct Instruction? Perspectives on Behavior Science, 44(2), 225–244. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40614-021-00295-x