Review of D.E.A.R.

Research in teaching practices points to four principles that, if you apply, can turn any person into a great teacher. The acronym for these principles is D.E.A.R., referring to:

• Definition
• Example
• Activities
• Results

EXAMPLE OF D.E.A.R.

Let's say you want to teach an alien what a cup is.

• You could define cup." A cup is a container, with a particular volume, to hold liquids, which has at least one handle."
• You could provide examples of cups. These could be pictures or actual cups. You could also bring non-examples. These might be drinking glasses, to show that a drinking glass is not the same as a cup.
• Then, you could ask someone to draw a cup. That is an activity.
• And finally, you would provide feedback as to whether the drawing actually represents a cup, and if not, why not.

This whole process is a loop.

If the alien passed the test, you can then move on to other concepts that require the understanding of the concept "cup." For example, "using a cup to measure out ingredients." If the alien does not pass the test, then additional examples and activities are needed to solidify the concept.

These set of D.E.A.R. course design principles is built into every Knowledge Avatar™.