Are Traditional Teaching Methods Right
for Today’s Students? 8 ways to teach to the domains of competency

Who is today’s student? In
order to determine the best way to meet the challenges of teaching 21st Century students, we need to take a closer look at who they are: Not college ready 37% of first-year students have a hard time adjusting to the demands of college and university More tech savvy Want to acquire knowledge quickly as well as skills that can be transferred to the workplace Less traditional Leading busy lives, often with family and work responsibilities outside of the demands of school 2

Today’s students expect that their
college or university experience will: • Prepare them for their careers • Relate to job competencies, job seeking and success • Be supported and enhanced by technology • Focus on application and transferable skills rather than just acquiring knowledge 3

A growing body of research
has shown that meeting the needs of today’s students and preparing them for education, life, and work means addressing three domains of competency: Cognitive Domain Intrapersonal Domain Interpersonal Domain 4

The Cognitive Domain Creativity Knowledge
Reasoning & Argumentation Critical ThinkingCognitive Processes & Strategies 5

The Intrapersonal Domain Metacognition (the
ability to reflect on one’s own learning and make adjustments accordingly) Intellectual Openness Work Ethic & Conscientiousness Self-efficacy (one’s confidence in the ability to control his/her own motivation, behavior, and social environment) Persistence & Grit 6

The Interpersonal DomainConflict Resolution Communication
Collaboration Leadership 7

How to teach to the
domains of competency 1. Provide clearly delineated learning goals and a model of the learning process. 8

2. Represent content and concepts
in various ways accompanied by activities. How to teach to the domains of competency 9

3. Encourage elaboration, questioning, investigation
and explanation. How to teach to the domains of competency 10

4. Engage learners in challenging
tasks, while supporting them with appropriate scaffolding. How to teach to the domains of competency 11

5. Teach with examples and
case studies that bring home real-world relevance and show concepts at work. How to teach to the domains of competency 12

6. Prime student motivation by
connecting with student interests, experience and aspirations. How to teach to the domains of competency 13

7. Engage students in collaborative
problem solving or other collaboration with a learning purpose. How to teach to the domains of competency 14

8. Provide meaningful feedback and
invite students to assess their own progress. How to teach to the domains of competency 15

References 1. National Research Council.
Education for Life and Work: Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century, 2012. Committee on Defining Deeper Learning and 21st Century Skills, J.W. Pellegrino and M.L. Hilton, Editors. Board on Testing and Assessment and Board on Science Education, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 2. Education for Life and Work. Developing Transferable Knowledge and Skills in the 21st Century. National Research Council of the National Academies of Science, 2012. http://www.nap.edu/catalog/13398/ education-for-life-and-work-developing-transferable-knowledge- and-skills. 16