Assignment 6: Instructional Methods and Materials

The lesson level objective I chose from Assignment 5 is: obtain health care records from current health care provider.

This lesson can be given in the following methods: lecture, group discussion, role playing, or one on one instruction. Each method has advantages and disadvantages.

Lecture: A lecture would be presented in PowerPoint format, and has the instructor speaking the information to the students. Typically a lecture begins with an overview of objectives, moves to specific information in the body of the lecture,then ends with a summary. For our specific objective, the teacher would prepare a PowerPoint on how to obtain health records and present it to a group of adolescent students.

    Advantages: Effective for educating large groups of people at the same time
    Disadvantages: Does not afford for differences in student learning styles or cognitive levels

Group Discussion: Students and teacher gather together to discuss predetermined objectives. The teacher leads the discussion to a certain degree, but the group responses also direct the focus of the discussion. For our example, the teacher would gather a group of students to discuss how to obtain records from health providers. It is possible some students have had experience with the subject, and facilitate learning by sharing their experiences.

    Advantages: Promotes peer support, which is important to the adolescent population. 
    Disadvantages: Shy learners can get pushed aside, and may need extra encouragement to become involved. This is especially important to note with self-conscious adolescents.

Role Playing: Students play characters in a predetermined scenario. This helps students understand the roles they should play. This can be used to help students practice calling or going to a doctors office to request their health care records.

    Advantages: Helps adolescents practice these new types of interactions.
    Disadvantages: Adolescents may feel self-conscious about acting in front of their peers.

One to One instruction: This method tailors to the specific needs of the individual. This could be helpful in teaching a youth with a special health care need or learning disability to obtain their health care records.

    Advantages: Paced to meet the exact needs of the student.
    Disadvantages: Student is isolated from peers, and peer group is very important to adolescents.


Bastable, S. (2008). Nurse as educator: principles of teaching and learning for nursing practice. (3rd ed.). Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers