Collaborative instructional consultation cannot take place in the absence of knowledge related to curriculum, instruction, and educational psychology. The student should keep in mind that the presentations in this seminar are intended to be an introduction to the subject. As a consequence, the seminar presentations are not considered to be either complete or definitive. It is hoped that the fundamental ideas presented in the CIEP 557 seminar will provide a firm knowledge base upon which further thinking, reading, and investigating in the area can be anchored. Students should find the contents of the seminar to be useful when called upon to consult with other professional persons.
Many instructors like to involve students in classroom activities that demand active participation.
Although such activities seldom offer as thorough coverage of the material as a more traditional lecture, interest often runs higher, and the points that are made in such activities are often better remembered. In fact, current learning theory suggests that students' learning is increased when more interactive forms of instruction are used. Because the learning that takes place in classroom activities tends to be better motivated, it is very important that all students be prepared to take full advantage of this fact. Discussions fizzle if the participants have not done their homework. Therefore, students must complete the assigned readings before class and frequently contribute to the class discussion .