Explaining the “Why”

Overview

Explaining the “Why” and reviewing content helps to make connections and keeps students engaged.

General

1. Why we teach the “why”?
   1. We use “Why Behind The What” when developing lessons
   2. Reminds us of a greater understanding of concepts
   3. We want to teach concepts and topics, not specific facts
2. How to use the “Why” to review
   1. Use the construct of asking “why” to encourage complex thinking
   2. We want users to grow in their learning, not just hand-hold or deliver information
   3. Use the question “why” as a method of building your lesson
3. When to use the idea of “why”
   1. If you talk about, teach, or write down a topic that might need review, review it on a high level, or focused on the facts
   2. If you use specific words that might prompt the need to further investigate (such as larger medical terms), then take the time to review.

Review & Lesson Integration

Go back through your lesson through each point. Think through “the eyes of the student.” Do you at any point ask yourself “why?” If you do, then stop to explain yourself. We want to be not only master educators but also mentors to our students. While they can rewind the videos, they cannot dig deeper into concepts. So, if there’s a remote possibility of them having to “dig deeper,” then take 10, 15, or even 30 seconds to explain a topic. It’s so helpful and it’s a crucial element to our pedagogy.