DLI facilitator and e-tutor, Dr. Adenike J. Oladipo has advocated the use of the Mercedes Model of teaching by teachers in secondary schools and lecturers in higher institutions.
She made the call at the March edition of the Distance Learning Institute, University of Lagos (UNILAG) monthly series which was held on Thursday, March 28, 2024 at the DLI Boardroom, Red Bricks, DLI, UNILAG.
Dr. Oladipo made this assertion while discussing the topic, Cruising into Effective Teaching and Learning: The Mercedes Model.
In her lecture, she tried to connect the missing link between what teachers have done, are doing and will/should do to make teaching and a learning a pleasant experience. She pointed out that there is an urgent need for a teaching method and strategy that will improve students’ learning, and also emphasize the process of arriving at an answer rather than simply requiring students to regurgitate the “right” answer, whether or not they understand either the answer or its justification.
Devised by Gallagher J. J. (2000), the Mercedes Model is a concept which describes teaching and learning using the Mercedes Benz. It was named ‘Mercedes Model’ because it has three (3) compartments which focus on (i) building a knowledge base (acquisition of factual information); (ii)generating understanding (making sense of information and making connections between new information and students’ existing ideas), and (iii) finding application (making connection between concepts and the real-world experience).
She further identified and explained the 13 teaching/assessment strategies for the model. Some of which include: Journal Writing: as an effective way of hearing what students think and understand about what they are taught; Mind Stretcher: where a teacher poses a question or set of questions which individual students answer with relatively brief written responses; Student Generated Questions: wherein students formulate questions that they wish to have answered or are puzzled by; Peer Analysis where students analyse, expand on, and/or modify (anonymous) examples of classmates’ work; Models, Pictures and Diagrams where students explain general concepts or specific phenomena using a model, picture, or diagram, as an alternative way of thinking about something etcetera.
The insightful presentation was witnessed by physical and online participants including students of some secondary schools located in the Shomolu and Akoka axes.
Reference:
Oladipo, A. J., Adewumi, O. O. & Ogundiwin, A. O. (2019) Effect of Mercedes model with embedded assessment strategy and technology on the learning outcomes of biology students in Lagos Nigeria. Technical University of Varna Annual Journal 2, 39-53.
Reporter: Ndidi J. Odinikaeze
Photographer: Ayo Oloyede
