What is Teach-back?
Four Steps to "Teach-back"
Teach-back is a way to understand a topic, and to show that you have understood it, by means of a structured conversation.
Step 1: One person (usually an expert or teacher) explains something they know about a topic to another person (usually someone new to the topic).
Step 2: The novice tries to teach the new understanding back to the expert.
Step 3a: If the novice gives a good response, the expert goes on to explain some more about the topic, or
Step 3b: If the novice is struggling to teach-back, then the expert tries to clarify the explanation, and
Step 4: The novice teaches it back until they reach a shared understanding
HISTORYThe concept of teach-back originated in the 1970s with Gordon Pask, the educational technologist. It was apart of his grand theory of "Conversation Theory" or "Learning through conversation."
In his theory, Pask emphasized that this method doesn't always need an expert. It could involve two people with similar knowledge of a topic- with each person taking turns asking the other to expand on the topic, and then attempting to explain back, until they both gained a better shared understanding. |
WHY USE IT?Primary method of patient education is print material and statistics show we only remember 10% of what we read.
Reinforcing teaching promotes understanding and retention by using consistent information. |
KEY ELEMENTS1) The process of learning should be visible and explicit. The conversations heard by both the participants and anyone else who cares to listen.
2) Both partners should gain from the conversation. The one with more expertise has the opportunity to explain. The less-expert person learns by receiving direct instructions and also by going through the process of recall and teaching back. 3) There should be some way of verifying the new understanding. For example through a teacher-marked test to apply knowledge. |