Lesson 10: Demonstrations in Teaching

Good demonstration is good communication

Focus Questions:
What does demonstration mean?
= the action or process of showing the existence or truth of something by giving proof or
evidence.
= a practical exhibition and explanation of how something works or is performed.
"a microwave cooking demonstration"

How should demonstration be done to make it work?

Discussion Question:
1. What elements are common in the three (3) instances of demonstration?
2. How should these three do their demonstration for them to achieve their objectives (sell a
product, get support and be heard, teach the audience how to use the teaching method
effectively)?
Activity:
Describe what happens when:
you are invited to a demonstration of a new product
In the demonstration of new products, the speaker shows the products, tells all the good things about
the product to promote it in order to convince the audience that the product is worth buying.
you join activist in a demonstration or rally
In the activists demonstration, the activists air their grievances and publicly denounce the act of a
person or of an institution, like government, against whom they are demonstrating.
a Master teacher is asked to do demonstration teaching strategy
When a master teacher is asked to do demonstration teaching on a teaching strategy, she shows to the
audiences how to use a teaching strategy effectively.
In all the three instances of demonstration, there is an audience, a process of speaking and a
process of showing a product or a method or proofs to convince the audience to buy the product, use the
strategy or rally behind their cause.
Demonstration - (Websters International Dictionary) defines as a public showing emphasizing the
salient merits, utility, efficiently, etc, of an article or product
- In teaching, it is showing how a thing is done and emphasizing of the salient merits,
utility and efficiently of a concept, a method or a process or an attitude.
Edgar Dale (1969) gives three guiding principles must be observe in using demonstration as a teachinglearning experience:
1. Establish rapport. Greet your audience. Make them feel at ease by your warmth and sincerity.
Stimulate their interest by making your demonstration and yourself interesting. Sustain their
attention.
2. Avoid the COIK fallacy (Clear Only If Known). What is this fallacy? It is the assumption that
what is clear to the expert demonstrator is also clearly known to the person whom the message is
intended. To avoid the fallacy, it is best for the expert demonstrator to assume that his audience

knows nothing or a little about what he is intending to demonstrate for him to be very thorough,
clear and detailed in his demonstration even to a point of facing the risk of being repetitive.
3. Watch for key points. What are key points? Dale (1996) says, They are the ones at which an
error is likely to be made the places at which many people stumble and where the knacks and
tricks of the trade are especially important. The good demonstrator recognizes possible
stumbling blocks to learners and highlights them in some way. What are usually highlighted are
the donts of a process or a strategy.
To ensure that the demonstration works, we ought to plan and prepare very well before we conduct
the demonstration. In planning and preparing for demonstration, Brown suggests methodical procedures
by the following question:
1. What are our objectives? =In demonstration, before you start or face your audience you have to
know/make your objectives first on why are you making or having this demonstration so that
your demonstration dont go any further that doesnt lies on the topic and the you will achieve
your objectives.
2. How does your class stand with respect to these objectives? This is to determine entry knowledge
and skills of your student.
3. Is there a better way to achieve your ends? If there is more effective way to attain your purpose,
then replace the demonstration method with the more effective one. You dont have to use
methods that are too complicated to understand for your audience. It is much necessary to use a
simple and easy-to-get method or mediums in all demonstration.
4. Do you have access to all the necessary materials and equipment to make demonstration? Have a
checklist of necessary equipment and material. Make sure that before your demonstration you
have all the equipment and materials needed in your demonstration so that you can avoid any
damage during the demonstration. And also demonstrator must have effective materials that can
help the used method more understandable.
5. Are you familiar with the sequence and content of the proposed demonstration? Outline the steps
and rehearse your demonstration. You also need to know the sequence of your demonstration, on
how will you do it on a step-by-step process. And also, you have to practice, memorize and
understand your own demonstration so that di ka mapahiya during your demonstration. And
also you are the demonstrator you are responsible in making your demonstration achieve your
goal and objectives in it.
6. Are the time limits realistic? When you say when is the exact time of the demonstration you have
to follow it and start right away.
Now that you have planned and rehearsed your demonstration, your materials and equipment are
ready, you have prepared your students, and then you can proceed to the demonstration itself. Dale (1969)
gives several points to observe:

1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Set the tone for good communication. Get and keep your audiences interest. Make sure that your
audience is interested in the topic that you are demonstrating because it might cause
misunderstanding between the topic and the audience. Do some tricks that can get the full
attention of your audience.
Keep your demonstration simple. Demonstration is done not by making the topic more
complicated but rather making it more understandable and simple. Simple demonstration is easy
to catch up if demonstrator makes it simpler but knowledgeable.
Do not wander from the main ideas.
Check to see that your demonstration is being understood. Watch your audience for signs of
bewilderment, boredom or disagreement. Do not focus in you demonstration too much. give some
time to your audiences if they are listening to you.
Do not hurry your demonstration. Asking question to check understanding can serve as a brake.
During the demonstration, it is much understandable if sometimes you asked some question to
your audience to know also if they understand what you are saying.
Do not drag out the demonstration. Interesting things are never dragged out. They create their
own tempo.
Summarize as you go along and provide a concluding summary. Use the chalkboard, the overhead
projector, charts, diagrams, power point and whatever other materials are appropriate to
synthesize your demonstration. If possible make a concluding summary about the topic you have
demonstrated so that in the end people would know the importance of the said demonstration.

Dale (1969) enumerates some Questions that you can ask to evaluate your classroom demonstration:

Was your demonstration adequately and skillfully prepared? Did you select demonstrable skill or
ideas? Were the desired behavioral outcomes clear?

Did you follow the step-by-step plan? Did you make use of additional materials appropriate to
your purpose- chalkboard, felt board, pictures, charts, diagrams, models, overhead transparencies
or slides?

Was the demonstration itself correct? Was your explanation simple enough so that most of the
students understood it easily?

Did you keep checking to see that all your students were concentrating on what you were doing?

Could every person see and hear? It a skill was demonstrated for imitation, was it presented from
the physical point of view of the learner?

Did you help students do their own generalizing?

Did you take enough time to demonstrate the key points?

Did you review and summarize the key points?

Did your students participate in what you were doing by asking thoughtful questions at the
appropriate time?

Did our evaluation of students learning indicate that your demonstration achieved its purpose?

A good demonstration is an audio-visual presentation. It is not enough that the teachers talk. To be
effective, his/her demonstration must be accompanied by some visuals.
To plan and prepare adequately for the demonstration, we first determine our goals, the materials we
need, our steps and rehearse.
In the actual conduct of the demonstration itself, we see to it that we: 1) get and sustain the interest of our
audience, 2)keep our demonstration simple, focused and clear, 3) do not hurry nor drag out the
demonstration, 4) check for understanding in the process of demonstration, 5) conclude with a summary,
and 6) hand out written materials at the end of thye demonstration.