Introduction

Instructional strategies are intentional approaches and techniques teachers use to help students learn. Learning activities are the tasks students undertake to practice, explore, or demonstrate that learning. These categories are a practical organizational framework rather than a formal, mutually exclusive research taxonomy. Some entries are broad teaching approaches, while others are specific techniques.

The following guide presents 100 classroom instructional strategies in eight categories, followed by 25 additional approaches especially useful for online learning. Each entry includes a concise explanation of what the teacher does.

A. Direct Instruction and Teacher Presentation

Strategy	What the teacher does
1. Lecture	Verbally presents and explains information.
2. Mini-lecture	Delivers a short, focused explanation of one concept.
3. Storytelling	Uses narratives or personal experiences to communicate ideas.
4. Demonstration	Shows how something works or how to perform a skill.
5. Modeling	Thinks aloud or demonstrates a process students should follow.
6. Worked examples	Solves a problem step by step while explaining decisions.
7. Direct instruction	Explicitly teaches through explanation, modeling, guided practice, and feedback.
8. Read-aloud	Reads text aloud while highlighting meaning and important features.
9. Video presentation	Shows an instructional video, documentary, or relevant clip.
10. Multimedia presentation	Combines text, images, audio, animation, and video.
11. Guest speaker	Invites an expert or community member to share knowledge.
12. Analogy and metaphor	Explains unfamiliar ideas by comparison with familiar concepts.
13. Visual explanation	Uses diagrams, charts, timelines, or illustrations to teach.
14. Advance organizer	Provides an overview or conceptual framework before new content.

B. Questioning and Discussion

Strategy	What the teacher does
15. Socratic questioning	Uses probing questions to help students examine their thinking.
16. Whole-class discussion	Facilitates conversation around a topic or problem.
17. Think-Pair-Share	Poses a question, gives thinking time, then facilitates partner and class discussion.
18. Turn and Talk	Prompts students to discuss a focused question with a nearby peer.
19. Fishbowl discussion	Organizes an inner discussion circle observed by classmates.
20. Seminar discussion	Facilitates sustained discussion of a text, question, or idea.
21. Debate	Structures arguments around opposing perspectives.
22. Four Corners	Asks students to choose a position and explain their reasoning.
23. Philosophical Chairs	Organizes discussion in which students defend and reconsider positions.
24. Wait time	Intentionally pauses after questions to allow deeper thinking.
25. Cold calling	Invites responses from nonvolunteers using supportive participation norms.
26. Student-generated questions	Teaches students to develop and investigate their own questions.
27. Brainstorming	Facilitates rapid generation of ideas without immediate evaluation.
28. Conceptual conflict	Presents contradictory examples or ideas to challenge misconceptions.

C. Collaborative and Cooperative Instruction

Strategy	What the teacher does
29. Cooperative learning	Assigns interdependent roles and tasks requiring collaboration.
30. Jigsaw	Assigns different content to students to learn and teach to peers.
31. Peer instruction	Uses conceptual questions and peer discussion to deepen understanding.
32. Peer tutoring	Pairs students so one helps another learn a skill or concept.
33. Reciprocal teaching	Guides students in alternating roles such as predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing.
34. Gallery Walk	Displays student work or information at stations for viewing and discussion.
35. Station rotation	Organizes learning stations with different tasks or resources.
36. Team-based learning	Uses individual preparation, team readiness checks, and application tasks.
37. Collaborative problem-solving	Assigns problems groups must solve together.
38. Peer feedback	Structures opportunities to critique and improve each other’s work.
39. Learning partners	Establishes pairs that regularly practice and support one another.
40. Group investigation	Guides small groups through research and shared reporting.

D. Inquiry, Discovery, and Problem-Solving

Strategy	What the teacher does
41. Inquiry-based learning	Facilitates investigations driven by meaningful questions.
42. Guided discovery	Provides sequenced clues or experiences leading toward understanding.
43. Problem-based learning	Introduces an authentic, complex problem for investigation.
44. Project-based learning	Organizes extended learning around a meaningful project or challenge.
45. Case-based instruction	Presents realistic scenarios for analysis.
46. Phenomenon-based instruction	Introduces an observable event or phenomenon students must explain.
47. Design thinking	Guides empathy, problem definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing.
48. Scientific investigation	Facilitates hypotheses, experiments, and evidence-based conclusions.
49. Data-based inquiry	Provides data sets students interpret to discover patterns.
50. Primary-source analysis	Guides examination of original documents, images, or artifacts.
51. Predict-Observe-Explain	Asks students to predict, observe results, and explain discrepancies.
52. Challenge-based learning	Presents real-world challenges requiring practical solutions.

E. Experiential and Hands-On Instruction

Strategy	What the teacher does
53. Simulation	Recreates a realistic situation in a controlled environment.
54. Role-play	Assigns roles so students practice behaviors or explore perspectives.
55. Educational games	Uses structured games to reinforce or develop learning.
56. Gamification	Incorporates game elements such as points, levels, and challenges.
57. Hands-on demonstration	Teaches through manipulation of physical materials.
58. Laboratory instruction	Guides structured experiments and practical investigations.
59. Field trip	Organizes learning at a relevant real-world location.
60. Outdoor education	Uses outdoor settings to teach concepts and skills.
61. Service learning	Connects community service with academic objectives and reflection.
62. Place-based education	Uses the local community and environment as instructional resources.
63. Experiential learning cycle	Structures experience, reflection, conceptualization, and application.
64. Maker-centered learning	Guides designing, building, testing, and improving creations.

F. Scaffolding and Differentiated Instruction

Strategy	What the teacher does
65. Scaffolding	Provides temporary support and gradually removes it.
66. Gradual release of responsibility	Moves from modeling to shared practice and independent performance.
67. Differentiated instruction	Adjusts content, processes, or products according to learning needs.
68. Flexible grouping	Regroups students based on changing goals or needs.
69. Tiered instruction	Offers tasks at different complexity levels toward shared objectives.
70. Explicit vocabulary instruction	Teaches terms using definitions, examples, and repeated application.
71. Graphic organizers	Provides visual structures for organizing information.
72. Chunking	Divides complex content or tasks into manageable segments.
73. Multisensory instruction	Integrates relevant visual, auditory, verbal, and physical experiences.
74. Culturally responsive teaching	Connects instruction with students’ knowledge, experiences, and cultural resources.
75. Choice-based instruction	Offers meaningful choices in learning pathways or demonstrations.
76. Mastery learning	Provides additional instruction and practice until proficiency.

G. Practice, Feedback, and Assessment-Based Instruction

Strategy	What the teacher does
77. Guided practice	Coaches students as they attempt a new skill.
78. Retrieval practice	Prompts recall without immediately consulting notes.
79. Spaced practice	Revisits content at planned intervals.
80. Interleaving	Alternates related concepts or problem types during practice.
81. Formative assessment	Collects evidence of understanding and adjusts instruction.
82. Exit tickets	Uses brief end-of-lesson responses to check understanding.
83. Immediate feedback	Gives timely, specific information about performance.
84. Error analysis	Examines mistakes to identify misconceptions.
85. Self-assessment	Teaches students to evaluate work using criteria.
86. Exemplars and non-exemplars	Uses strong and weak examples to clarify expectations.
87. Metacognitive modeling	Demonstrates how to plan, monitor, and evaluate thinking.
88. Reflective questioning	Prompts students to explain learning and changed thinking.

H. Creative, Interdisciplinary, and Alternative Approaches

Strategy	What the teacher does
89. Flipped classroom	Assigns initial content exposure before class and uses class for application.
90. Interdisciplinary instruction	Connects content from multiple disciplines.
91. Arts integration	Uses drama, music, visual arts, or movement to teach content.
92. Dramatic storytelling	Uses performance, voice, or characters to communicate ideas.
93. Concept mapping	Guides students in visually connecting concepts.
94. Learning through movement	Integrates purposeful physical activity with learning.
95. Educational songs and mnemonics	Uses music, rhythm, or memory devices to reinforce information.
96. Historical reenactment	Recreates historical events or perspectives.
97. Scenario-based instruction	Presents situations requiring decisions and application.
98. Microteaching	Organizes short teaching experiences with feedback and reflection.
99. Authentic audience instruction	Structures work presented beyond the teacher.
100. Student-led instruction	Coaches students to prepare and deliver explanations to classmates.

These strategies help online instructors foster teacher presence, interaction, practice, and feedback in synchronous and asynchronous settings.

Strategy	What the teacher does
1. Short instructional videos	Records focused mini-lessons rather than relying on long lectures.
2. Interactive videos	Inserts questions, predictions, or reflections into videos.
3. Weekly teacher announcements	Shares personal updates about goals and expectations.
4. Discussion boards	Posts open-ended questions and facilitates peer replies.
5. Video discussion boards	Invites short recorded responses and exchanges.
6. Live polling	Uses polls during live sessions to check understanding.
7. Virtual breakout rooms	Organizes small-group discussion and problem-solving.
8. Collaborative documents	Facilitates shared writing, brainstorming, and analysis.
9. Interactive simulations	Provides virtual environments for experimentation and decisions.
10. Gamified quizzes	Uses quizzes with feedback and friendly competition.
11. Virtual office hours	Offers scheduled or drop-in coaching and questions.
12. Personalized video feedback	Records individualized feedback on student work.
13. Online peer review	Structures exchange and evaluation of work.
14. Virtual guest speakers	Connects experts through live or recorded interviews.
15. Digital choice boards	Offers a menu of meaningful activities or assessment options.
16. Virtual field trips	Uses virtual tours or interactive maps to explore places.
17. Online scavenger hunts	Guides students in finding and evaluating digital resources.
18. Branching scenarios	Creates decision-based tasks with different outcomes.
19. Asynchronous debates	Facilitates arguments and rebuttals over several days.
20. Student-created instructional videos	Coaches students to teach concepts through screencasts or videos.
21. Interactive digital whiteboards	Facilitates shared diagrams, brainstorming, and explanation.
22. Adaptive learning activities	Adjusts questions or supports based on student responses.
23. Online case studies	Presents realistic situations for digital analysis and discussion.
24. Virtual learning stations	Organizes linked videos, readings, and tasks into stations.
25. Instructor check-ins	Sends individualized messages or holds brief conferences.

Choosing the Right Strategy

Begin with the learning objective. Decide what the teacher will do to support learning, what students will do to practice or demonstrate it, and how evidence of understanding will be gathered. Consider student readiness, accessibility, time, available materials, and the learning environment. A strategy is effective when it fits the instructional purpose—not merely because it is novel or entertaining.

References

Selected university teaching-center and educational-organization resources. Links are provided for further reading. This document synthesizes concepts across sources; individual strategies are not attributed to a single reference.

Carnegie Mellon University. (n.d.). Instructional strategies. https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/teach/instructionalstrategies/index.html

Cornell University. (n.d.). Getting started with active learning. https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/active-collaborative-learning/active-learning/getting-started-active-learning

University of Michigan. (n.d.). Teaching strategies. https://crlt.umich.edu/resources/teaching-strategies

Harvard University. (n.d.). Leading discussions. https://bokcenter.harvard.edu/leading-discussions

Yale University. (n.d.). Active learning. https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/teaching/teaching-resource-library/active-learning

University of California, Los Angeles. (n.d.). Active learning. https://teaching.ucla.edu/resources/teaching-guides/active-learning/

University of Waterloo. (n.d.). Teaching tips. https://uwaterloo.ca/centre-for-teaching-excellence/resources/teaching-tips

CAST. (n.d.). Universal Design for Learning. https://www.cast.org/what-we-do/universal-design-for-learning/

University of Texas at Austin. (n.d.). Tips for teaching large classes [PDF]. https://ctl.utexas.edu/sites/default/files/TipsForTeachingLargeClasses.pdf

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. (n.d.). Promote student engagement. https://citl.illinois.edu/promote-student-engagement

Stanford University. (n.d.). Remote teaching guide. https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-guides/remote-teaching-guide

Teachers College, Columbia University. (n.d.). Creating activities that engage online learners. https://www.tc.columbia.edu/digitalfuturesinstitute/learning–technology/instructional-guides–resources/self-paced-learning-guides/creating-activities-that-engage-online-learners/

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. (n.d.). Building and maintaining student engagement in an online environment. https://citl.illinois.edu/building-and-maintaining-student-engagement-online-environment

Stanford University. (n.d.). Online learning activities. https://teachingcommons.stanford.edu/teaching-guides/remote-teaching-guide/online-learning-activities

Columbia University. (n.d.). Keeping what works. https://ctl.columbia.edu/resources-and-technology/teaching-with-technology/teaching-online/keeping-what-works/