Explicit Direct Instruction
EDI stands for Explicit Direct Instruction. While the term is new, the methodology is not. Most kids before the 1980s were taught everything using this methodology. Essentially, students are told what they are going to learn, then they are given a lesson on the topic, then they do some practice with the teacher, and finally, they are allowed to try it for themselves, with guidance from the teacher. Homework is provided so they can test their own understanding outside the classroom. When they have learned to do the task or say or write what they know, they can move on to a new task or concept.
I specifically remember learning algebra this way. In each class, I always took in what the teacher said, and was able to do the work in the classroom. Then I would get home and my brain would freeze, not knowing what to do with my homework. So I would take the textbook, go through the examples provided, and relearn the lesson independently. It worked! I began to understand algebra and it was actually fun. But I also learned that if I could focus on a single task and learn that specific lesson, the next day’s work would make so much more sense.
Of course, an EDI lesson is more complex than described above, it is much easier for a teacher to create and administer. It allows for peer-to-peer time, student engagement with the material, and frequent checking for understanding. The goal of an EDI lesson is to have the whole class ready to move onto the next lesson in the subject with new material. It is a building methodology, sequential and straightforward.
When did it change, and why? In the 1980s, the Whole Language Methodology took over the educational system. The see and say method of teaching reading was formalized, leaving a swathe of non-readers behind it, and close after that was an intellectual push to get students to understand math rather than just do it. The whole system is based on the constructivist theory wherein children are said to learn naturally by doing. They are supposed to discover what they need to know and the teacher is there only to provide a guide into their learning. It is called student-focused rather than teacher-focused because the student is supposed to decide what they want to learn. They will learn naturally what they are interested in, it is said. Standards of education are set aside to motivate students to feel free to learn what it is they want to know. New curricula are complex, extremely long tomes of theoretical ideas held together by new terminology and poorly explained requirements. As with any theory based on giving children what they want so they will be happy, the theory is a failure in practice. Teachers have always struggled to get kids interested in school, and without the discipline of “the old days”, they struggle to maintain class order. The result is a mishmash of approaches to teaching, distracting to teachers and confusing for the kids.
New constructivist curricula have emphasized offering an “inquiry” approach to learning. This sounds like an interesting way to engage students. Here is a description of the methodology: “Based on John Dewey’s philosophy that education begins with the curiosity of the learner, inquiry in the classroom places the responsibility for learning on the students and encourages them to arrive at an understanding of concepts by themselves.” (https://www.queensu.ca/ctl/resources/instructors/ instructional-strategies/inquiry-based-learning). In a classroom with 25 to 30 students, this presents a logistical nightmare. How does a teacher release that many students, at least half of which do not know how to find their shoes, to research a topic in order to learn? This assumes a sophistication and maturity in the student that is not there until at least high school age. So lessons are planned using a loosely defined set of objectives which do not really provide a structured goal or educational outcome. Therefore, when compared to the modern constructivist (discovery) model, EDI can appear rigid and teacher-focused. However, the comparison below indicates what the differences in approach and outcome are.
EDI Compared to Discovery
| Aspect | Direct Instruction | Discovery Learning |
| Definition | Structured, teacher-led approach with explicit teaching. | Student-centered, teacher-detached exploratory learning through problem-solving. |
| Role of Teacher | Instructor, guide, provides clear instructions. | Facilitator, encourages inquiry and exploration. |
| Student Engagement | Active participation in reception of knowledge. | Problem-solving and discovery. |
| Learning Style | Sequential, step-by-step learning. | Exploratory, trial and error. |
| Effectiveness | Highly effective for acquiring foundational skills. | Expects creativity, intends to foster understanding rather than skill-building. |
| Assessment | Frequent, standardized tests. | Formative, based on projects and teachers’ and peers’ observations. |
| Best Use | When clear instructions and mastery of basics are needed. | When promoting problem-solving and moving to deeper understanding. |
| Outcomes | Basic knowledge of skills and methods for arriving at answers. Students are asked to reproduce their learning by answering questions and demonstrating to the others with explanation. | Vague understanding of concepts and loosely-defined approaches to problem-solving. Students are asked what they learned and demonstrate what they did to learn. |
Most teachers opt for a lesson somewhere in between the two models, trying to apply what they have been taught about teaching and staying in control of the education of a room full of students.
MORE COMPARISON of METHODOLOGY
In more concrete terms, let’s examine a lesson through the two methods.
The lesson is about learning division.
| EDI | Discovery | |
| Introduction | Today we will learn the steps of dividing one number by a smaller number. | Today we will discover how division works. |
| Materials | Teacher’s white board, paper and pencils for students. | Lots of brightly coloured blocks in sets of ones, fives, tens, and hundreds. |
| Preparation | Teacher makes sure students know what “division” means. She checks for understanding from all students by reviewing a previous lesson and reminds them of their multiplication facts. | Teacher reminds students that multiplication and division are related. She reminds students of what multiply and “divide” mean. She asks one or two students and asks the others to catch what is said. |
| Lesson beginning | Teacher writes a long division problem on the board. | Teacher passes out brightly coloured blocks of cubes. |
| Teacher talk | “This is a division problem. It has three parts: a number inside the division sign, a number outside the division sign, and the answer will go above the division sign. We are going to find out how many times the outside number can fit into the inside number by using our math skills. First, how many times can we fit 3 into 1? You’re right! We can’t! So we won’t put anything above the 1. Can we fit 3 into 15? Who remembers their multiplication tables? What number times 3 makes 15? Right! 5 times three equals 15, so we can fit 3 into 15 5 times. We will put that answer above the 5 like this.” | “I want you to take the blocks you have and arrange them in one long row. Use 15 blocks. Now take the blocks and divide them up into groups of three. Each group should have the same number of blocks. How many blocks are in each new group? You got 5 in each group? Great! Now let’s take them apart and divide them into five groups. Remember, each group must have the same amount. How many are in each group? You got 3 in each group? Great! Can you explain what you discovered to me or another student? How does this relate to the multiplication of these numbers?” |
| Students’ Responses | Students are observing and answering the teacher’s pointed questions. They are able to see clearly what the teacher is doing with the numbers as she explains where the numbers go. | Students are doing as the teacher says, moving the blocks around to separate them as she directs. They are counting the blocks after each direction. |
| Expected Outcomes | Students will approach division with a method for solving a problem. They will intuitively understand how multiplication and division are related. | Students will discover and understand that a number of blocks or items can be divided into groups of equal amounts. |
| Extensions | Larger numbers will be used and the lesson may involve using numbers that leave remainders. | Blocks of larger denominations will be used and the students will be asked to observe what happens when a remainder is left. |
| Issues | Some students may need to use blocks to understand why numbers can be divided up. | Students will not have a method for approaching a division problem written in a format with numbers and symbols. |
In conclusion, the EDI method provides a scaffold for knowing HOW to do something. It has specific, clearly delineated outcomes and students know what they are expected to do. Note that the discovery method of learning why multiplication works in a hands-on way is a valuable lesson, but it cannot provide the HOW. Unless I know HOW to do something, knowing WHY I am doing it is of little value. Most teenagers know why they want to learn to drive, but knowing how gives them the tools to do so. Let’s get back to teaching both the how and the why so students quit failing to learn.