Methods of teaching.

[Vendetta21]

I've noticed from my years of schooling that teachers who ask a question to try to get students to illuminate something they might already know or try to get groups to discuss things to make conclusions similar to the orthodox can often weaken the lesson. The reason for this is that the students hold the teacher as the knowledge giver, and in a lecture the teacher says things with confidence and fluency, whereas in a discussion/response based classroom that fluency can be lost, and the teacher feigns ignorance. I don't think that this is the case for every subject, just those where there is an orthodox or accepted fact that must be held as true for the coursework. Like History.

It's a good way to get a summary on their formative learning, but not a good way to form learning. I've had teachers who ask too many questions and try to use that to teach, when lecturing, I feel, is often much stronger in helping a student remember.

This is of course, two methods amongst many, but I'm currently just examining these two. I don't know what the most effective teaching method over-all is, but from my experience I think lectures, especially passionate ones, have been the most successful in helping me remember things.

My questions are thus; Do you think learning based on student answers (a rope-memory technique) and group discussion (trying to show that students already know something) is good for teaching, or just good for evaluating? What is the most effective teaching method or methods?