When asked to teach, many therapists may, understandably, be tempted to lecture to large groups of people, to save themselves time. However, learners, be they undergraduates, colleagues, or people from other professions, are likely to assimilate more if they are taught in a small group setting. In this situation, there is a greater opportunity for participation and for therapists to offer individuals immediate feedback and help when required. Seminars and tutorials are useful methods for achieving these aims. The seminar is a small group teaching method where, ideally, the number of learners should not exceed 10. A learner is asked to present a paper to the rest of the group, which is then discussed. Tutorials involve the teaching of one learner or a group of learners ideally not exceeding five. It is a teaching method associated with the older universities and, if used frequently, requires a high learner-teacher ratio.

Before engaging successfully upon a teaching task, it is necessary for a therapist to have various areas of knowledge. For example, it is essential to know something of the background of those who are to be taught. A therapist will not teach a group of children in the same way as a group of colleagues and a third approach would be appropriate for a group of student therapists visiting the department. An understanding of the intellectual processes of learners and of the subject in hand is invaluable to a therapist, but a large part of the teaching and learning process pivots upon practical tasks to be undertaken by both therapist and learner. The learning process will be enhanced if steps are taken to ensure that these practical tasks are undertaken efficiently, and in a way and to a timescale that suits all parties. If the therapist wishes the learners to have brought equipment with them, then the learners should be aware of this expectation.

Publisher Summary Therapists are increasingly required to help learners with their projects. Projects may be carried out by individuals, for example, undergraduate research projects, or the therapist may require a pair or a group of learners to carry out a project jointly, for example, during a clinical or fieldwork placement. A group project may be appropriate if the therapist is responsible for two or more learners for a considerable period of time. Involvement in the supervision of a learner's project is a serious and demanding activity that should not be undertaken without considerable thought and commitment. Although it is unlikely to take up an enormous amount of time, the time allocated to it must be adequate. The relationship between the therapist and the learner undertaking a project is a personal one that is based on partnership. It is important that the relationship is friendly, open, and supportive, and that the therapist is concerned about the personal well-being of the learner and his or her academic achievements.

Evaluation is an important aspect of the teaching and learning process. It is concerned with collecting evidence on, and making judgments about teaching and learning, for the purpose of improvement. It concerns the extent to which the teaching and learning experience is seen to be of value. Evaluation, like assessment, should not only be addressed once the teaching has taken place, but should also be considered at the planning phase and be an integral part of the teaching and learning experience. Evaluation is often confused with assessment as both are concerned with collecting evidence about what has been taught and learned; the results of assessment may be used for evaluation purposes. Teaching and learning are perceived in different ways. Just as learners have preferred ways of learning, therapists develop preferred ways of teaching, and the two may not necessarily match. Informal evaluation is likely to be a continuous process that comes naturally to those therapists who are committed to education, and who strive to make their contact with learners as meaningful and successful as possible.

This chapter focuses on active learning during lectures. Even if therapists are only teaching for an hour or two, there are many activities that can be incorporated into their lectures. These will help to hold the interest of the learners and will encourage participation. This is particularly important when teaching large groups where many people feel inhibited. During the lecture, it can be useful to divide the learners into small groups. This has the advantage that those who tend not to participate in a larger context may contribute their ideas and gain confidence. Learners can also test ideas on a few of their peers before presenting them to the whole group. Very specific instructions are required to be given if small group activities are to work well; the learners must know precisely what is required of them or muddle will ensue. A certain amount of time pressure can inspire good group work, though too little time can trivialize the tasks undertaken.

In role-play exercises, learners act out roles without a specific script although they are usually given information about the characters they are to play, and the situations they are in. Role play can be used to change behavior, widen perspectives, change attitudes, improve social skills, and develop alternative solutions to problems. Perhaps, role playing is the next best thing to experience a genuine event. Role play can also be used to help learners gain skills in treating, assessing, and interviewing patients and clients, and to gain confidence when talking to groups or coping with difficult personal situations; it is used extensively in assertiveness training. The terms "simulation" and "case study" are used interchangeably. Simulation exercises are sometimes carried out in an attempt to gain insight into various disabilities, for example, the participants may be obliged to wear blindfolds or use wheel-chairs. These exercises have been severely criticized by many disabled people for being unrealistic, for trivializing and individualizing disability, and for fostering negative attitudes.

Of all the teaching skills that the therapist needs to develop, the skills of assessment possibly arouse the greatest apprehension. The desire to give a fair assessment is often voiced, and implicit in this desire is the fear of judging a learner too harshly. Giving a learner a fail grade can be as upsetting for the therapist as it is for the learner who receives it. There are many factors to consider before the assessment process is chosen. Assessment should be considered when planning the entire teaching program, rather than being tagged on at the end as an afterthought. It is likely that all therapists, who are involved in a teaching capacity, will be concerned with formative assessment. When practical skills are taught and clinical practice is supervised, the feedback given by the therapist is dependent on the therapist having assessed the learner. This is often an informal and continuing process.

Practical skills are widely used in therapy. There are fine gradations of movement used in passive manual mobilization techniques applied to peripheral or spinal joints, the manipulation of soft tissues used in massage, and the specialized neuromuscular facilitation techniques used, for example, in the re-education of facial musculature. Practical skills are also needed to lift patients or clients safely and to assist them with functional activities, such as feeding, dressing, transferring from bed to chair, and walking. One of the ways in which a therapist might begin to teach a practical skill is to demonstrate it to the learners while, at the same time, carefully explaining it. For observation and instruction to succeed, it is essential that learners are motivated and attentive. It is usually best to demonstrate the entire sequence first; it is vital that the demonstration is fluent and of a high standard. If the therapist has not practiced the skill recently, or if the equipment is unfamiliar, then time must be spent rehearsing the skill beforehand.