Hands-On Instruction in the Cisco Networking Academy

Technical education is being seen in countries around the world as an important contributor to the creation of a 21st century workforce. An important component to learning in technical education is the use of hands-on activities. This study seeks to broaden the understanding of teacher methods and techniques used during hands-on activities in Cisco Networking Academies in ten countries. Fourteen instructors videotaped one lesson per week over the course of a semester. Specific teaching behaviors were examined and coded using a systematic observation system. Findings suggest a significant portion of time in these classes was spent on hands-on activities. Instructors spend much of hands-on time monitoring students, giving explicit instructions, and providing specific answers to student questions. At the same time, hands-on activities often are completed with less learning context than lecture-based activities, and with lower levels of teacher behaviors that set the stage for and summarize the results and meaning of the activities.