37 Summary/Closure

Just as the Bridge-In segment introduces a lesson, the Summary/Closure segment wraps up the learning experience, creating a sense of completion. It may also help the learners reflect on and integrate their learning. Finally, the instructor’s summary may also prepare learners for future lessons (e.g., “Now that we have done this, later we will try …”).

For some learners, revisiting the original outcome(s) of a lesson is an important opportunity for personal reflection. For others, it is an opportunity to celebrate achievements. And for some, it completes the learning contract by answering the question, “Did we do what we said we would do?” If the learners identified their own goals at the beginning of the lesson, it would be important to revisit these in some way. The instructor might ask them to reflect back and comment briefly on the extent to which they met their goals in order to “close the circle” or synthesize the learning.

Whatever strategy is used, this section of the lesson is usually brief.