Barry Westling

Jeffrey, I would agree that if we could achieve that for every graduate, we would be meeting our goal. The real benefit of a good education is some application in the graduates life that benefits them. Hopefully, we can meet these goals for most every student. Barry Westling

Shawnte, Yes, expectations are important. Students really want direction and order. A well prepared instructor can provide that. Barry Westling

Jeffrey, Right! Students sense the flow and command of a class when the instructor is fully prepared, with all needed materials and resources at the ready. And of course, they sense when that is not the case, which can possibly contribute to less motivation, interest, personal readiness, and even lower morale. Not a good environment for learning I would say. Barry Westling

Jason, This sounds great. Also, having students being able to see their status is a great asset. Even with electronic grading, I like to meet early on and frequently to continue a success-oriented dialog that includes status, assistance, and encouragement. Barry Westling

Donna, Great way to plan an effective back-up. Discussion usually yields good results with students with them feeling like they learned through the group process. I use video's but I try to limit the time to only about 10 minutes if possible. Otherwise students begin to lose interest. Barry Westling

Christopher, Very well said. Of course in career training, specialized skills and knowledge along with appropriate behaviors are needed to be successful in the work setting. It's awesome when all these factors come together for a student in an educational program. Barry Westling

Hugh, I think an important factor is weighing the nature of the content that is being assessed, and the amount of extra credit awarded. If medical treatment, therapy, health, or public safety is among the content being assessed, I think there should be little room for artificially altering grades. A related concern is if the material relates to external credentialing, licensing, or accreditation, there ought to be little wiggle room. Barry Westling

Hugh, Yep, I experienced this early on as well, and now it just makes so much sense. The benefit I get with relatively little preparation is worth the time I put into it, and as you relate, it's always interesting to view the results. Barry Westling

Jason , The beauty of technology! Having another "voice" in the classroom via video clip is a great way to keep and hold interest. My library also has hundreds of DVD's that are related to my subject area, and serve a similar purpose. With either, one caution I've found is if they're too long, students will still get fidgety (at times). Breaking up presented material into shorter segments seems to help keep student attention a bit better. Barry Westling

Hugh, There is truth in this. Students will learn if they feel the environment is conducive. Getting students on the same page of the instructor may require the instructor to get on the same page as their students. We want to avoid anything that is forced, but being flexible can result in better productive outcomes. Barry Westling