Tremayne Simpson

Daniel, I use this approach as well. Similar to a television show, I provide a "teaser" or preview of the next class, at the end of each session. I feel that it is a good way to spark the students' interest and to provide them with a reason to attend the next session. Tremayne Simpson

Christopher, I agree. I believe that being a course "facilitator" is an effective method for managing the class, as long as the students are aware that the instructor holds overall control. If student input is the main source of the direction of the courses, the students may begin to believe that the instructor is not in complete control. Tremayne Simpson

Timothy, I agree. When assessing student feedback, it is a good idea to find collective "trends" in their input. Isolated concerns may not be representative of the overall class of students. Tremayne Simpson

Kathy, This is an excellent way to appropriately use "open" class time. Do you provide the students with an accompanying questionnaire or activity for the videos? Tremayne Simpson

Marcia, I agree with your reasoning for documenting lesson plans. The first reason that you provided, is often overlooked. Lesson plans are a valid form of "evidence" for students that feel that an item was not covered in the course, or for a general review of how learning objectives were taught in the class. Tremayne Simpson

Marcia, With such a "lengthy" class, I agree that the reinforcement method is effective for your students. Although they are working on a myriad of activities, during each class session, they still need an opportunity to review the primary concepts of the lesson. Tremayne Simpson

Timothy, I agree with this approach. I have broken down lessons into "units" and have found that it positively impacts the student retention of information. When lessons are not segmented, the amount of information covered, can be daunting for the students. Tremayne Simpson

Robert, Interesting. Do the producers of the manufacturer's courses provide specified faculty development for the instructors? I assume that training would be provided, since the courses are produced by a third-party. Tremayne Simpson

Lynn, I agree. Waiting for the "end of course" survey results is far too late to gather student input. I feel that the evaluations should serve as a summary of student input and that there should be a minimal amount of "surprises" for the instructor. Tremayne Simpson

Stacey, I agree...allowing full involvement from students, in regards to lesson planning can be ineffective. Even when instructors have self-directed students in their classes, it is important to remember that they are still the "student" and should not provide the "formula" for their course of learning. Student input is valuable, however it should not be the primary catalyst for lesson plans. Tremayne Simpson