Instructors sometimes pack too much into their plan for a given class period and then find they are unable to cover it effectively. Or they approach course content at a level which requires a background more extensive than some of their students possess.
In these situations, it is important to decipher, in real-time, what part of the content can be abbreviated or even saved for a later time altogether. Then it's important to write a plan to cover critical background material and present it, along with intended course content, in doses students can master.
My biggest challenge is trying not to cover too much material for a course. It is hard because our institution creates a master syllabus with content (ie. chapters of a text) that is to be covered. However, I feel that they try to cover too much with the allotted hours available. Then it is up to me to go over the course again and prepare as much as I can without overwhelming the students. It is a biology class and is difficult and things become worse if I try to go too fast in order to cover more material.
The textbooks often have more material than the syllabus requires. The syllabus doesn't often allow time to cover that material. Read the syllabus and chose the material that matches. Going into greater depth is fine if time permits, but don't sacrifice an objective for it.
Feeling like you are locked into presenting the material exactly as it is in the text or on the publisher ppt materials. I think as educators we need to feel empowered to make the necessary adjustments needed to meet the needs of our students.
In our schools, the course content is selected by the content experts and required for every instructor to cover. Because there is a lot of content to cover, the major mistake made by instructors is to think they need to lecture on all of the material, telling students what they need to know. Students do not necessarily retain all the information that they have heard.
Hi Ed:
One nice thing about backup plans is that they can be used no matter what as a way of breaking up the monotony of the learning environment and breing new energy to the classroom.
Regards, Barry
Hi Caron:
In addition, continually relating how one "chunk" relates to others can help the solidification process of understanding you are describing.
Regards, Barry
Hi Barry:
Instructor input, in Cleveland, is solicited at the end of each quarter, as to text, course content and suggestions on presentation. Then it goes off to the administration and returns next quarter - the same or with a new text and new syllabus.
We, as facilitators, have a lot of freedom as to how we present and what supplements we use. C/D's, Video, Guest Speakers, Field Trips etc., so long as the core content is preserved and delivered.
Various facilitators take the same material and adapt it to their style of delivery. Not all of us have the same E.T.B.or E. ( Education, Training, Background or Experience.)
I prefer more of the discussion and critical thinking method for course content and I also use my own course outlines and questions, as homework and for disucssion.
Additionally, surrounding employment markets play a role in what kind of courses and their content may be relevant to different areas. Obviously,education institutions located in different areas offer differnt course content to meet the current or potential demand of the area. Some crystal ball applicaiton is necessary, with changes made as needed.
So to answer what mistakes are made when selecting course content - is not black and white. Many variables come into play.
Demographics, quality of the schools from which students are drawn, work force need in community, language of area, and general education needs, along with level of education of students applying for admission. If it is such that they cannot understand the language in the text or comprehend the ideas laid out in the text - content of the text and delivery methodology needs to be critically reviewed and anlayzed.
So the above points need to be considered as mistakes, it they don't fit the need of the general populas.
Respectfully,
Larry Bignall
Cleveland, Ohio
Hi Jennifer:
Making assumptions that a student will undrstand the content in the way we present it is a common mistake that instructors old and new continuously make. One thing we can try to limit this from happening is to present the material in several different ways, in an effort to address every type of learning style.
Regards, Barry
A common mistake that teachers make is trying to cover too much material during a single class period. Depending upon the background of the students and the level of difficulty of the concept, the material could be delivered in "smaller chunks." This approach allows the students to master prerequisite skills needed to complete the subsequent task. The learners gain a sense of accomplishment without becoming overwhelmed.
I agree speaking above the students level of understanding. The way I deal with this problem is starting at the basics, and reviewing what they know and then proceeding forward.
I think one of the common mistakes is adding nice to know or fun to know information into the course content. There is a limited amount of time in which to cover the need to know information and the nice to know/fun to know stuff distracts from what they must know. Therefore, it is important to know the curriculum that is to be taught and the expected outcomes both class objectives and course objectives. That way you can minimize the time spent on nice to know and fun to know information. It doesn't matter if the information comes from the student textbook, your experience or the internet. If it is nice to know or fun to know use it sparingly. Be very clear with the students what type of information/knowledge you are presenting. Otherwise, it gets very confusing for students to try and decide waht they need to spend their study time on. So help them out, tell them what they are learning and spend most of your time on what they need to know.
Lack of proper time for review and planning PRIOR to the start of the class. We need to ensure that the course content aligns with the text and that the text is appropriate for the grade level.
One mistake in selecting material is relevance of the material to the overall subject matter. Spending a lot of time on formulas that for the most part the student will never use in the real-world, sometimes discourages the student if they can't get it. I prefer to change course, move on to subject matter that I can easily teach, and tell those who wish to continue with the difficult subject that we can work off-line on it, or they can further peruse knowledge on their own
Hi Matthew:
Too much too soon is probably a pretty common error. Challenging students to their limits is one thing; overwhelming them is another. Best way to remain balanced is to stay close to the course objectives, and then grade accordingly. Assuming competent instruction has occured, the teacher doesn't fail the student, but rather the student fails themselves.
Regards, Barry
Some syllabi give an inordinate emphasis to topics only tangently related to understanding the course material. It is good background information to understand the history of accounting organizations such as the FASB and AICPA. Devoting more than explanatory comment in a Principles or Intermediate level course takes away from time required for presenting the basic concepts of the course.
Hi Barbara:
As teachers in a given course, we are the experts. We have a curriculum and learning outcomes we want to accomplish. More times than not, textbooks will lay out the material in a different order. So, reordering is a common activity.
Better authors will compartmentalize their subjects so that a chapter from the middle of the book will stand on it's own. This is especially helpful for courses where students roll in and out at different times. We have to make our resources work for us for maximum benefit.
Regards, Barry
Experience has taught me to reorder the material presentation. For instance, a textbook may have subject matter in the beginning units that are assuming prior knowledge. I find it more appropriate to cover the basics (even as a review to some) to establish the fundamentals.
Chronological ordering does not necessarily make it the proper and only way of presenting.
The textbook is a resource for students.I stress to the students from day one that there is a need to know and a want to know. We can be a jack of all trades but a master of none if we allow it.
I believe that I have a tendency to select course content that may be to advanced. I want to provide the best education for the student. I want them to learn the best of what I know. The challenge for me is to use my three weeks to demonstrate a progression of skills and knowledge and how they will be a better student, or more competetive worker, and have a more enriching career. I work to alleve their fears by emphasizing that they will grow in this class and become a better professional. How I get them there is one primary reason I like teaching.
Coarse content may be to complex. Instructor may not aloud enough time to complete the task. Objectives may not be clear enough.
