For example in the field of nursing, a well stocked skills lab that includes all equipment like dummies or instruments plays an integral role in instructional and learning process.
I agree. The best place to practice a realistic situation is in a learning environment. When mistakes are made these are easier to fix while in a learning setting than when with patients. Students also can learn what they want to keep or discard when they are able to make the decisions when they are opening their own practice because they were able to test out different settings while in school.
It has always been my opinion that as an instructor it is our duty to keep the learning environment challenging for the students. I accomplish this by not only using the syllabus as a guide but also I inform the students that the syllabus is the minimum I require from them during my time with them as their instructor. Then I reassure them that I’ll be there for them through every step of this process. As creative individuals who will successfully survive in the working industry they must be ready and able to adapt to changes which may appear during their day. I accomplish this by changing the tempo. Then these changes are listed under their daily in-class assignments and worked into the rubric.
Pat Broderick
Hi Michael,
You make a good point that not only are the students learning the technical aspects of becoming surgical technologist they are learning about how different professionals approach their setting. By having this experience you will enabling them to have better coping skills once employed.
Gary
Hi Alexander,
What are some ways that you bring your students into the curriculum? Thanks.
Gary
It is very important for student to have a comfortable enviornment that they can learn and express themselves freely and comfortably without being in a stressful enviorment. I try to have a combination of the two elements.
I feel that learning environment is very essential in the instructional process. I am a Surgical Technologist instructor and we try to replicate some very similar conditions that the students will encounter in the clinical portion of their training. The biggest obstacle and benefit would be the difference in instructors's training. Seldom will you find two instructors that have been trained the same techniques as well as worked in the same Surgical suites. How this poses a obstacle is that instructors will in some cases show what they learned and sometimes battle each other to say their technique is the better way. On the other hand this allows students to see that they will encounter many different points of veiw yet the final outcome/product will be the same. I feel to better prepare students allow them to see the differences, yet do not allow them to see the disagreements that instructors will have prior to the presentation.
Hi Deanna,
Good way to make it "real" for your students. I am sure they enhance their self confidence when they get to work on coding real reports from real patients. This gets them one step closer to their career goal and that increases their motivation level.
Gary
I teach music theory it is important to bring the students into the environment of music with the keyboards in the classroom. It is not enough that they are just there, I have to come up with inventive ways to bring them into the curriculum as well.
The environment needs to be comforable and relaxed for the adult learner, of course not so relaxed as they all fall asleep and disrupt the class. I like to develop a dialog and encourage participation.
Thanks,
Tom
it determines how comfortable the students will be when receiving information.
true, and also the tone of your delivery is important
Set up is important as a good learning environment promotes learning
yes, if it does, they can relate better
the learning envirnment must be condusive to learning
Lawrence - Along those lines I have found that providing a checklist on one side of the board of what we're going to do on a given day helps both the students to understand where we're going, and helps to keep me on track. "Baby them"? I always worry about that statement. I feel that in career colleges we often get the second chance student, the student who had a horrible experience in K-12 education. I've taught in the public and liberal arts college sector where its sink or swim. I feel that in career colleges our job is to coach the student, and toss them periodic life preservers to succeed. That doesn't mean not having them work and work hard, but they sometimes need a little coddling to make it.
Rob - You remind me of the Hawthorne Studies back in (well before most of us were born). They attempted to demonstrate differences in production based on the amount of light, but found the real difference was created in the people knowing that they were being studied.
A study released just yesterday demonstrated that the when there are many students in a room they score lower on SAT tests than when there are fewer students in the room.
The instructor is responsible to, within their control, make the learning environment as commodious to the students they are teaching as possible. In some cases this may involve making things more colorful and noisy, in other situations a student may require a quiet environment with as few distractions as possible. There is always aconflict where students need conflicting environments.
In the online environment finding a way to demonstrate a positive and friendly approach is imperative. Little things that demonstrate your interest in the student is critical. A couple of easy ways to make this happen is email responses in less than 24 hours, and grades with useful feedback within 24 hours of the due date.
Hi Raquel,
Good point. What seem like little things soon add up when they aren't there or not working. So before you know it your are in a classroom without the proper media support or visual aids to help your students understand the new concepts you are sharing.
Gary
I also believe that this is possible in some respect for most types of classes. You sometimes have to be a little inventive, but it can be done.
I teach Medical Billing and Coding and we have been able to get copies of (didacted) operative reports for the students to code once they are advanced enough. We also run through the entire billing process from the 1st step to the finish.
We also have been able to obtain training copies of some medical office management programs that allow them the feel of the process from beginning to end.
