I always try to apply everything that was taught to the clinical setting (physical therapy). I try to engage them and get them to use critical thinking skills by bringing up certain experiences I've had in clinic. They always appreciate real-life examples and that, ultimately, makes them aware of the fact that what they are learning will be highly applicable in the clinic.
Kent,
I commend you for your effort to connect the life experiences of your students to the course content. This way your students can see the value of the content in relation to what they know based upon the career area, in this case the military.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I teach military students, so I always try to find scenarios and examples that will apply to the students. If I am going to use a business example, I explain why this is a best practice that should be considered by military leaders.
I try to engage my students as much as possible. This helps them understand and comprehend the material better
I teach adult learners. A strategy I use for making course content relevant is to provide practical applications of the theoretical constructs that I am teaching. This is important. Adults learners, as a rule, want to know how what they are learning can be applied to their jobs or future career path. Incorporating examples of current events as well as my own life experiences enriches my presentations and emphasizes the point that what is being learned is relevant AND applicable to real-world situations.
Bettye,
Good strategy because it lets them reset their brains and use the content that has just been covered in a relevant way.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
After presenting a 10 - 15 minutes lecture, provide the students with a freewriting activities where they are brainstorming the information they heard during the lecture.
