Students learn differently and there are different types of students. I teach evening classes and my students are fulltime and individuals that work full time and attend class at night.
Offering varied instructional delivery addresses the fact that students learn differntly and provides some assistance in keeping students focused after a long day that is still going.
While many students may be able to adapt to the teaching style of the instructor, a select few may fall behind, because they are unable to follow and integrate the information. Yet, all students are paying equally for their education and deserve to be considered/attended to/included in the instructional delivery.
Hi Dawn,
Diversity in your delivery really does help to enhance the learning of students. You make a number of good points concerning the need to offer different instructional deliveries to appeal to your students' learning preferences.
Gary
I also believe that it is important to offer a variety of delivery methods, because students have different learning styles. The more methods that you use to present the information, the more likely it is that the information will be retained by more students. It also helps to promote a more positive learning environment and positive student outcomes, because you don't get stuck in a rut of using the same method where you and the students become bored.
-Dawn
Varying the instructional delivery method in class not only helps to break up the monotony of the class, but also engages students of various learning styles and needs. Keeping learning lively and interesting helps to keep students attentive and reduce the "boring factor".
Agreed. Variety and repetition of material and projects, some team based, and presentations, some using visuals, keeps the mix and approach all stirred up for the variety of students and learning styles that we work with. My major thematic thread: keep moving toward more student-centered learning: allow them to build concensus in teams and select relevant topics to research, write and present. Require them to get up in front of the class and explain what they have learned and debate some of their different approaches and conclusions on the same topic given to four teams to complete: becomes stimulating and provocative for all of us.
Adults can only maintain an attention span on 15 to 20 minutes without a variety of types of presentation.
Every student is different even though some may share the same learning styles. The instructor must offer a variety of learning methods if they want to reach all of their students.
Hi Sarah,
You are on the right track with your offering of a variety of instructional deliveries. Having researched the assessment of the seven intelligences identified by Gardner over the past 25 years I have developed an assessment that can be used to identify the three dominant intelligences of each person. With this information instructors are able to plan their lessons around groupings of these individuals. The results have been improved learning and retention. This is really based upon the Chinese proverb that you quote to your students.
Gary
The question seems to be self-evident, but as with many other aspects of instruction, thinking it through helps us realize there are many areas we could improve.
Students have different learning styles. Our goal in the classroom is to transfer knowledge to the students, so it is important to find the most effective ways to meet this goal. By offering different delivery methods we can optimize the learning opportunities for each student by matching their learning style with the delivery of the material.
Another factor to consider is the attention of the student. Regardless of their learning style, mixing up delivery methods keeps the class interesting, and where there is interest, there is focus, and where there is focus, there is a better opportunity for learning.
Kurt
It is important to offer a variety of instructional delivery methods because your students have different learning styles. I like to do short lectures with a demonstration and use interactive presentations.
Gardner wrote a book about the Seven Intelligences--and usually schools pay most attention to only one or two. As an instructor in the design field, many of my students aren’t book learners but are visual and learn by experimenting. I try to provide several different approaches to one topic to broaden the possibility that more students will understand. I give my students a letter when I introduce the class welcoming them to m y class and telling them a little about our upcoming time together. On it I quote an old Chinese proverb: When I hear, I forget, when I see I remember, when I do I understand.
Does anyone know of good websites to access for college classroom activities? I see more out there for K-12 which makes sense, but I try to keep it interactive for my "kids" too. Thanks!
The reason is that students learn in different ways. Not one approach will benefit all students. In addition, offering a variety of methods to the class keeps things interesting for everyone.
There are several reasons to vary the method of delivery:
1. Keeps both the students and the instructor interested.
2. Challenges the instructor to continue to find innovative ways to deliver course content.
3. Addressess various learning styles.
4. Addresses adult learning concepts.
Toni
It is important to offer different types of instruction because we all have different learning styles that work for us. Providing various types of delivery will reach all students in your classroom. One style of teaching is limiting and not beneficial to student learning. Instructors must be able to incorporate different styles of teaching to grab student attention.
As my classes are more technical in nature, I make use of short assignments involving research questions/topics, supported by powerpoint/lectures, class handouts and discussions and current events from local newspapers. Making the information "real" for my students helps them to understand the application side of the material, which I hope makes it more relevant to their field of study and interests and keeps them interested and focused.
Hi Robert,
You make a good point about how intuitive instructors make necessary adjustments in their delivery methods as dictated by student dynamics. This is a very important part of being a successful instructor plus it lets you bring creativity into the classroom by trying new methods and strategies.
Gary
Hi Robyn,
This is the fun part of teaching. We get to change the pace, delivery and content to keep students engaged and our creativity at a high level.
Gary
Because one delivery method may not work for the entire class. One delivery technique may be effective for some, but the rest may not understand. Varied methods provide reinforcement and alternate perceptions of the subject.
The same applies to each class taught. A set of varied techniques may not always work for a different class. An intuitve instructor should determine which methods work and apply them.
