I also use this, but also will lay out the weeks work, and reading. This lets the students prepare in advance. I also use study guides, and crossword puzzles along with props used in the subject matter. I ask the student to tell what the prop is, and how it is used.
Vicki,
yes, the learning guides are a great way to help them retain the information & to review for tests.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I think that I will focus more on giving the students learner guides to supplement the material for that class and help for the next class review that we do at each class beginning. As part of their homework (textbook) I think this will be very useful.
Becki,
yes, I think the more we can encourage the younger students to see a variety of ways of learning & developing their minds, the more they will be positioned for success.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I will try to limit my lectures to 20 minutes and then have the student do other learning exercises. Sometimes I have them have a quiet learning time near the last hour of class to study and work on their workbook. This gives them time to decompress and digest all the things that they have learned that day.
I like to have the students measure a component before actually talking about the component. This way wwhen we do talk about it, the students will know what parts I am referring to.
When I introduce new concepts in my MS Office classes, I will show students a finished project first. I will have them look at and exam what the final project should look like, and then we will work backwards. Giving students a visual and explaining and showing what something should look like, will help learners.
I have found that over the many years of teaching that the younger students have become dependent more on the computer and their smart phones rather than their own memory. So in every class session - I try to simulate that learning tool in different ways. I love Anjanhi's (spelling?) idea!
The one thing which struck me as immediately appllicable to classes I am currently teaching is backwards chaining. I have never used this technique before, and I can see how it can be used in several cases.
In ITCO 231, Introduction to Databases, one of the skills to be mastered is creation of a table based on a Table Instance Chart. It would be quite easy for me to start the class where table creation is covered with a filled-in TIC and a database table already created -- and then show how the table got its characteristics based on the TIC.
In ITCO 251, Network Infrastructue Basics, a skill which is difficult to master is subnetting. Again, an example of a configured subnet could be analyzed in terms of its requirements, and then building the mask required to do this can be explained.
I will be interested to see how this works out.
Prairie,
and I like to try to determine what the students are really interested in about me, rather than just droning on about myself.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I am intrigued by this idea of postponing introductions on the first day of class. It's true: why should I spend the beginning of class talking about myself when that is the least important aspect of class for the students to remember? I have to think about how to incorporate intros, but in a more meaningful way, and in a more appropriate place.
Melinda,
this is a great strategy as it helps with both retention & immediate understanding.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
When I'm teaching a course, I try to come up with several examples the students can use. For example, if I'm teaching a medical terminology course, I might use a "real life" example of how to use a work (prefix/root/suffix) and also come up with a "medical" example. This way they can relate words they might already know and learn to use them differently. I also like to use pictures to introduce new words. Some concepts are more difficult to learn or memorize, in which case, my class usually enjoys finding goofy you tube videos to share with each other that relate to the topic of discussion.
Jordan,
this is a great approach & the objectives are very helpful to the students to know where you are in the course/lesson & how things are proceeding.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I also,begin Each course with a list of course objectives. I discuss each objective from the point of view of someone who has completed the course and is utilizing the material - either in the real world, or for testing purposes.
Because my class is a Medical Coding Class, I will use a matching process for students to recognize codes and sections of the diagnosis coding book so when they look at a code, they should be able to recognize the section, based on the first digit of the code.
Shannon,
this is a great idea. That object identification should help with the recall.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Rich,
this is so true & a powerful technique. It also helps get them excited for the next content.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
When memorizing the brand and generic names of drugs, I show the the actual bottle of the drug as well as use flashcards.
Primacy and recency seem the easiest steps, especially when lecturing. If you can end every subject with a recap that ties into what (and why) they will be learning next, you can help retention for the micro and the macro.
