I encourage students with learning needs to attempt the course in the beginning as if they do not have learning needs, assuring them if and when we encounter problems I will go the extra mile to assist them. I have found that many students overcome their learning needs simply because they value someone who has faith in them.
I find that there are two different kinds of students with learning needs; one group wants to work hard inspite of their difficulties and the other group wants to use their difficulties as a wall to hide behind. I praise and encourage the first group and gently chide and push the second group to learn to live a bit outside their comfort zones. I remind my students daily to try; remember, "no one ever dies here".
By varing teaching styles, you will increase your ability to connect to all students.
One method that seems to work is using Honor Students as mentors for students with disabilities. The mentor quickly develops a true appreciation for the intelligence of the student and can overlook the disabiloity part. The result is both students gaining.
I realize that students with dyslexia have a harder time with spelling and reading materials. I have put words down and have had them match the word to a poster made. This builds their confidence and helps them throughout the course.
Vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary, I teach in the medical field and state constantly, "the secret to passing this course is understanding and being able to utilize vocabulary". We work constantly on vocabulary.
The biggest thing I do for students with learning needs is to vary my delivery. I try to use all of the tools available to us. I do request students to read the chapters, but I also give handouts summarizing important skills and concepts after the fact. Not to mention going over several different methods in class whenever possible and comparing and contrasting the methods.
I find that students with learning needs typically don't learn as well by reading or doing homework assignments. On the contrary these are the students less likely to complete their homework due to the lack of understanding on the material. I try to incorporate lecture with class activities. That way they can apply course material into ways they can understand such as performing lab exercises or even building something.
I agree that every student has a learning preference style as well as an area that they are weak It really calls for varied teaching styles to meet the students needs with learning disabilities as well as students that are challenged in other ways.
Hi, Jane,
One option is to pair a special-needs person with one who is advanced, IF he/she is inclined to share experience and guidance. Helping another allows the student to confirm his/ her own knowledge while "stretching" in terms of leadership/ mentorship. I also show appreciation for the extra effort by scheduling the top student with another of like aptitude and standards. This takes off the pressure to teach/ lead, allowing student to sharpen her own skills, a welcome break. --Gary O. Ackerman
I find that using word associations in rhymes or short stories help with their retention!
Most of the learning needs with the diverse base of students at the MBA level seem to fall in the category of English as a Learning (Second) Language.
I encourage these students to work in teams with students who have English as their primary language. This enables the "ELL" students to develop a beeter grasp of the terminology and concepts used in the business world.
I also suggest these students use the "Learning Center" in the university, which provides them access to tutoring and related services.
I would say that this issue is probably the most frustrating for me. I teach a medical assisting program so the information is technical and medical terminology is like learning a foreign language. Classes move at a very fast pace in order to cover all of the information. As a result, student frustration is common. I attempt to present the material in a variety of styles to accomodate different learning styles. I also make myself available for tutoring and the school has a learning resource center which offers individual tutoring. Sadly, few students take advantage of these resources.
I use several strategies to help students. I have found that every student has some form of learning disability. The first thing you need to overcome is anxiety. Sudents will first believe that the subject matter has to be difficult. If I say today we are going to learn about Psychrometrics and calculate the properties of air, the level of anxiety goes through the roof.
The word Psychrometrics is bad enough, the word calculate indicates there will be mathmatical equations used and most students hate math.
Once the students know what the properties to calculate are, they will be more receptive to the math part and realize that it will actually be fun to do. When I talk about math I refrain from using terms like calculus, geometry or algebra and stick to Add, Subtract, Multiply and divide. What I try do do is address all of the different types of learning into my instruction. for example. In a refrigeration system a kink in the liquid line will retrict the flow of refrigerant to the metering device. I am pretty sure someone in the class will not know the word kink and describe it with a visual description or demonstration.
In the computer lab, I find that using more visuals and taking more time with demonstrating before students try it on their own is helpful.
For the computer lab classes, very often I must
be creative in drills and outside resources to
enable the students to be more comfortable with
the keyboarding activities. Adult learning of
certain motor skills can be quite challenging.
Most of my students have earned a high school degree in the USA but are coming from different cultures. They are second generation. In order to help them, I usually give them assignments requiring a paper and a presentation. This way, I can evaluate what they know a little bit better. I pay attention to new vocabulary by giving them a written definition. In some case, I allowed more time to complete a test.
I teach classes that are based on case studies exclusively so it is very necessary for students to write well. At first, I will provide simple feedback, with one or two examples of where they can improve. If I continue to see issues, fortunately there are writing labs and even tutors available to students. I have directed students to labs or suggest they request a tutor. I find fewer students with learning needs in my upper level classes. If needed, students appear to be getting help when they first enter school.
Most students respond positively to hands-on or kinesthetic learning. This gives them a chance to see an object or machine, work with the machine then explain how it works.
I'm in need of some techniques. I have both language and learning needs in class.
