Adapting Your Instructional Strategy
How will understanding the basics of learning benefit you as an instructor? Would you give an example of how you might adapt your instructional strategy or teaching methods as a result of understanding how the brain functions and how learning occurs?
Reply to Heather:
It is necessary to understand the basics of learning in order to be able to reach students. If, as instructors, we do not understand how learning occurs and how the brain functions we can not prepare class materials that will reach the students. An example of this might be in a psychology class where the student is faced with an unfamiliar concept. One way that I try to help them understand the concept is by giving them a real life example of where the concept can be applied. I try to use situations that the majority of the students regardless of age will be familiar with.
Cynthia,
You have two very important components of the learning process working for you with this approach. You are showing application and relevance to your students. When they see these two elements they see a connection to their future and why they are in the course. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
By understanding the basics of learning and how the brain functions, I can direct my teaching methods to increase long term memory of information. Student involvement in the lesson ties my teaching into the students' previous experiences to create a connection between my students and the lesson. In addition,I try to show the relevance of the information that I am teaching to their lives and course of study.
Teaching strategies should be adapted to the audience, I like to do a pre test to know the different learning styles of my students (VARK).
Chemo,
This is a great way to reinforce the students and their learning of medical terms. You provide support and strategies at the critical time when they think there is no way they can possibility learn all of the terms being studied. With these memory aides you are able to help them achieve success and move forward in their career development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
First and foremost our listening skills have to be amped to the highest; especially when beginning any new mode. I have an exercise that I give to each of my students, and one is a an old cliché exercise - drawing a bug with some instruction, and then the other known exercise is drawing a pig which is provided with detailed instruction. With the bug exercise we quickly conclude that we all interpret items differently (with little instruction) then we draw the pig we tend to be on the same page with our drawings -- looking very similar because more detail instructions were provided. I usually open with this to use a ruler to gauge where they are at.
When later in the their first week I visually see my students stressing over Medical terminology, I ask if they were given precise instructions and they ALL agree, but then we get into trying to remember. So I offer visual examples for memory, or creating their own mnemonics as well as flash cards and recalling a story in their life with a health concern involving medical terms. Just as we interpret items differently then we need to find out why. If we are having difficulty in memory recall, we need find out why and resolve it.
For sure...the different types of memory - episodic, semantic, concrete, etc. does work as appropriate to the individual's needs.
Consuala,
The song sounds like a fun way to learn information and it got them engaged. This is what the learning process needs to be about. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding the basics of learning has given me tools to implement more effective strategies to help student retain and use new information.One adaptation of teaching method was making a rap (song)using information the students struggled with.That information is no longer a struggle but a pleasure to recall. Thank you.
David,
Way to go in reducing the fear factor for your students. You took something they knew about it and made application to something they were being taught. I am sure this kept their confidence levels high so they could effective learn about gear boxes and ratios.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Just yesterday I was discussing the shift pattern and gear ratios on an 9 speed truck transmission, I compared the changing of ratios and use of multiple gear boxes to the sprockets on a 10 speed bike…something they already knew
Vanessa,
All of these various aspects of knowledge and skill acquisition contribute to student learning and career growth. This is why we need to learn all we can about the learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding how people learn allows you to tailor teaching methods to foster student success. By understanding how long term or short term memory works you may tailor learning games to help students remember information such as definitions. You can also use this information to give them real world problems so that they can utilize what they have learned in class.
Jason,
This is a great way to bring about instructional improvement. The more input you have the more information you have from which to make choices about your instructional delivery.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
planning and seeking feedback from other instructors is helpful in developing a successful instructional strategy.
Dawn,
This is where being a creative instructor comes into play. We need to offer change of pace and variety to our learners. You are doing both with your methods and as a result you have engaged students for the duration of your four hour class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to bring a multitude of various teaching methods to the table. I teach a four hour lecture class, so I have to bring a variety of methods into the classroom or they will shut me out after twenty minutes of lecturing on pathology. We play games, incorporate collaborative learning exercises, student teach, etc.. It truly makes a difference in how the students absorb and apply the information.
Tammy,
I think we all have been there at different times during our teaching career.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I have found this to be painful (to my ego) but true.
Eric,
Good strategy to follow. Carving the content up in to segments helps students to get their minds around what is being taught so they can internalize that information and then get ready for the next course segment. Like answering the age old question of "how do you eat an elephant?" Answer: "One bite at a time."
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
