Sonja,
Like the strategies you are using to help make your class real for your students. Using this format your students are going to have a realistic picture of what they are going to encounter when they enter employment. This will ease their transition and help them to get a jump on their career growth.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I feel that the connection make all the difference. My students often work in a lab with manikins and they dont see the relevence until they are physically able to work on each other. I also go as far as to ask other instructors to come into the lab setting so that the students are not always familar with the individual that are working on.
My students are learning how to work in a physicians office, clinic, etc. so they expect something every class to show them how to do that. We discuss first, then I demonstrate, and they practice. We also role-play.
Dana,
Students like change of pace and variety in their instructional delivery. You are offering both with your approach and this is what keeps your students engaged. Thanks for sharing this model with us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
It is important to understand the learners needs and expectations so the instructor can ensure they are meeting these needs. Every student has a different way of learning information and ensuring that it sticks. I great way to ensure you make the instructional content and delivery relevant to studen expectations is to ask the student at the beginning of the class what they expect from the class and you as the instructor. If their expectations are outragous, then can address that quickly and you and the student can be on the same page about what is needed for the student but also what you are able to provide. You can also try different ways of teaching information so that the students can get it. Use techniques like lecture, collaborative, hands-on, games, etc... This way you are touching on all differnt types of styles.
The needs in the class I teach are clear, to prepare my students for entry into the Residential Electrical Construction Industry. In our syllabus there are certain objectives that the class is meant to offer. I assure the students that they will be able to accomplish these objectives and thereby gain the necessary technical knowledge as well as the practical hands-on skills that they will need to compete in the industry. I also listen to and observe the students in each class. I am constantly "tweaking" the various delivery methods to insure that I am meeting the student's needs and expectations as to what they will be accomplishing in my class.
Jason,
What are some ways that you have be able to show relevancy to your students?
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
meking courses relevant is important especially for career students
Dawn,
Good point. We need to know our students and then build an instructional plan from there. This is how we will be able to earn their respect and develop rapport with them for the duration of the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
You can't meet the needs and expectations of students if you don't, first, know their needs and expectations. As instructors, we must delve deep enough to identify what drives our students, what they expect to learn from the class or program, and then plan and adapt accordingly. If you don't feed the students what they need, they will get bored and their experience is downhill from there.
Eric,
This is such an important step because it increases the value of the course in the minds of the students. This is when they realize they are getting an ROI from their efforts.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
An instructor can make their instructional content and delivery relevant to student expectations by making sure it contains the necessary content for learning.
Julie,
Each of the elements of learning you listed are a part of the scaffold sequence that students need to move up on. Each step completes another competency or skill set that the students need to career success. By having application and relevancy built into the process then the retention factor increases greatly in terms of knowledge and skills.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
An adult learners needs and expectations can provide an instructor with a basis for understanding of the student's purposes and goals. Assessing these needs and goals,along with previous knowledge, can be gained through providing a pretest at the beginning of a course or section of instruction. This pretest can provide the instructor with an idea of their student's knowledge, understanding, needs, and expectations.
Allowing students to see the revelenacy of their instruction is also important. Relevancy can be provided through hands-on skills, such as clinical experience, or providing the opportunity for students to see how certain skills or material will affect their career. Students expect to learn and absorb relevant information. Using review at various times throughout a class or lecture, before or after a test, etc.., can give students a focus or the ability to "pull everything together". Review can demonstrate how the information or skills they have learned are relevant to their goals and expectations.
Paul,
I really like the results I get when I use case studies in my classes. I use both individual work as well as group work when we work through the studies. The interaction that comes out of discussing these case studies help to reinforce the content that is being offered. In the end this format is a win win situation for all students no matter their age or reason for being in the class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Adult learners are back in school to learn a new skill for a number of reasons, such as career advancement or career change. What ever their reason they are there to learn something new they have not already figured out for their selves. They are smart and well versed in life. So as the teacher or course director you have to give them a product/course they see as relevant not a course that waist their time. Simple.
To make the course relevant you can research into the industry were new acquired skills may be used and pull out the most current business practices. You can also bring in industry leaders to address the new class. I have found case studies to be most helpful for relevant content. You give your class some self case studies and group case studies. As they are working thru their assignments they are learning more about their new career or advanced skills for career progression. You as the instructor then needs to tie it all together in the big picture for the students to fully embrace the content and there personal effort to participate and pass the course.
An adult learner needs and expectations can be the basis or foundation for relevant instruction by finding out what they know and do no know as well as what they want to know.
Strategies or methodologies that may make instructional content and delivery relevant to student expectations include giving the students a road map, explaining the big picture, be selective with the information allowing them time to process, as an instructor don't make assumptions about your students' experiences and make service learning where students take what they are and have learned and apply it to a community setting.
Adult learner look for relevance and application in what they learn. Explaining a concept and using real life examples to support it, are some of the ways to make it meaningful to them.
Thomas,
Right you are in terms of instructors needing to show relevance and application in their courses. Students are there for a reason and they need to see that they are getting what they need in order to meet their career goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The biggest and most exclusive reason for an adult to go back to school is to follow a new or build on an existing career path. All course content needs to answer to this otherwise what is the point of the student being there?
