Hi Eddie,
You make a key point. You have to know where there students are coming from and by knowing their characteristics you can target their learning needs much better.
Gary
I feel that if we understand what the students learning characteristics are we can do a much better job giving them the information needed to be succesful. It seems very important that we have some sort of idea what the students are expected to learn and how they learn it.
Due to the fact that our school has a lot of adult students I structure my classes to better fit their learning need with a lot of practical aplications and relevant to real life tasks.
Understanding learner characteristics helps with how I will instruct the class.
I agree with having another student who does understand the concept that I am trying to get across explain it to the class. Sometimes it is easier to the point across by having a fresh outlook on it.
Hi Deb,
I commend you for using balance in your instruction. You are using the resources, the students you have to get your class involved. I am sure that also helps the students to feel invested in the course which really helps with retention.
Gary
Hi Beatrice,
Good point about knowing your students. You can keep the same requirements for your course but use alternative ways of getting results by knowing what your students are facing in their lives outside of school.
Gary
Understanding learner characteristics is essential in the classroom. I teach a variety of students between the ages of 18 and 67 (all in the same class room). I try to understand their differences and help them to focus on some of the similarities. With age comes a variety of different life experiences and when I successfully conduct a discussion I encourage students to learn from each other. My more mature students gain from the enthusiasm of the younger and excel in areas of experience and the ability to articulate their answers to the class. I enjoy having a class with a wide variety of student characteristics because they can learn from each other. Many times in my lecture and discussion if I see that a concept is not coming through clearly I ask the students who understand the concept to help me explain. This works wonderfully and both encourages the students and rewards them.
An instructor more aware of the different learner characteristics of his students will be able to pace his lectures and adjust the level of difficulty of instruction materials based on these characteristics.
It helps with how I prepare my syllabus and testing throughout the quarter. Teaching an evening class of adult learners with small children and planning a midterm is not a good instructional plan.
I need to relate the material to where the students are if I am to have any hope of success. I consider the typical start of quarter "Please introduce yourself" discussion very important. Sometimes I even jot down notes !
Hi Omari,
Good comments. In addition, through customizing instruction it helps to bring excitement to instructors as well. Trying something new or different helps to keep instructor motivation high and students engaged in learning.
Gary
Students are all there to complete the course and by having an understanding of learner characteristics the faculty member can adjust the interaction with each student to show care and still support the student with accomplishing the learning objectives. A one-size-fits-all approach is most likely a detrimental one and does not necessarily support student retention.
Hi Jamie,
Way to go in making your course content "real" for your students. You are bringing every day applications to their lives so they can see how what they are learning is going to impact their future.
Gary
Hi Gregory,
Spoken like a well established veteran instructor. You have much experience to share and I appreciate your examples of what you know about how to impact student learning.
Gary
Hi Edmund,
Great comments in relation to understanding learning characteristics. This is so important to and for student success. The key is being flexible and you certainly are being that as you approach each class and read the personality of that class. Well done, thanks for sharing.
Gary
Hi Michael,
I use this approach as well and I agree that it really helps the students to get settled in and ready for the class. It seems to help pull the class together into a common learning community.
Gary
Often, when planning a course, I get stuck in a rut of using the same delivery methods over and over again. I stay in my comfort zone. But if I take some time to reflect on the diversity of different learner characteristics, and think about what sorts of strategies I can use to best communicate with students of diverse learning styles, it helps me to develop a more well-balanced course plan, which also challenges me as a teacher.
As others have mentioned, a brief introduction by each student allows me and his/her classmates to relate to their experiences. I keep these varying life experiences in mind as I instruct the course. For example, when students complete a scientific research project I emphasize how they may use these skills in their own specific field when writing newsletters, journal articles, legal reports, etc.
Knowing the audience is key because not only must your material be within an optimal range relative to their knowledge level, but the structure of activities should take their experience level and background into account. Adult learners, for example are likely to be willing to take initiative and participate actively, so labs can be designed with less explicit instructions. This allows them to discover relationships and sequences of events with their own intuition, which results in better retention.
