Hi Kristen,
Good point about intergenerational instructional planning. This is very important for career college instructors since that is the student population we serve. By blending these students in a setting that lets everyone use their own life experiences while expanding their knowledge you will have achieved a major goal of teaching.
Gary
Basically, you want to get through to your students as best you possibly can, and to do this, you need to understand how they will best absorb the information you are providing. I would hope that prior to the first class, you would receive a list of your students and their learning types, but I also understand that nothing is perfect, so it would be most beneficial to all involved if you were able to recognize the differences your self and adjust accordingly. You simply need to understand that a particular student may not be trying to be difficult, you may just not have hit upon the best way to appeal to their type of learning.
Understanding the different learners and their characteristics helps the instructor know what formats they need to deliver the content in. They can bring real world examples in that adult learners will understand and the 18- 20 year olds will be able to relate to. Planning instruction that will cover all age groups will help being the classroom together.
It allows instructors to present material in a variety of ways to appeal to the different learning styles of students. Uding lecture, visual aids, class interaction and some methods of "hands on" work will give each major group some material that plays to their learning strengths.
If you know how your students think and act; and you know why they act that way, you can use it to create better lesson plans.
Hi Timothy,
All of the items you listed are good points to support the learning needs of students. By having an understanding about all of those you listed an instructor can zero in on the specific needs of the students and get them engaged in the learning process more effectively.
Gary
I do think that understanding learners is important to becoming an excellent instructor. Each class is distinctive and has its own characteristics. Each student has different motivators and and responds slightly different to the instructor. The more you understand these dynamics, the better you will be able to help those that need help, and acknowledge those who are able to excell in your classroom.
PAP
I believe understanding of learner characteristic is a great tool. It helps us as educators understand the needs, feelings, and concerns of each student. We can now overcome and know how to handle their concerns; age diversity frustration ,fear of college, disabilities,
cultural diversity, and gives us a chance to set in place a support system for the student.
Hi Frank,
Right you are. This way you can customize your instruction to reflect the needs of the current group of students. This will result in higher retention and greater student satisfaction.
Gary
after I introduce myself on the first day of class, I ask the students to share their background in the classroom and what they do for living. Their answers will give me an idea what kind of students I have. It is important to understand students background to plan for the course.
Hi Janice,
Good advice for teachers. Work to understand your students because then the planning for instruction will be more accurate.
Gary
All,
I think that an instructor needs to be able to canvass the environment and fully understand learner characteristics and do the lesson planning around this. From my 20 plus years' experience this has really made a valuable impact.
Janice
Hi Nancy,
Good point about how understanding learner characteristics is a powerful instructional tool. Your examples of such are very good. Empowerment is a strong motivator for learners. Those that have had challenges in high school feel they are more of the learning process when they can explain what did and did not work for them previously. They are being self advocates and that is important to their learning process. It also gives the instructor a starting place for planning.
Gary
Hi Shelly,
Good point about why knowing student characteristics is important. It also is good to know them from the instructors point because this knowledge can give a since of direction for the class to enable each student to achieve the needed goals.
Gary
if you have a better idea of what the group learning dynamics are you can tailor your class to meet the needs of the group.
I've found understanding learner characteristics to be especially important on two levels - the differences in ages of my students and knowing which students have learning disabilities. One way to ascertain this knowlege was stated quite specifically in this module. And, as is often the case, the answer was obvious -- ask them.
I have found that nontraditional learners usually have a very definite understanding of what works best for them; as do the younger students who have had a lot of support in high school (those from both regular and exceptional education programs). However, for those students who didn't find high school supportive, while they can't tell me what works best for them, they certainly know what has gotten in the way of their learning in the past. Finding out from them what hasn't worked in the past gives me a back-door entrance into figuring out what I can do to support and facilitate their learning now.
In any of the above situations, simply asking students empowers them because they either know the answer and feel like experts explaining their needs, or they recognize my desire to listen and support them. It's a win-win.
it lets you know where your class is individually. Which can help in planning the days lessons.
It helps the instructor set up the lesson plan
Rachel
I totally agree with you. If we as an instructor have a "negative" feeling, our students will latch on it immediately. This will only undermine the classroom experience.
Renee
Dr. Meers,
I am currently a student persuing my doctorate in Education with an emphasis on Instructional Leadership. My most recent class was on the Adult Learner. Your modules reflect similar information with regard to the demographics of the non-traditional learner. My only issue I have is a quesiton from the final test. It stated that life experiences for students should not be a factor.
I will disagree with you. Older students have learned many life lessons that younger students have not had the opportunity to experience. This can have a positive or negative impact on the learner. The old adage, "the more we experience, the more we learn" is very appicable here.
I teach mathematics and many older students come to class with definite fears with regard to the subject matter. In their previous educational experience they were taught there is only one way to solve the problem (especially fractions)and the instructor was ALWAYS RIGHT. Their previous instructors only knew one way to teach and if the student did not do it their way it was wrong. Today in my class at least, they are being exposed to multiple methods of working and applying the material. Rather than fearing the subject, as they previously did, they are now seeing how and why it works and are gaining a greater understanding of it. In many cases I am able to work with a prior life experience and turn it to my advantage. With the younger students I do not have that ability.
Renee L
