Knowing the different styles of learning, a lesson can be developed using visual, audio, hands-on and lecture. By teaching in this manner, you will have reached most students need for learning.
because each person learns at their own pace and in their own way. it is good to mix up your techniques so that others can keeps up and others don't get bored.
Understanding the learning capabilities of the various ages that make up a class is beneficial when creating a lesson plan.
Hi Dan,
Right you are about being able to more effectively engage the students as a result of knowing more about them. Also, as you mentioned you can more effectively target their learning preferences as well. Thanks for these good comments.
Gary
I like to think of all the different ways we all learn. You can offer students visual, audio, and other projects such as hands-on, that help each of them learn the material in their own way.By creating a lession withn this in mind nobody is left out.
The students you are teaching are unique and they have individualized ways of learning. Knowing how individuals learn will help me as a teacher to adjust my methods so I can communicate the material effectively. It will also help me to engage the students in different ways; video, audio, group exercises, etc.
In understanding the learner characteristics the instructor has a starting point. This process will help in directing the learning more toward the student and include their own personal experiences. When involving the student in the process, they become a more active learner (participant) versus a passive participant. Students learn more when they are involved in their own learning experiences.
It give you a base from what experiences they have.
Hi Jason,
You make a number of very good points about the value of getting to know your students and helping them achieve success. This is what gives reward to us as instructors. A student "ah-ha" moment makes preparing and coming to class well worth it.
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
Gary
Good afternoon Dr Meers,
An understanding of leaner characteristics helps in instructional planning because it gives you a sense of who your target audience is and what kind of delivery would work best within that particular group.Every group of students will differ from the next and it might be necessary to employ multiple styles of teaching at the same time. Trying to meet the intrinsic needs of the students is the challenge that every instructor must face and accomodate to the best of their ability. Maslow's Hierachy of Needs is a good example of the different levels that each student must satisfy before ultimately reaching the stage of self actualization. Guiding the student towards self actualizationa and watching them achieve it is the most rewarding part of being a teacher.
Regards,
Jason Kupper
By understanding the individual learners' characteristics you can customize you lesson plan to accommodate everyone's goals and needs.
Having my students fully engaged and excited makes my experience easier in the long run. By finding out all I can about my class, their needs and goals, I can become a better instructor. I also feel I can motivate them better if I know what their issues are. Culteral diversity is an important issue in the classroom, and I feel makes my classes more interesting.
Understanding this allows an instructor to better prepare for the course content and learning objectives.
Hi Tanya,
Good points! Our students bring to the classroom so many different experiences, challenges and expectations that we need to work hard to try and customize our approach so we can be supportive to and for them.
By doing so we are going to increase our retention and student satisfaction rates.
Gary
By understanding the students learning characteristics you can plan the best strategies to address each students needs; therefore creating a better learning environment.
Education should never be a 'one size fits all'. Professional educators should conform their teaching style to the individual, and the only way to do so is to understand the unique position that each student comes from. Age, cultural diversity, disabilities, whether physical or mental, fears, support systems (or the lack of) and personal circumstances all play a role in shaping a students overall experiences and their ability and desire to be a part of the learning process. By understanding the characteristics that apply to each learner and how they affect their ability and receptiveness to the educational process, instructors can better tailor their instruction to gain the biggest impact on each student.
I have didscovered that the more I know about a student and his or her background, the better I am able to help them with any learning difficulties they may be having.
I have found that teaching styles, very similar to supervisory styles must change to meet the abilities and experiences of the recipient. Knowing your students, their motivation, background and learning style, allows an instructor to adjust their teaching style to best fit individual students when working one on one, and gives the instructor the knowledge on how to best adjust classroom situations, lectures, etc..to effectively reach as many students as possible on various levels of understanding.
Hi Thomas,
This sounds like a very good way to work with the diverse student body you have. You are letting them individualize their learning in a number of different ways and this helps them to become engaged and stay engaged for longer periods of time.
Gary
In my particular situation, it is essential as I deal with 17-60 y/o students on a regular basis. I do not try to teach "rote" learning, but "research learning". The students are free to develop their individual approach to researching the subject matter as well as the methodology that they are comfortable with. Each student has a different approach to researching for resolution.
