Hi Maureen,
You raise a good caution in creating peer support situations. We need to look at how the students are helping each other to ensure that both get the needed input and educational benefits.
Gary
Learner Characteristics helps the instructor to come up with different concepts to teach different types of learning students. Understanding these different types can also help to enhance the interest level of what you are teaching for the instructor and the students.
I do have a concern about using students with more experience to help those with less experience in the lab. I feel that, too often, the students who are more experienced end up completing the work while the students who need the experience gain none. This can be frustrating for both parties. I do realize the benefits of this technique, but I think that we must keep a careful eye on the situation to prevent this from happening. I completely agree with using different techniques in the classroom to cover all learning styles.
Students bring so much to the learning environment. I strongly believe that understanding and using the background, experiences and frame of reference that each student bring to the class fosters great discussions, student engagement and commitment to their own success. This will create an active learnign environment and students will feel that they a involved in the teaching/learning process.
Different characteristics of the learner can help you in planning your lessons, choosing your approach, teaching style, and just simply understanding what motivates the students. Learners interests and experiences can be incorporated into the lessons to make them more meaningful and applicable. Knowing how specific students learn best can help you choose which approach to take in certain situations. Understanding students motivation can help your cances of retaining that student.
Hi Heidi,
Great to hear about your success with your students. You are going to have a great career as an educator. Keep up your efforts and enjoy your students.
Gary
I've only been teaching now for a quarter and I learned quickly in a lab setting how important it is to have all four learning objectives. I use notes, powerpoint/video for visual aid, and actual hands-on to make sure they understand the material. I love listening to the students interact with each other when figuring out problems or formulas; it's a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere.
By having a deeper understanding of the differences in learner charcteristics that you may come across up front during the planning process helps you develop lesson plans that support the different characteristics has well as help you develop plans if you do not have one. For example if you develop a plan that only incorpated one style or characteristic and that style does not show up you would leave your students feeling if you where not relavant to them and just a waste of there time and money. It is improtant that we understand there needs and desires up front so that we can do what we set out to do that is to teach them.
IT GIVES YOU THE ABILITY TO TROUBLE SHOOT WHAT THERE LEARNING SKILLS ARE AND HOW TO TEACH THE STUDENT BETTER
I agree with your comments on beginning teachers; that's precisely why it is so important to learn as much as possible about the students in one's class, a crucial other factor in the equation. Not only does the teacher must know all the institutional rules and regulations but he/she must also know everything there is to know about each student: their background and ontological circumstances. Being new, however, the novice teacher might forget the second half of this equation, which is far more important for student retention and graduation.
Dr. Yoon Sik Kim
I agree! I do a class intro at the begining of each course that lets me know how each student learm\ns best so I can deliver the information based on them, not just the same way everytime I teach it. It also helps me with not getting bored with the information term after term.
I think it helps in that you need to know how peple learn best in order to correctly do lesson planning and activities planning to get the most out of my students abilities. If you teach to only one learning style the others in the room won't have a chance to shine.
I do however have a lot of issues currently with students always telling me how much they are paying for their education and that we "owe" them the end result, or test questions or should have to put up with their unprofessional behavior because of what they are paying to attend school. Does anyone else have this problem. If so, what are you doing to get it under control?
Correct Lee,
If we don't understand the learner, our classroom will become a disaster and the students might not want to follow in learning the subject matter as well as we might not earn their trust. Thanks, Chris Graves.
I agree Ulises. Since I teach online, I hold a meet and greet chat with my students on the first day of class. This is a good opportunity to break the ice and let them know about me while I learn who they are. This gives me the opporunity to assess their needs in order for me to understand whether or not I need to adjust my teaching skills to help them learn. Good post, Chris.
An understanding of learner characteristics can greatly help in the instructional planning process by allowing instructors to carefully consider short-term and long-term goals, as well as objectives, and consider what the students or individual's abilities are in order to create a learning enviroment that is conducive, and adaptable, to people of different cultures, age, backgrounds, and disabilities. In short, I need to understand the needs of the individual students in order to understand how I arrived at my instructional planning and benefit the entire group. Thanks, Chris Graves.
Hi Tim,
Good point about keeping your focus on the students. They are the reason we all of have jobs as well as the opportunity to impact the next generation of individuals that will be entering our respective career fields.
Gary
If the purpose of teaching is a student learning, then it would make sense that having a better understanding of each learner would lead to an increase in effective teaching/learning. The planning process should be student-centered and student-specific. Through a thorough understanding of learner characteristics, the instructor can craft and mold his/her lessons to have the maximum opportunity for learning because he/she understands his/her students' backgrounds and preferences.
Some students are visual, tactile or work well in groups. Having a combination will help the student retain information.
I do the same thing, this really gives the students a sense of ownership in their learning experience.
It is important to know your audience in order for the students to learn and retain the information. This is the same concept used in many businesses. If you don't know your costumers you won't be able to make a sale.
