I try to treat all college students as adults, unless this becomes a problem. Generally it has worked for me. Although I have generally taught older students, even fairly recent graduates have often had jobs for several years, and many have lived on their own.
I have found the book The Adult Learner by Malcolm S. Knowles, Elwood F. Holton, and Richard A. Swanson to be a great resource for information and studies on Andragogy. One thing I particularly like about adult learners is that they often have focused on becoming students and seem to be intrinsically motivated, which is very powerful.
It helps you deliver your lessen better. And if you wacht your students reacction you can change your delivery to keep them awake or pull them back and get them interested again.
It helps us better understand the needs of the student better.
I have done some of my class modeling after classed that I have taken in a fast pace learning environment. I ask a series of questions and then prepare my class periods around how the students learn best. I also assess about two weeks in the class to see if I need to do some tweaking so the students can get the best learning possible. I am not afraid to modify how I am teaching should the student’s performance warrant it. So far this practice has worked well for me.
Hi Todd,
Great way to meet the individual needs of your students. You do as I in your grouping of common student characteristics for instructional planning. This effort really pays off in student retention and success.
Gary
Many instructors claim that it is impossible to adapt a class to fit everyone in the class's dynamic culture. This is simply not true. By grouping learner characteristics, we can create categories to which we can design our classes in order to connect with all students on a somewhat customized level. The adult versus "young" learners that this unit focuses on are probably the most common student categories for which this is true.
I have good success with recognizing the difference in Learner Characteristics and striving to create group that have an adult learner paired with a younger student. The older students often provide background information to the younger student. The younger student, in turn, assists the older students with technological issues.
I teach fundamental math. It is amazing how diverse the math background is for these students. Some have not worked with math for 30 years. Many have said that they did what they could to get by. It is my task to encourage them, let them know that they can be successful, and provide them with suggestions as to how to get additional support. Knowing what their background brings is essential in my knowing how to work with them.
Good Idea Justin,
That first day of class is so important! Learning as much about the students as we can.
It can be challenging when there is mixed group of students, those right out of high school and those pursing second careers. Having an understanding of students' characteristics and expectations will help an instructor plan effective learning strategies for all the students. Collaborative activities that include both the younger adult and the more mature adult learning may help. At times there is some resistance from students, but it is up to the instructor to create an environment where students feel valued.
Gives you a window to see the student as for who they really are. This is needed to be sure you are on track with them. It will give you a chance to change tactics if needed to meet the students needs.
Understanding students learning characteristics helps me be more effective to the students needs. I am able to gauge students in lectures and getting them to participate in class lectures’. For me I find it a lot easier to communicate to a student and I believe is show an amount of respect to the student from me to take the time to learn their characteristics.
I find it very helpful to have a conversation with the students to find out why they are enrolled and what they would expect to learn from the course. during this conversation I can usually get a better idea fo an individauls learning characterisic. Even though our students vary widely in age some of the characteristics are simular ie younger stucdents that are more focused than most and older students that have special needs that they may not be aware of. Younger students are much more familiar with the educational routine and understand what help may be available but do not take advantage of it because of the social ramifications. Older students may not know what is avalible and nedd a lot of reassurance that it is OK to take advantage of the systems in place. Understanding each students needs allows me to be more prepared to help them achieve success.
I like your idea Karen. My students work in group of 2 in my class and i always try to put one strong student with a weaker student. Usually it works well. The weaker students find some strenght from the stronger students. It is not always the adults who shows the way. I have very talented young students also.
Hi Toni,
Like the way you express the contributions that different age groups make to the total education setting. It is exciting to see how each group fills in those gaps that you mentioned. Thanks for sharing the insight with us.
Gary
Carol,
There is no doubt that this level of involvement with the students promotes a richer learning experience for the students.
Kurt
Personally I think that as instructor, if you understand who you students are you can adapt your method of delivery.
In any case, it is important not to forget the main objectives of the class but you can find different way to deliver to your class.
Each student has different learning methods and finding which one is the most efficient for the students to get interested and retain the information provided, should set you, the instructor and the students, for success.
Sometimes students become extremely comfortable with one another. This can be a plus; however, sometimes we need to take them out of their comfort zone.
Understanding student characteristics helps teachers with course preparation, teaching methods, and understanding how to best motivate each student.
You can't make a delicious dinner for someone if you don't know what they like to eat, and you can't help someone learn if you don't know where they came from and where they are headed.
