I think that understanding learner characteristics greatly assists in helping you develop ways of motivating individual student. Each student enters a class with different skill levels, professional backgrounds, and, perhaps most importantly, goals and dreams. By understanding as much as possible about the characteristics of each student, an instructor can tailor his or her feedback to, and give indidualized attention to, each student in the class.
Have some of the learning challenged students work in some of those groups
Understanding your students
Without an appropriate level of understanding what impact different learning characteristics can have on classroom delivery, the instructor is missing out on reaching all of the students in the class. Some students can learn from listening to lectures, others will need visual tools like the course readings or PowerPoints, written handouts and hands on exercises, homework and classroom participation. The instructor needs to try to reach out to all learning styles.
I try to do this as often as possible in my classes: some are structured to permit group projects (graphic design, project management); others in general education, no so much. I see differences in age, experience, ethnic background. I tell students that learning how to work successfully as a team member is greatly sought after in the marketplace. And, in the creative process, well, "We is smarter than me." Not only does this strategy foster understanding, cooperation and appreciation for the views and talents of other individuals, but it helps students deal with conflict and gets everyone a lot more involved in the entire learning process.
I teach general education courses and an introductory course in computer applications. The course content has recently been changed removing MS Office applications and concentrating on introducing applications such as Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign. These applications are more advanced and geared toward students with a higher skill set in Design. I got a wake up call last term when I asked the class to write a short biography and create a PowerPoint application. Virtually no one had experience on a Mac and fewer were knowledgeable of the Adobe applications that make up nearly all of the course content.
Needless to say, I had to make some immediate adjustment. The syllabus was out the window because it assumed that these "beginning" students knew something they did not. Lessons learned = don't assume anything; screen students and their relative skill sets; be prepared to change course.
Where do i start, I like wahching, and helping to develope my students. Explainging some of my life experences some to get a laugh some to show we as instructors are human also each situation may be different. it does help with the relationship builds through discussion groups I sometime select student that would normaly not speak or interact so much to each other letting them work things out One of my class assinments on how important a handshake is then listening to all the storys
Each person is motivated differently. As an instructor is imperative to understand several different methods of learning, from the younger to the older student.
With each class you can gain insight as to what motivates each person. Take a mental note and use each experience like a tool.
I am a firm believer that when a student recognizes that an instructor has changed the direction of delivery of information to suit that student who is having difficulty then it gives a student a sense of individual attention. That little gesture makes the student feel that the instructor is understanding and caring.
Hi Trisha,
Good point and well explained. In addition, to needing to reflect on the different learning preferences in the class instructors also need to be aware of the class dynamics and how to relate to each student.
Gary
Every person learns differently. This concept is noted as adults in the work place but it is important to recoginze in learning as well. People cannot be managed the same way and they cannot be taught the same way. Understanding how your student's best receive information is the job of every instructor - it is not hte job of the student to figure out their instructor's. Being a student is stressful enough.
Planning in my second day of class involves learner characteristics to accomplish the objectives. In my hydraulics classes my students come from a fairly diverse background from rural urban non native speakers high school to mid fourties age students. My planning involves hitting something within each of these students they can identify with. I find it rather intereting when it happens and people start to open up and talk how similar they realize they are. the dynamic of the class changes and interactions, questions, comments and thoughts tend to become easier for them to express.
Great point Michele, I am currently working on an online Masters in Hospitality Management. It is amazing the amount of information and that our professors provide. It is also an expectation that we participate in discussion forums like this that pretain to a topic included in the class. In addition to the chats we have journal artiticles, power points and lecture videos of our instructors. Pretty awesome.
I think that it is important that we know our students as individuals and not just a class. Once we know them that way we can then find the best way to make them a "community" and help them all reach their goals through a variety of learning techniques.
Understanding of learner characteristics is very important because everyone learns differently. To accomplish your job of a teacher it is important that you tach so all students can learn something.
an addition--this can still be done in an onine class. We are able to use audio for classroom chats, I provide handouts, I go over the parts of the book to highlight, and we have a publisher Web site with exercises/activities.
Building relationships with all students increases the students' abilities to meet learning outcomes. When planning for a class, keep in mind that students learn differently. Consider different ways to present the material and differnt ways to assess learning.
Hi Savitri,
Two things. One they can come into a class already formed into a learning group and be ready to learn. They know each other well enough that they know who can do what when working together. The other side is when they come in and are a challenge to work with since they have history and inside jokes, and stories. This type of cohort group can be tough to break into . I give them a chance to work on a project together and see how they function. If they do not get the work done I break the group up and reformat the groups into my groups. This way each group is new and has no history. This format eliminates the majority of the cohort problems and my students are ready to learn.
Gary
What happens when you have cohort groups that have been working with each other?+
being able to recognize the strengths of students and creating a group environment is the key. I agree. Thanks for this post!
