In my personal opinion, understanding your students' characteristics is going to help you whether to lecture or engage students in discussions. If the majority of students have never been in the workplace, then it is almost impossible to have any meaningful discussion about workplace topics.
Understanding learner charcteristics aids in the instructional planning process because the instructor in gearing the class time towards the needs of the students to best devliver the material.
So true and we need to remember this as we plan our instructional delivery. They are very concrete in their approach to learning so we need to give them examples that reinforce the course content.
I like the guest speaker, it really lets them hear some quality instruction from someone in the field. Also, having students who have been in the class for some time help them in a partner time atmosphere can be beneficial for both students.
I solicit feedback from day one of class. I ask them what works for them individually. I try to use a variety of learning techniques to fit all the learning styles. Breaking of into groups, guest speakers, hands on exercises, etc. This works best for me since I teach a variety of classes from Kinesiology to Somatic Psychology.
I access the class from the first day of class. I solicit feedback on how they feel they learn best. I use breaking off into groups, field trips, lecture, hands on exercises. I try to cover all the different learning styles since I teach a variety of classes from Kinesiology to Somatic Psychology
When I consider different learning styles I am prompted to diversify my presentation style as much as possible. I still use a lecture format to introduce basic facts but then set up problem solving exercises, Jeopardy games and craft projects to further solidify learning.
I usually start with a combination also. This also allows me to gain feedback from the learners. In my experience, the learners will let you know if they really like an activity.
Billy,
Well said about the demise of Socrates. We instructors need to keep that in mind as we craft our questions.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Billy,
I really like your approach to the classroom and especially a course like English. English is often viewed as a necessary pain it get through to graduate when in fact as you know it can be a powerful part of the career success track. Effective communication both written and oral helps individuals illustrate their expertise. With your methods they are gaining knowledge about how they can develop those skills. Keep up the good work. Also, glad to hear about the rubrics that you are using. They save me a lot of time and help me to more effectively zero in on the areas that students need to concentrate on for improvement.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Yes, we have moved that direction. I am intrigued with your response. I worked with one class as if we were playing Jeopardy. I gave the answer, and they provided the question. I have taught that the real skill that general education should be teaching is not giving answers, but teaching students how to ask good questions. I love the image of an elderly gentleman walking through the streets of Athens with lamp looking for answers. I think it is important to remember why Socrates was killed. It was not for providing neat and clean answers. He was killed for asking controversial questions.
I am currently reading Grown Up Digital by Don Tapscott about the net generation learing characteristics. The author claims that the old "sage on the stage" lecture format is really out-dated. These learners don't want people giving them answers. They want to search
through the wealth of information and discover the answers on their own. I took these new learnings into my last class in English. We were giving feedback to each other on essays that they had written. They were teaching each other instead of listening to my lecture. At the end of class, they shared that they had learned. I have seen this method used to the benefit of other students. By the way, in a course that I completed in an earlier class from MaxKnnowledge,I learned of the use and importance of the rubric. My students are given one, and it is explained before each essay that they are writing.
Learner characteristics have to be understood to have a good lesson plan and for time management of your lessons. If you have a diverse student base in relation to learning comprehension it may be an advantage to pair up students in groups. Students can learn from their peers as well as those with stronger understanding of the material will learn by mentoring. This type of understanding also creates a good learning environment by creating an atmosphere of inclusion. The teamwork atmosphere also is great for time management because as an instructor we will spend less time trying to manage the involvement of every student and use that time more creatively.
Billy,
I have read that book and found it was very informative to my perspective of instructional delivery. I find it interesting that the discovery method is much like the Socratic method of using questioning and self discovery as learning tools. This method is over 2000 years old. Maybe we have gone full circle.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Josef,
You make a very good point for knowing the characteristics of students. Knowing these characteristics help with the development of rapport with students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Great concept , thistotaly reiforces what they are learning
It is great to be able to be creative in the way we can help our students in the classroom.
What test do you use in that assessment?
Victoria: I really appreciated your entry. The nontraditional older student brings a wealth of experience and insights to the class. I am challenged to use them in teaching the class. AS the Harvard instructor states, it is crystallized experience. People who have experienced what I am teaching in their work world.
Non-lecture approach to the classroom. I am currently reading a work by Don Tapscott entitled Grown Up Digital in which the author states that the Net Generatiion, those who have spent hours on the computer with computer games are weary with the lecture format of the classroom and needing to move to more of an individualized discovery of the answers. Have you read it? I am striving to change the way I teach college English in that new direction.
