Hi Tonya,
Great job of bringing application to their learning. I am sure your students really enjoyed having the opportunity to take their new information outside and use it. This is what helps them in seeing the relevancy to their learning.
Gary
To help my students retain knowledge I try to give them examples of situations that they often deal with to help them make the connection between theory and reality. For example, when I am explaining the concepts of formulas such as the area formula and why there are variables in the formula, I will relate tiling a bathroom floor of one house with the bathroom floor of another house. The method used to get the number of tiles remains the same however the the dimensions of the bathrooms will be different.
To help students apply new information I will have students do activities that use the new information. For example, when we were learning about trigonometric functions I had the students build a clinometer out of string, a straw and a protractor. We then went outside and the students measured the height of different objects that they would not be able to use a tape measure to measure such as light posts, flag poles, electric posts, and buildings.
It depends on the type of course. If it is a hands on like auto mechanics the use practical tests and research to prove why the theory works. If it is an academic then either group or individual presentations of life experience in relation to what the lesson was. You can also have the students teach a particular part of the lesson to the class. Have a random draw at the beginning of the course for the presentations.
I think the best way to help students retain and apply new information is to provide real-life examples whenever possible. There are times where I look for examples with some level of shock and or wow factor. I believe if you can break down complex information into comprehendible, and smaller, more manageable blocks of information, it can seem more attainable for the student.
The use of "hand-on labs" right after a concept is taught really helps my students to understa concepts.
Hi Keith,
Good point. Students like and need variety if they are going to stay engaged throughout each class session.
Gary
change up the delivery and information to keep you and tour students involved in their learning
In our instruction of lumber inpection we have time for lecture and the next day application. The students have an opportunity to apply material we have just covered.The transference learning seems to be most effective.
I have found the best way for students to retain and apply new information is to use information that was previous learned and apply this with the new information. An example would be when reviewing a medical record for medical coding, ask the students to define the medical terms learned in a previous course. I find that this adds relevance and reinforcement to previously learning while also intergrating the old with the new information.
In our live chats, we practice the new skill and at the next live chat, I review the skill and ask a few questions to check for understanding. On future writing assignments, I make specific comments in my feedback, related to the skills we have learned.
Hi Brian,
You make a good point and one we need to always keep in mind as we allocate our time in helping students. We need to find balance in the use of the time but also provide direct instruction as needed with specific students.
Gary
Although it may be difficult when teaching larger classes, I've always found that the best way to help students retain and apply new information is to work individually with them or find a way to present information that can appeal to them personally. This can increase the workload a little too much, but at the end of the day the only way to figure out how to help a student understand a concept is to figure out and understand the student first.
Hi Norman,
I commend you for your approach to teaching Math. Since Math is a challenge for so many people there are mental barriers already set up by them. By giving them the opportunity to learn about their work, correct it and expand upon it you are helping them to be successful. This will result in much higher levels of retention and application of content. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Dr. Meers,
I teach a number of Math courses and emphasize that the only way to learn mathemeatics is by doing problems. We spend the first hour of so of class working problems that students have had trouble with. Their homework is not due until after this session is over so that they have a chance to ammend what they had done for homework. This enables me to get feedback on what they may be struggling with and where techniques may need to be shorn up. After grading their homework, I will revisit areas where much of the class had some difficulties.
I set expectations that being able to use the new tools to solve the problems and recognizing which tools to use are more important than understanding why the tools work!
Hi Theresa,
This is what learning is all about. I like the way you offer variety in your repetition efforts. This way the students can really seal the content into their working memories.
Gary
In my courses, where I teach Pharmacy, I have the students write out drug cards, perform hands-on skill practice sets, and also practice testing. By being repetative the information is reinforced over time.
Hi Peter,
Thank you for sharing this evaluation model with us. You are doing a comprehensive job of having the students work in different situations and then problem solving as a part of making the application of the content they have learned. This will make their transition to the real world that much easier.
Gary
I find that in the program I teach, puzzles and problems to solve, give the student a chance to apply the didatic portion of the program. The skills they learn are applied in mock surgical situations, in which the student are challenged with emergency or contamination senario. This allows student to apply their knowledge directly, I also evaluate their skills with a evaluation sheet, that is calibrated with a rubric style scoring system, the students get immediate feedback. This is done two times a semester, with practice sessions everytime the class meets. The two evaluation are then calculated as part of there grade. I also provide lab/tutoring time for students outside of there normal class schedule.
I think they can apply new information by working on real world problems. My class is a design class, where invention and creativity
are king. They can learn the basics and use them as a springboard
to go beyond what is already been done.
Students need to understand the relevance of the material they are learning.Using peer review of writing assignments helps in my field. If I can relate the lessons related to writing techniques to a field of interest, I can always see better results.
