I think students retain knowledge best when they can immediately begin applying it in a practical way. For example: when I teach English, I introduce students to paragraph structure by teaching them to outline. Then I give them a choice of topics, and in small groups they create the outline for a paragraph. The homework assignment will be for each student to go home and outline a different paragraph, and then to write the paragraph based on the outline.
Later in the course, we reinforce the outline concept when we use it for essays instead of paragraphs.
I find many students only start to grasp the information when they start to apply it. I am a very tactile learner and personally I do nto feel comfortable until I build it, take it apart, or if soft information, debate it, or try and teach it. It is always surprising to me, how much I think I know a subject, then get put into a position where I have to show someone else how to do it, and it is then new insights pop up.
Hi Richard,
Good point. By using their new knowledge several times over in different settings, such as class discussions and role playing the students really cement the knowledge into their working memories.
Gary
The best thing to do is to get them to apply what they learn through debates, scenarios, and group exercises. Class discussion is the key.
I can help students retain and apply new information by breaking the information apart into smaller "chunks" and spreading the information across a Thread Discussion (for example). I do this with various topics and it makes it easier for the students to understand the information.
Dwight
Once the material is presented a round of questions can help to validate the Students retension of the subject. Follow this with a practicle hands on excercise to give the subject matter real world value and explain to the Student how this can help him succeed in the job market.
Santiago,
I agree. The first time we teach a class it usually far from perfect. We need to adjust. It is much easier to teach a class the second and third time. I also believe the students need to apply what they learned. It helps reinforce the material. Projects, case studies, and class assignments allow them to apply what they learned.
Cathy
I believe that there is no substitution for practice and repetition. The same applies for instructors. We must practice and prepare for all lesson plans and lab tasks. Like the saying goes, practice makes perfect. Once you master the subject matter you can individualize it to suit the needs of you students. Likewise, students will gain new knowledge then perform a practical application until they can perform the task on their own.
I can help my students retain and apply new info by assigning reading prior to the class discussion on that topic. The next class we will do applications of the topic we discussed last time with a possible short quiz at the end of class.
Mary,
Could you provide some examples of the hands-on activities you assign to your classes?
Cathy
In our program there is a lot of hands on so a combination of lecture, demonstration, and hands on provides students with the ability to process and apply course material
Hi Catherine,
Great strategy for helping your students to see the applications that can be made of the new knowledge they are acquiring. I use case studies in my courses and the students really get involved in working through them since they are based on "live" work. They get to use a variety of skills to solve the situation and help the customer to have his/her needs met.
Gary
Teachers can have the students apply what they learned in real-life scenarios. I have the students create a business plan in my Small Business Management class. They work with a group of classmates to develop a business. The various sections of the business plan include material from the textbook chapters. The material is discussed in class. They then have to work together to apply what they learned. It reinforces the material. They also use their critical thinking, presentation, decision-making, written communication, and interpersonal skills.
I like to re-iterate information that we apply multiple times, but I like to ask them to answer, so that I know they are retaining it. For example, we are a baking and pastry class in a culinary school and we use the creaming method many times throughout the class. The first time, I went over the method and equipment repeatedly as I was demonstrating. The next time we use the method, as I'm going through the steps, I have them share the answers.
In order to help retain and apply new information students may be asked to review material from previous lessons at the beginning of a new class session. By encouraging students
to discuss recently covered concepts, they may be able to see how the applications are utilized
in various environments.
As a brakes instructor, after each lesson, we practice performing the task.
I have had students teach the new information to each other to review for a mid term or final exam.
I believe in using what I call 'practicuum' - what are real life exercises solving hypothetical problems using the skills taught in case. These are very short exercises, sometimes done as teams, that apply the tools we have reviewed. I often like to 'de-construct' step-by-step the process by which a model activity is undertaken so we can look at each step and see how to improve or re-think our answers. This puzzle-type exercise seems to keep the students engaged and interested in their work.
Through the course of each class, I ask each individual student how they might make use of a skill or idea from their learning in their chosen profession. This allows for personal involvement, synthesis of ideas,and a practical application or purpose for what the student is learning. Eventually, students begin to think ahead to the practical purpose of their learning...even before I get to interact with them.
As we go thru each week of course instruction,both modules and lab,first i always encourage them to take notes and also follow along and highlight the pertinent information in thier course books. The beginning of each week i have them write down three things each that they have learned in the form of a question. Next we play a little game of exchange the questions and each person takes a turn reading and answering someone elses questions. I find this not only reinforces what we have learned so far, it also gives the oppurtunity for class discussion about the topics and what they encountered during lab. Thus refreshing thier minds on both book and lab as well as aiding in thier retention basis.
