Gary,
Students are always looking for the relevancy of the course and association to a practical application. It is imperative for the instructor to keep this in mind to ensure that the students motivation is high on every class and does not become a boring class.
Jorge
Madelaine,
This is something that many students miss. It is their future they are preparing for so they need to have the self discipline to be in class and doing the required work. When they do that they will be successful in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The students are highly motivated to learn their acquired knowledge because it is relevant to their new or future setting of work and they would be able to apply the acquired knowledge they have learned.
John,
Well said. Relevancy is in the minds of all of the students or it should be at least. Relevancy is the reason they are in the class so they need to be shown how the content can be applied and how it helps them to move toward their career goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As an adult learner, the faster we can show them relevancy the faster they apply that to every day life. I use real life experiences to help them understand that this situation or fact really does happen in the real world. It legitimizes the lesson.
Imelda,
They really need to get this point in their minds. If they can't write an effective letter asking for a loan it is for sure they aren't going to get it. Clear and concise communication is a must in all of our careers.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
My students are studying graphic design or fashion, and many plan on opening up their own business. To open a business, they will most likely need to write letters to banks for loans. I remind them of this when I teach them effective and persuasive writing.
Roger,
Good strategy to follow because you are helping them to see the value of the knowledge and skills they are working to acquire. By sharing so of these positive opportunities with them you generate excitement and get them ramped up for their own successes.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
James,
Making the connections between the classroom and labs and the real world is an ongoing process for sure. The more frequently we can do this the more value our students will get from our courses.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Marilyn,
Yes, they can. Sometimes they have problems in making the connection between what they are studying and how it will apply to their careers. We need to help them make such connections on a regular basis.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Tom,
This was my experience as well. My masters gave me information and application opportunities daily since I was working in the field just as you mentioned. I did a tremendous amount of growing in my field during my masters as a result of the connection between my course work and my career. Good point, thanks for making it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Lauren,
You are connecting the dots between course content and career development with your students. This is an important factor to consider as you provide feedback and course content. There has to be relevancy and application if the students are going to see value in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I agree. Sometimes my students don't immediately see the relevance in the material and lose interest because they think they won't need to learn it. If I can show them how I got a "cool" gig or was able to make extra money because of that particular skill, I find students are on the edge of their seats because now it could affect their social status between friends if they get to work on something exciting (for the younger students) and how it could affect their wallet (that one works for both young and old.)
In the culinary field our students can learn the techniques in the classroom/lab but relevancy comes when they go to work. At work through repetition they will learn hand speed from doing a task over and over. Work also reinforces what we have been teaching them in the classroom. We can tell them to work with a sense of urgency but until they have diners waiting on their food and have to hustle and work through the stress of dinner service they don't understand. They usually visit school while on extern or after and thank us because they now realize what we were trying to prepare them for.
It validates what they have been striving for. Self-esteem is gained with comfort in their own learned abilities. With that confidence students can take their newly aquired skills into the job market and be successful.
I remember experiencing this as a student. My master's degree was much more meaningful to me than my bachelor's degree. It wasn't because of the prestige or work done. It did, however, have to do with the fact that I was a working professional when I was working on my Master's degree and I was able to take what I learned and apply it in my career. This was something that I was not able to do as a student working a meaningless job while earning my bachelor's degree.
Learning becomes so much more meaningful when the student can see how he / she can use it in daily professional life.
Tom
By understanding the relevancy of what students are learning will motivate them to really learn and internalize the learning process. It’s a proven fact that when students relate to the information they learn better. With my students, I will always use their majors in an example of a future case study so they are able to see how it relates to them.
Ren,
Students love real world examples as you say. They really perk up when one of these stories is shared. They get to see application and relevancy to what is being taught. This increases the value of the course for them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
YES! I completely agree with this statement. I find that the more I give my students examples of how the real world works, they get that "light bulb" (Ah-hah) look when it clicks. I then ask them to turn this around and see if they can give me like examples.
Frances,
Connecting the dots is a powerful motivator for students. Their efforts can help their patients and as a result they will be showing their compassion as well as expertise. When they realize the impact they will be having on the care of patients their career choice becomes even more important to them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
