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Often in Academia, if the instructor is too far away in what they teach from the real world, the students don't feel like they are learning anything that will help themin their careers. This is why it is so important to bring in examples pertaining to the realworld and their experiences.

Hi Gary,
You make a very good point in relation to reasons for success. If the students can see relevancy and application they will increase their effort leading to a higher level of success.
Gary

I think it anchors them by allowing application of essential information immediately to the skills they must command. By distilling the information down to the critical components, you allow students a reasonable chance for assimilation and application.
I was struck by one particular statement in the module which stated, "do not make work so difficult that your students face failure with every passing week of class." I see fellow teachers repeatedly presenting information which is so complex and advanced that the students do not have any hope of assimilation and application. They quickly become extremely frustrated and angry.

Working knowledge,especially for Adult Learners, requires that students personalize the information into something they value or have feelings about. Adults are interested in how information relates to their success with work or family. These are the factors that have the most emotional value. When students see information with relevance and applications to work and home their emotion stimulates the learning and memory centers of the brain to long term storage.

It is motivating because they can apply the knowledge to real experiences. When that is done it excites them and they see that the field is exciting and fun.

When a student links the relevancy with the application of what they are learning, they are more open to comprehending the information. A student who does not have a clear understanding of why they are learning something and how it is needed or required for their program has a much more negative attitude and is not open to the information that is necessary to be retained. I have found in my experience that students who have the relevancy explained are much more accepting to the material.

Adult learners can learn at amazing rates when there is a reason. It is not enough to say that they might not pass as a reason. It is much more useful to show how the techniques being discussed in class are used in the world they are entering. Motivation and retention in one step.

Many learners in my program are visual learners. By showing them the appropriate application, they can see the relavence of the written material and put it into their own perspective to help them better understand.

Career students want relevancy and application of the course material into their personal life and their professional life. Most career students enroll in college to learn new skills, earn a promotion or move into a new career field. However, career students want "the nuts and bolts" of the course so they can relate that to real world applications. It is also crucial for the instructor to draw upon student life experiences to reinforce this relevancy and application of course content.

I think it is motivating to see both relevancy and application because it demonstrates the use of both types of memory, semantic and episodic. I teach general education courses and it is sometimes a challenge to apply what I teach to specific field. I think it is a good idea to suggest "we are citizens of the world", and though different and new knowledge gained may not directly help one with specific career goals, the practice of thinking and problem solving beyond one's box will spill over into one's work.

It is very important for adult learners to find relevence in teir courses. They differ from "school aged" learners in that you cant fool them into doing something. If they cant find relevence in a particular section, they begin to wonder why they ever decided to come back to school. Why work so hard to learn something that dosent seem important?

It is motivating for students to see the relevancy and application of what they are learning because it provides them with the satisfaction of having the knowledge to learn the instruction and apply what was learned. This motivates the student to want to add more knowledge and/or skill. The motivation becomes a "Feel Good" factor for the student, thus making them "hungry" for more knowledge to "feel good".

Dr.Meers and Scott, I agree that Scott is describing a true 'win/win' dynamic. I too have experienced the joy and challenges of life long learning and I hope to keep on keeping on. Imparting this joy for learning to the students is what I love about teaching. It's never too late to learn, especially if the subject matter is relevant not only to their lives and careers but also to the people they work with, such as the patients in healthcare. Thank you.

I share personal stories about my experiences of treating patients in my own private practice and relate it to what I am teaching my students. It keeps them motivated to continue to learn knowing what I am teaching is seen in the "real world" and not just information from a textbook.

It is motivating to enhance understanding for application and relevance to elminate students feeling they are wasting time.

As the students in my class achieve different levels of learning their new skill, they become excited about their entry into the work place. They will be recognized as an entry level inspector. With knowledge of the inspection rules they have confidence to make great strides in their field.

Hi Norman,
Great to hear the good words about this module. This is what professional development is all about. No matter how long we have been teaching there is always something to learn and instructional delivery to expand. Keeping making an impact on the lives of your students.
Gary

I teach a course in Basic Math and Dosage Calculation to Med Assistant, Pharmacy Tech, and Surgical Tech students.

On the surface there is no question about the relevancey in general terms. However, there are nuances on rules of administering medication that may not be patently obvious to everyone. It is here I discovered that finding real world examples and drawing on student life experience as care givers can really demonstrate the need for the particular rules. We can also debunk many myths people have about medication that can result in dangerous practices.

This module reinforced many of the techniques I am using in my class and suggested some things I can look at.

Student have a tendency to give up if they fail to see the full value of what they are learning, in a timely format. Instructors who motivate students aid them in seeing the value of what they are learning, even if they have not yet reached the "light bulb" moment.

By using practical real-life experiences that you can relate to your students will motivate them. If you are working in the computer lab, just as an example explain to them the importance of remember how to apply your skills. How this can impress your boss, and how this can motivate your boss to advance you in your job.

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