It is motivating for students to see the relevancy and application of what they are learning because it gives them meaning behind what they are doing and learning. Knowing that what a student is learning applies to the end result of working towards their career goal is very motivating. It excites them to know that they are actually being prepared for their future.
When they are able to apply or see relevance, they are more likely to retain the information. People don't want to feel as though they are wasting their time learning meaningless information they will never use. It feels like wasted energy. If they see the application, they find merit in the material.
Hi Lori,
This is what "connecting the dots" for students is all about. You are taking a subject area, history and making it come alive for them. This is what application and relevancy is all about. Great job.
Gary
Students need to see that what they are learning can be applied to their everyday lives or they will view learning the content as an exercise in futility.
Since I teach history, I feel it is important to tie current events to the era I am teaching. Point students in the direction of new books or publications on a subject or simply relate current events to a similar historical event means a lot.
Lori
Adult learners want and need to see relevancy in learning otherwise they lose interest very fast. They have many things going on in life and they are usually involved in education less for the fact of getting an education and more for applying what they are learning directly to a situation that they can measure beneficial.
It is motivating for all students because application takes learning to the next step of integrating it to the real world.
Hi Matt,
Thanks for this inspiring comment. This is what keeps us coming back to the classroom day after day. An "Ah-ha" moment lifts everyone's spirits and increases the motivation of other students.
Gary
When students see that their is a use in the real world for the skill sets they are learning they become enthusiastic about their application. In addition, when they apply a newly learned skill and have success, even minor success, there is great satisfaction and excitement about their new found abilities. It is the "Ah Ha". One of my favorite moments is watching that moment expressed non-verbally by a student. Priceless!
I agree. As I learn new material, I need to see how it relates to my life. Why should I expect my students to be any different?
Hi Earl,
Good call letters for the radio stations of success. Thanks for sharing them with us.
Gary
WIIFM and WDIC - What's in it for me and Why do I care? When students understand why they need your knowledge and how they can incorporate it in their work,they are motivated to listen and learn.
People in general retain knowledge when it is relevant to their goals, experience, career etc. Being able to apply it in the near future really helps make a connection to real life and motivates them to seek more knowledge. For example, if they learn how to write a better resume for job applications, a student will be more likely to return to the class to find out more practical ways to enhance themselves as job applicants.
I put myself in the students place. Did I want to learn something I was never going to use. The answer to that question is no. I had no intention of learning something and retaining the knowledge if it was not going to leave the classroom or ever get used again. For example, in my current job I do not use algebra. This was a class that was hard for me to stay focused on. I learned the items I needed for each test. When that class was over I tried to forget everything I learned. However, on the other hand, when I learned something new about a Microsoft application I was able to grasp this. One of the main reasons is I had to utilize it on a daily basis. I strongly believe the more you utilize something the better the grasp a student will have on the subject and be more motivated to learn it.
I think it is motivating for students to see the relevancy and application of what they are learning because they may be more inclined to apply course content in a larger variety of contexts resulting in greater retention.
This being a caree college students have come to learn a career. They are more motivated to learn if they can see the knowledge is valuable for success.
Hi Erin,
I agree with you. This is what "connecting the dots" is all about for students. They need to see application and relevancy in their studies. By showing them both of these things you will be able to keep their focus on course completion.
Gary
In my opinion, if a student cannot relate the subject matter to ever being used in their career, they will lose interest in the subject matter and have an I don't care attitude. They like to relate the subject to real life experiences.
Adult learners in particular want to learn information that they can immediately see value in. If they learn something that is applicable in their current job, or positions them for a promotion they will be more vested in the learning process.
Students are encouraged that what they are learning is actually important and will be used in their professional career when they are shown the relevancy and application of those skills soon after they have aquired them. Many of us sat through public school wondering why we were learning certain subjects that we would "never use in the real world".
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your comments about making course content relevant to and for all learners. Your last sentence says it all. We need to take the extra step to explain the value of our course content to our students so they see how this knowledge can be transferred to other settings.
Gary
I totally agree with this. As a teacher of Keyboarding and MS Office, I can constantly talk about instances where I have been called upon to use the skills I am teaching my students in my various employment. That helps them know that those skills really do apply in a work/career settiing. My sharing of my experiences, brings out the desire for students to share what they are learning in class and how they have actually been able to use some of those skills in their day-to-day employment or even in just their personal lives. This keeps the students motivated, because they see the skills as something they can go out and use immediately, right after they have been exposed to it and practiced it. They don't have to wait to finish the their program or even the class to be able to apply their new knowledge. It is fun to see their enthusiasm this way.
