Heterogeneous classrooms
Due to the vast difference between adult and younger students, does anyone have any concrete tactics for very age diverse classrooms?
I often find myself teaching a class with an age grouping of 18 to 60, and tactics appropriate for one side of the spectrum are not for the other. For example, I generally give older students a lot more tasks that require outside learning and initiative. Younger students often find themselves confused by the lack of directions, but the freedom to learn and explore is exactly what the older learners thrive on.
One possibility is to provide assignments with clear outlines that have optional content, but I feel that for the younger students I would just be better off assigning all the content.
If anyone else has tactics that they employ, I would love to hear them.
~John
Hi Richard,
I concur! The older student can learn from the younger student, and the younger student can learn from the older student. It is certainly a win-win situation for everyone.
Patricia Scales
That is an excellent question, and one that is similar to dealing with differences in ability and skill level. I find that group tasks facilitate cooperative learning with students of varying ages. While older students often complain that younger students might adversely affect their grade if they do not "pull their weight," the younger students can teach older students skills that they did not learn earlier in school, such as technology. The younger students can learn about organizational strategies that older students have developed in the workplace. It definitely can be a win-win situation.
Hi Cassandra,
I concur! Our younger generation certainly needs to understand that in the workplace, they are going to be expected to perform. We need to teach our students as much as we can about work ethic. Nothing but good comes from hard work.
Patricia Scales
I also have a very age diverse classroom. I found after much trial and error that regardless of the age, all the material needs to be assigned. Although older students enjoy it more, the younger ones benefit from it more because it teaches them to go above and beyond, and this is what gets them better than average results. It's almost like a nudge to act a little more maturely than they otherwise would.
Hi John,
I use a lot of technology in my classes since this is the wave of the future, of course, the younger generation loves it. I have found that the older generation is just as excited because they understand the importance of technology to society.
Patricia Scales
