The course is designed as a guideline of instruction. Each student has specific reasons for choosing this course, and with that, envisioned goals. Working within the guidelines of the course, it is important to address these goals and possibly open new ideals and direction that students were not aware of prior to this course.
I teach Anatomy and Physiology to first module students studying to become allied health professionals. I tell them that all your courses are important but by far this is THE MOST important course. I often pose a clinical case scenario in which a patient may ask them the location of a body part in relation to the patient's disease. I stress to them that building patient trust is the most essential part of a clinical encounter. One can only achieve this through the mastery of the knowledge of the human body. After this scenario the students are usually sold by day one.
To show relevancy of a course, from the very first class, I make sure I am referring to the field and how what we are discussing relates. I also show how that course coincides with other courses that they have taken or will take in the future. I remind them, by the time they graduate, it will all come "full circle" and make sense how everything they learn is necessary.
Hi James (Jim),
Come up with a presentation for Day 1 so that your students fully understand why they need to know the basics of math as it applies to their personal life. Make them see the BIG picture from the very beginning, Day 1. Never give the opportunity to question, "Why they need the course?"
Patricia Scales
Most of the courses I teach are communications subjects, and some of the students do not see the utility of improving their English, let's say. I show real-life examples of how poor communications/English can keep students from being hired, much less advance in their career.
As a doctor, I am able to use past experiences as examples and teach students why they need to know certain things.
Everything that is taught in the course is relevant to what they may experience or encounter in the work field. Each day we experiment with different ways to show relevancy of course content as it applies to the field of study. As we cover course content we supplement the material with lab activities that apply to the subject, research case studies or roll play situations that may be encountered while working in the career field.
This is very easily accomplished in my career - Cooking. The relevance of hard skills, and soft skills can be reenforced through relating personal experiences, and utilizing guest speakers to "Back Me up".
I always show real-world examples...either ones I have created or that others have created...to show relevancy for the course. I do have the one challenge, though, where the students have majors that don't lend themselves to using the software I am teaching. I have to come up with the relevancy knowing that, once they have graduated and are working in the field, they will never, ever use that particular program again.
Juanito:
When I was going to school I did the same thing to my students. I told them how I have had instructors that you want to meet them in the parking lot. :) I also let them know that I understand the stress of homework, especially when they are balancing family and school, I would give suggestions about how to complete assignments when they have children, example I said to one student sit down at the table with your homework, while your children are doing homework, and they will think it is so "neat" that Mommy or daddy is doing homework.
This course will continue to help me to engage students in their learning. When I notice that the student is not participating in the discussion board I send them an email to let them know that I have missed their responses. When I grade their assignments I explain the reason for their grade and encourage them they can do this. When I grade a students paper that I feel is really good I give them praise.
The ways to show my students the relvancy of this course? For the online student; when I see the lack of participation in discussion board, I usually send them and e-mail to ask them if everything is ok? this shows that I am showing interest in them as a person, as well as, a student. When I grade their assignments I give positive feed back," when their paper does not meet the requirements for full points, I do reference this, as well as some thing that will encourage them to give a little more of themselves.
Providing real work examples help to establish the relevancy of the topic about to be discussed. For example: an understanding of labs is required in order to adjust mechanical ventilator settings....
I generally try to take the subject area content and relate it to their current work, home, and school environments. This increases the relevance of the course and shows how key components are necessary to be learned and utilized in the course.
When we embark on a new topic I usually give an example of how the coming lesson will impact real work activity. In essence, I give an example how the information to be learned was applied while actually performing the job. It is more effective if I am able to provide how this information made things better or avoided problems etc.
by applying the material given to real life example that they can relate to.
Thanks for your comments about "training the mind to think logically and solve (non-mathematical) problems as a major attribute that employers seek". I will incorporate this technique in my Fundemetals of Math class.
I am a relatively new teacher in a two-year certificate program. I have been able to use my 40+ years of personal experiences in accounting and management successfully in my various accounting classes. I have been able to bring excitement to the class as I have worked overseas for a number of years in some very remote locations.
My challendge is from the fact that I got "volunteered" to teach Fundementals of Math" (aka: remdial math). As an accountant and business man, I find it very difficult to "turn on" students to math when their attitude is "why do I need to learn this? I can do it on the calculator or computer."
I taught the subject last term. It was a major struggle. I voluteered to teach it again this term to try and apply some of what I learned last term . . . but it is still very difficult to get many of my students interested in the class.
Any suggestions?
I agree students love for the instructor to give life experiences while teaching and to also relate the course material to these experiences.
Regardless of the subject a student is being taught, highlighting the relevancy of a course content I strongy believe offers an advantage.
That would go for both the instructor teaching it and student who is learning. Reason is simple because it gives students higher motives in acknowledging the need to study and do well in the course.
