I use teams to work out solutions to problems relating to class topics. I give a hypothetical problem to the class break up into small teams. Each team is assigned a leader to direct the work. At the end of 10-15 minutes we regroup and discuss solutions to the problem. This method gives ownership to the students of part of the class.

I have had people, including my wife who is also an educator, tell me that I expect too much from my students. How do you tell when you are not only challenging them but asking too much of them?

I have a lot of students who show attributes of both age and disability issues where they are both adult learners and also they had problems when they were in school decades ago. How do all of you handle students who still have the problems they had 30 years ago but have even more complexes about them now?

As a faculty member, when we communicate the CTU mission through our instruction and our actions in our online classroom, we will attract those students who believe in it. Our insight and professionalism will become a two way street for students and their success. The vaculty team will grow as students ebb and flow into CTU and move on in their existence as a professional proficient from their experience we have been a part of, as their instructor.

The students are also looked at as a 'whole person'. They are accepted and channeled into programs that interest them, mold them to acquire a rewarding career, without question of prior grade point, for example.

What strategies do you plan to implement in order to reduce the possibility of cheating and plagiarism in your online course? If an instructor is using threaded discussions, short papers, live chat sessions and other forms of interactive online instruction, it's possible for that instructor to develop a strong sense of an student's writing style and thinking to know if a student has been cheating. In teaching a course, it may be helpful to post some notes on the concept of plagiarism with students. Many students may have only a vague idea of when and how to give references to the words or ideas of others. I think the best prevention for plagiarism is open and detailed discussion with students. Students should be absolutely clear as to the type of material they may and may not use as well as how such material should be cited. Sometimes I have found requiring students to hand in a copy of their rough drafts as well as the final version of a paper to be helpful in controlling the potential for plagiarism. It is also necessary to make clear to students what the course rules are regarding collaboration on assignments. There is wide variation among faculty as to how much collaboration is permitted or encouraged, and this may be confusing to students too.

I'm constantly asking students to let me know how they think the course is going. I ask them what they like, don't like; I ask them to suggest new ways of doing things. My feeling is this helps them to take some ownership in the class and helping to make it better. I usually get great feedback and great ideas from students.

When I teach residentially, I try to call on at least 5 students during each class to help me remember names. I let my students know that I'm not the best at remembering names as I'm learning new ones, but ask that they please be patient and help me. Online, I try to begin each comment or reply with using a student's name.

I have been teaching in the nontraditional adult education environment for over a decade, and I think some things have changed: * The idea of "career change" is less attractive than it once was, particularly in the context of a 'package' of easily-learned classes which will enable the student to start on a high-paying career [IT was the model for this]. * "Adult" comfort with technology has increased greatly -- most people who come to university now have experience with computers and the InterNet. * The development of portable devices enabling instant and constant contact, supported by social networking software, greatly alters the expectations and to some extent, the needs, of people to whom this technology web has become a way of life, and higher educational systems have not [in my experience] done a good job of adapting to this. * The whole concept of "cheating" and what it means to "cheat" had radically changed in an age where what is 'original' may be impossible to determine, and where few people are individually responsible for a product or outcome. I also think some things have not changed: * Certification and the appearance of competence is more important than actually achieving such competence for most of our students. * Ultimately, if 'training' and 'education' are at loggerheads, the former wins. * However necessary critical thinking may be [and I am not arguing that it is not necessary] it is more of an innate ability than something which can be cultivated. * The greatest success comes from the individual who is at the greatest distance from the main current [especially as we define "a good student"]. The problem being that the greatest failure comes from exactly the same thing.

Hello, While I agree with most of the content presented, what I feel this unit failed to address are the "problem" students who can drain instructors or disrupt the class. In reality, an instructor is not going to be able to give the same level of attention to every student in a class of 30+ students. When you add disruptive students, an instrucotrs energy can be drained quickly and they cannot give the attention that is needed to others. My question to the group is: When you have a disruptive student, what are your techniques to making sure they fell welcome in the course along with everyone else?

By using a recognition game that I learned at a seminar years ago, I can memorize student names in the first ten minutes of the first day of class. They are always impressed at what really amounts to no more than a "card trick" and it instantly makes them accountable because I can call on each and every one by name. No one slips through the cracks.

I never would have thought it possible, but not only has my school graduated a blind student with a degree in culinary arts, but the student was well above average. We had to rewrite some curriculum and make a few adjustments, but overall the good far outweighed the difficult.

I often have opportunities to develop my own acronyms for my math classes. Although there are established ones in place, I develop humorous alternative acronyms that normally get a chuckle (or a groan) from the class. A recent acronym was "I View XL Centurions Drinking Milk". This acronym was used to remember the Roman Numerals from 1 through 1,000. At least 50% of the class applied the acronym on their quiz and homework. I then challenge students to develop their own acronyms and share them with the class. The creativity of the students can be quite surprising.

I think this trait is something all instructors should have. I work will several who seem to have none for their style of teaching. Every human being needs empathy - especially in a learning situation. They should not be set up to fail.

This is a very important aspect - especially around mid-term when the students and sometimes instructors start to feel comfortable in class and hit a lull - then it's time to amp it up and REFOCUS!!!

I can tell when I'm enthusiastic about a subject so are my students so I believe 100% that instuctors must be enthusiastic about every aspect of what they are teaching to keep the students enterested

I find that my older studens (30 and above) are more of a challenge. They haven't been in school in years and find it difficult to re-teach themselves to study and learn. They are also the students that question every thing I say - maybe because some of them are older than me. They are very eager to learn but more nervous when it comes to lab skills like drawing blood and giving injections. They do however get all their homework and assignments done when some of the younger students just blow it off - any suggestions?

MY THOUGHT IS TO BE GENEROUS WITH PRAISE AND VERY CAREFUL WITH CRITICISM.EVERYONE NEEDS AN "ATTA BOY" ALMOST DAILY.ONCE THAT COMPLIMENT IS GIVEN ASK THE STUDENT TO SET A NEW GOAL FOR THEMSELVES OR THROW DOWN A CHALLANGE. A GOOD TIME TO DO THAT IS RIGHT AFTER SAYING "JOB WELL DONE."

Hello Class, It is always a challenge for an instructor to make a balance between the Young student group who tend to have fast learning skills and the Adult student group most of whom are tend to slower than the young group. But this can be also a good learning experince for any instructor as well. Anwar (Houston, Texas)

It is always a chllenge to motivate students that do not want to be there.