Making field trips and guest speakers a part of instruction
What are the benefits students get from taking field trips and listening to guest speakers?
Field trips can help the student see how all of the knowledge they are obtaining will actually be used in the career/real world environment. Also sometimes doing a field trip to a cite that is indirectly related to their career field can help them connect the dots. I have had medical assisting students go to a emergnecy 911 call center to see what happens if they have to call 911 and have a patient transferred to the hospital. What kind of information is the 911 operator needing, and what information are they not needing at that point in time. I find this helps them see things from a different perspective.
In hospitality management, field trips are valuable because they allow the students to see the operations from behind the scenes. Another strategy that I use is an on the job externship which is a one day trial where they work as a regular employee for 8 hours. I like this approach because doing the job will give the student another perspective on the career field and or company and that will help solidify their decision making.
I believe taking the students on field trips makes them understand their major alot better..it makes them question is this for me. The guest speaker can share their experience with them. Maybe, by explaining the pros and cons.
I like to use it as a tool to help students see the variety of places they can work once they complete their training. So often students think they can only do one thing or work in one type of place. Field trips and guest speakers allow them to see the variety.
Guest speakers and field trips can help students gain an appreciation for the relevance of what they are learning in the classroom by hearing about or seeing how this information is used in the "real world."
Since we are preparing student for entry level positions in the manufacturing industry, we try to incorporate both new and veterans from the industry as guest speakers. This allows the student an opportunity to see the perspective from both ends of the career field . This in turn gives the student an starting point impression as well as a goal to reach.
Larissa,
I've found these can be among the most motivational experiences, memorable for a lifetime.
Barry Westling
I think field trips and having a guest speaker are beneficial to students because they can learn many things from visiting a work site that they may have not been introduced to and by having a guest speaker they can put different aspects into prospective.
Jean,
Great! This demonstrates the power some learning methods have.
Barry Westling
Rosalie,
Yes, and activities that motivate students have lasting and memorable results.
Barry Westling
I am a new instructor and used the expertise of a guest speaker very successfully. His enthusiasm for his field showed. He taught the subject matter using a simile that helped the students understand the topic. They even kept him through their break!
Definitely any activity has to be planned with a purpose. The field trips definitely help make the students focus more on their areas of interest.
The students get to see how things work in the field of their study instead of just hearing about it.
Reanna,
This has been my experience as well. I think it's cool when students are interested in asking questions on their own without prompting by an instructor.
Barry Westling
Students benefit in field trips and speakers in a variety of ways. 1. It gets the student out of the class room, and that excites them. 2. They get to hear other experiences, not just their instructors. Guest speakers are great because it gives the students to ask questions, and get a more diverse answer.
Margaret,
Great! I think any activity that engages students and gets them to willingly listen and participate is extremely worthwhile.
Barry Westling
We use both to enhance our student's learning. The speakers we have come in are given insight into topics they may want to cover while they are here. Field trips that we take often give students "hands-on" experience with people they may someday find in their workplaces. It can make their student experience "real".
Brandi,
Great! The beauty of the field trip is this exact outcome: energized and motivated students!
Barry Westling
Kevina,
The ability to ask questions of good guest speakers has been a huge success for me. Students are often quite bold and unintimidated asking questions -- and the responses often inspire.
Barry Westling
