The task of keeping the material interesting and relevant to the different levels of students is challenging. I will usually introduce the subject material, relate some personal experiences, and see if anyone in the class has experiences to share. This usually breaks the ice especially for starting on the basics. Then I will progess into the more difficult and challenging material a little bit at a time. Sometimes we will go out to lab and I will demo a task and then assign groups or teams to repeat a similar task and make it like a game. Once I can see which students are more proficient I can team them with some of the students that may need some help. I try to stress a good team strategy so that all the groups have some balance.
This can be a very challenging issue especially since we only have a group of students for three weeks and only about one week of lab.The way I try to handle this is to offer help to anyone who is stuggling after class.In the lab I try to give the more advaced groups extra tasks to do including helping the groups that may be struggling to get their labs completed. By using the more advanced students to help the others the struggling students get to benefit from peer mentoring which is usually very successful.
Hi Kenneth:
As I alluded to in an earlier post, your personal time (before and after class) is a treemendous opportunity to advance students' performance, and gives you an opportunity to work on personal relationships.
Regards, Barry
Hi Terry:
Great. Peer tutorial or mentoring can be an effective tool. Students sometimes are more open to their classmates, even though they respect and learn from their instructor. Doesn't matter in one sense, as learning the material is the thing thats important.
Regards, Barry
Hi Bernard:
Good solid instructional activity. I like that you're willing and able to learn where your students are. To me, that demonstrates a caring instructor.
Regards, Barry
What I like to do is present basic material in a way so that my inexperienced student is learning from the basics up, and my advanced student is getting info from a different perspective than he is used to seeing. A certain amount of creativity is needed to be able to accomplish this, but the results are quite good!
Also, helping the less skilled student before and after class can go a long way toward maintaining the class on a fairly even keel.
If I notice a student with a little less experience I will spend more time with that student to make sure that they are understanding to information that is presented to them. I will also asign them to a lab group with more experience so they can learn from their piers.
Hi Clayton:
You've found a good way to address the differences in learning speed. Another varitation is to give say, 5 sample questions or situations. The slower students will only be expected to comlete one or two, while the more advanced students may complete all of the questions. If thats the case, theres no reason they can't be asked to assist the slower students either. They'd probably be flattered.
Regards, Barry
Hi Douglas:
Good use of your more experienced students. Often, students can learn quite a lot from their student peers. So much so, it would not be unwise to actually plan some time for this style of learning, even when its not needed because we're busy.
Regards, Barry
I always do a basic introduction of the subject. Through questioning I can get a good feel of where the knowledge level is. I will allow the students to work in groups of different levels so they can help each other. As the more experienced students clarify to the less experienced it reaffirms what they know. This will bring the class together, and move it along.
I know some students come with experience or just catch on to what was taught very easy. I share the same information with everyone during class but those who are going to be idle during class or lab because they have caught on or finished, I like to just throw out a scenario or a question that would take some thinking. That way those who have advanced quicker can be occupied but also be applying themselves to continue learning. This also provides time to focus on those still having questions.
I enjoy having people with experience in my classes, because I use them to work with the other students. When I'm out in lab I'm spread pretty thin sometimes, and it's nice to have guys with tire shop experience to help out. With beginning students I make sure I'm explaining things at a level they can understand, and building their skills throughout the course.
Hi William:
What you've described is essentially a grading rubric, something like a table that explains how and what it will take to earn a certain grade. MOst rubrics are comprehensive, but they don't have to be. Simple ones work wel, too.
Regards, Barry
Hi Anthony:
Regrouping students from their comfor zone is a challenge, especially for adults. They sit where they want because thats where they like it.
None-the-less, breaking into different groups can be an effective learn ing tool. Perhaps, an instructor can selct different topics, then randomly have students assigned to the "topic" (rather than the group. In this way, they will free to participate within their comfort zone easier.
Regards, Barry
I start out the course explaining to the students what it takes to get each grade level in the course. If you want an A this is what it takes a B this is what it takes a C and so on. There will be those that will strive for each area and an A is achievable for every student if they work hard in class and lab. For those at the top of the scale so to speak use them to help the other students, give them more difficult tasks to get the same lab assignment done, other items of this nature helps the top tier student stay engaged when the material is written at the average student level. For the students who struggle be proactive in creating additional short projects breaking up the major project into smaller steps allowing them to complete each task and succeed.
Yes changing up the groups gives the group the chance to have different points of view from different people and how they think.
Hi Kenneth:
Yes! And it's a proven method you've decribed for students to learn. The "student-speak" makes for a more comfortable (or less threatening) learning setting too. The bigget part of the success is that students are engaging in their learning - participants in their own success!
Regards, Barry
I like to ask questions in the begining of the course. This gives me a general understanding to the student expierence. I like to partner the more seasoned students with the students that may be not as expierenced. This style tends to allow the student with less experience to increase their knowledge while confiming the more expirenced students skill level. Both studnets grow from thsi style instruction.
Hi Bill:
Student coaching, (mentoring, tutoring, assisting) is a very effective method of engaging students in their learning. Mixing this technique up with other instructional strategies should produce great student learning outcomes.
Regards, Barry
i try to team up students so they can work with each other and help or coach each other along. i find that by telling them that they are all different in learning methods and capabilities and that they can also learn from each other as well as me, they relax a little and dont worry as much about each other or competing with each other. i base my grades on eash individuals ability and work, and as a team.
