As a new instructor this is my biggest challenge. I am comfortable in front of the class, believe I can manage the class, but even when I am over prepared, (or what I believe to be) There's sometimes more class at the end of lecture. I'v tried the "physical" things slowed down my speech, reviewed workbook lessons , given vocabulary exercises, etc. etc,. We have class for four hours, sometimes it seems twice as much. Any suggestions will be appreciated!
Hi John:
I think a good education always includes the need to know and the nice to know. Our experience has broght us to the classroom, and we didn't get that experience from a book. So the students can't either. Dynamic classes and great teachers provide a mixture of topic- specific material that incorporates personal, professional, academic, and job-related information in a delivery style that is interesting and enjoable, making for a comprehensive experience.
There are many ways to meet course objectives. the more varied the instructional techniques, and the more involved students are in their own learning will contribute to their success in learning the required information.
Regards, Barry
First thing I do when I have been given a new class to teach is to set aside need to know information and nice to know information. My learning objectives for the class will always contain the need to know items. And it is to these nice to know items that I will deliver as time and class participation and expertise dictates.
Hi Maureen:
Where SLO's are the "goal" of each class, your daily or course objectives provide the daily plan of action. I might suggest you look at each objective and think about how many different ways a particular objective could be met. For instance: group discussion, lecture, PPT, Q and A, video or DVD's, overhead slides, etc.
The purpose is to make sure the objectives are met. So, repeating or using multiple methods is OK. An additional comment is to try to incorporate student participation in as many activities as possible: active vs passive instruction. I think the more involved the students are in their instruction will provide improved student outcomes and information retention.
Regards, Barry
I use the institution's SLOs for each course. However one course I have is such dense info I hesitate to load up too much each session. Consequently, my class finishes in half the time allotted. I need some ideas on how to extend the sessions.
Hi Wayne:
Your college has adopted a good model for providing both a variety of learning methods and activities, and also for allowing the instructor to choose what they feel will teach the material the best way.
Regards, Barry
Every class moves through material at a different pace. At our college, we have required activities and suggested activities. The suggested activities allow for additional reinforcement of the material presented. These often include case studies, games, and group exercises. There are several to choose from and I try to pick the one that will reinforce the information the class is having the most problem understanding.
Hi Russell:
Great! Using a variety of texts on the same subject offer a more comprehensive viewpoint for instructors. Peer review journals and articles are very timely and usually reflect the state of the art in most professions. I think these also contribute to building better critical thinking skills.
Regards, Barry
Instead of relying on one text book, I like to use several text books from different publish dates to find content that is relevant, changed, or controversial. I also like to look at peer reviewed literature that is published within the last two years. Finally, I focus on content that will be used as test questions for the National Board of Respiratory Care exams.
Hi Rufus:
Great. Sounds very organized and methodical. Sufficiency can also mean adequate learning resouces, lab equipment, building and facilities ready, back up plans, and profession-specfic activities.
Regards, Barry
I make an outline using the Terminal Course Objectives to break the course into manageable sections. Once I have these sections mapped to the number of class periods, I develop several lesson plans (Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced). I spend first day evaluating the class to see which lesson plan I will use on a given day. I have found that each class will vary on which plan I use each day. I sometimes need to shift to a different plan in the middle of the class period. In most instances, I move to a more advanced plan except after a holiday weekend where it is necessary to drop to the basic plan or even reduce the amount covered in the basic plan.
Hi Stephen:
Keeping students current using the internet, journals, newspapers, even stories and resports from their school activities can all be informative and useful learning strategies.
Regards, Barry
Hi Susan:
If you can keep students interested and it's realted to their course of study, then I think any form of media that realtes to the course objectives is suitable (as long as it's legal!).
Regards, Barry
Hi Gretchen:
Sticking to the Student learning objectives and daily course objectives should also help in selcting the kinds of resources and delivery media you want for a class.
Regards, Barry
Hi Ellen:
Having moe than is needed can help, especially in a new course or early on in the term. Relying on the Student learning objectives (SLO's) and daily course objectives should help choose the delivery, media, and resoruces needed to meet the objectives.
Regards, Barry
Dr. A:
You've probably found that sufficiency varies and you use the resource(s) that best match the need of the institution and students. It's great to be able to have some lattitude in how you want your delivery.
Regards, Barry
This depends on the university that I am teaching for. One university pre writes the course content and I simply teach from their syllabus and case studies. A second school allows me to write my content based on a text book that they provide. First time through, I follow the flow of the book. Second time through I rewrite the content based on previous experiences with the same class
one shouls always have material that exceeds the time requirements for class. Course content should be sufficient to not only prepapre students for employment but also include the material and information they need to pass certification exams.
For me it is knowing what they are going to be tested on and add some real life scenarios for good measure. That way the test areas are covered and also anything they may come across in the field. I cross reference that with all books used. It gives me lots of material.
Because my classes are online, if each class moves quickly, I can spend time at the end to surf the web for more info and sites that are applicable to the course material. Students enjoy this break from regular class activities.
