Diana,
I agree. That is why it is important that instructors take advantage of professional development opportunities, that can be used to keep them current in their fields.
Tremayne Simpson
You cannot ethically send out students who have learned outdated material. It is important to remain current.
I tech nursing which means the standards for this profession must be adhered to and studnts must know their scope of practice. There are not only legal and ethical issues to consider, the studnets must also know this information to practice safely and pass their stste boards.
George,
I agree. In addition, it is important that school resources (Library, learning centers, etc.) are constantly revised and that new acquisitions are made to keep pace with industry standards.
Tremayne Simpson
It's my job as an IT instructor to get my students motivated enough to get their IT certifications. Since the IT field is in a constant state of flux, our texts and equipment tend to become dated very quickly. Therefore, it's important to use field standards to append class content and study plans in order to keep students up to date with the newest technologies.
As far as career education, the standards let you know what is necessary for, not only to do the job, but what may be necessary for liscensing, employment and/or promotion. If you don't rely on these standards, there is an excellent chance that your course will not prepare your students for what they are there to acomplish.
The state examination is mandatory to the student's career so you have to incorporation the necessary material for success. There is no way to "teach towards the test" since there are at least six exams students can be certified in and the test bank covered a wide range of questions. So you have to incorporation both teaching methods: how to pass the exam and information related to the field.
Andrea ,
Do you ever feel that you have to "teach towards the test"? If not, what are some of the methods that you use, to provide your students with a unique learning experience? I am aware that students can become "disenchanted" when they feel that they are only learning about "how to pass an exam".
Tremayne Simpson
In my field, ultrasound, the students have to take a standardized state board examination upon completion of the course in order to be eligible for employment. Therefore the field standard has to be reflected in the course content. Also the school is essentially the most important training ground. Prospective employers expect graduates to be competent enough to start working with little on the job training.
I totally agree. Not only must we teach content, and clinical applications, but must include functionality in the process. Students dont always understand the differences in class and practice.
The accrediting body for my college program offers very specific standards to maintain accreditation and ensure graduates are leaving the program with the appropriate entry-level skills necessary. Without these standards, the accrediting agency would not have the ability to evaluate each program in a consistent fashion and the graduates of these programs would be learning random skills based on the instructors likes and abilities instead of accreditation standards.
In the culinary field our students must leave our school with some entry level understanding of how a professional kitchen runs. They may be very 'green' but they need to be able to move quickly and bring back the correct vegetables/pot/spice etc when asked. The industry demands it.
Working with industry partners and understanding their needs in new technology, standards, regulations, etc. helps us better prepare our students for placement and career success.
It is important to use field standards as guidelines when selecting course content to insure that the material covered is relevant and up-to-date. This will then help students be prepared to enter their field upon graduation.
This keeps the course relavant to what is actually happening in the world at large.
It is important to use the standards for mulitple reasons I didn't see addressed elsewhere in these discussions. First, certifications are based on the standards. We are doing an injustice to our students if they are paying for courses that are teaching incorrect standards and procedures. This can also be dangerous and open the institution as well as the instructor up for liability issues. One of the college level courses I teach is Scuba Diving. Great example of liability and danger if not taught according to the latest industry standards. Second, the students must understand the standards to function in an industry or career field. I'm sure there are lots of other reasons, but teaching the stanard is simply teh moral, ethical and legal thing to do,
To show the student the way to apply what you are lecturing about.
We need to make sure we focus on what is important
In our school setting we have a syllabi to outline the beginning to the end result of what students need to obtain through each course taken. This is a tremendous help in giving us a beginning goal to the end of the quarter goal for our students. I have all of my lessons planned out for each class from beginning to the end of each quarter. If for any reason a substitute is needed, the lesson, lecture notes, study guides, etc.... are ready and waiting for them.
I agree that what we teach should be what is expected in the industry. We need to make things relevant for the students and what they need to know when they get out and work.
