We teach students critical thinking by using real world scenarios requiring them to come up with a comprehensive plan of action - they then present their plans to their classmates for critique.
Hi Cherie,
Practical learning is very interesting to students because they know this is what they will encounter in the real world.
Patricia Scales
Hi Laura,
Students love to have fun while learning. Students tend to retain more when learning is made fun.
Patricia Scales
When teaching oral pathology, I will put a picture up and ask the students to call out all of the possibilities of a differential diagnosis. We, as a group, proceed to discuss each of the possibilities and each student will offer their own input/ knowledge of that topic. This form of active learning has really helped the students apply the course content practically when they are seeing patients in the clinic.
One activity I use is putting students into two groups and having each group create a game based on the material. The class as a whole plays both games.
Hi Evangeline,
I love the reverse learning. Students feel more at ease when they have the answer and they just need to find out how the answer derived.
Patricia Scales
Hi I am a medical coding instructor and give the students the coding answers however they have to work in reverse and tell how was that answer derived. This answers the student's question of why or how this is the correct code.
Hi Michael,
I like how you get your students involved in this process by allowing them to tell/show what they have been taught.
Patricia Scales
hello patricia scales, working in the automatic transmission feild many times i use the questions about gear sets to find how do i come in from the engine then move thru the clutchs and at the same time allowing them to tell, and show me how and where to go as if we were inside the working parts of the trans. this gets there minds in tune with the operation and funtions of what there learning.
Hi Suzanne,
Super excercise to get all involved in the learning process. Students like it when learning is applicable to the real world.
Patricia Scales
I am a veterinary technology instructor. For our husbandry course, the students have to learn basic animal handling techniques. After I go over the basics, I stress to the students that not every animal follows the rules. I give them a scenario of an aggressive animal or difficult to handle animal and their group has to come up with a way to approach that animal that would provide the most protection for everyone (animal included). Then their classmates have to evaluate how effective their idea would be in a real life situation.
Hi Tenisha,
This is certainly learning as it applies to the real world. I can see how students fully understand the benefit of this project. This is a very practical project to promote great learning.
Patricia Scales
At my school, in the course for which I am teaching, we have the students participate in a group project that last for 5 weeks. We as instructors guide the groups as they complete a business proposal for a fictitious event involving a food service establishment of their choosing. They have to create and research everything from location and company name, to costing and production schedules for the day of the event. This project helps the students to create a blueprint that they can use in the future when they cater events. It requires them to think and document every minuet detail to insure the success of their event. Students upon completion of this project have a better understanding an appreciation of making and producing food for clients. Also working knowledge of event planning and execution.
I teach in medicine, so therefore critical thinking is key. Role play is excellent to get the students prepared for patient experiences and the proper procedure done. They also seem to have a lot of fun doing it.
I teach Culinary Arts. I developed an activity where the students need to write a weekly work schedule for their staff. They are given specific instructions about which employees work part time, how many hours can be worked before there is overtime, who is on salary, which days are busiest and how that affects scheduling, etc. The students then break into small groups and work out a schedule. I provide a schedule graph that has the dishwashers pre-scheduled so that the students can see the format and fill in the necessary shifts. The students LOVE the activity because they get to debate and reason with each other, and move the cooks around like puzzle pieces until the whole picture fits. Then one representative presents the schedule for the group in front of the class, and gives reasons for the scheduling choices. I finish by showing on a screen my choices for scheduling, and giving the reasons why. This activity allows for the discussion of overtime and how it affects profits, the dangers of overscheduling people and how it affects productivity, and a host of other topics. Overall, it also gives the students a sense of perspective about the difficulties of creating schedules, and I hope it gives them pause the next time they casually ask their boss for a weekend off during the busy season!
Every term I assign a project where students have to create a dish based on the skills that have been taught to date in the term. I ask them to formulate a concept and then we go over how best for them to accomplish what they have imagined. This forces the students to actrively utilize the information pertinent to the course I teach.
I agree that students will engage better when completely involved in a activity
In a culinary arts class, you can elect a "sous chef" as well as other roles that allow students to actively engage in the adminstrative aspects of the class. Further, "restaurant fire" exercises allow students to actively turn the classroom in to a restaurant for the evening - this is one of the most engaging exercises that we run.
Hi Kelli,
Letting students resolve issues is a sure way to promote critical thinking. Students will amaze you with their thought process.
Patricia Scales
In radiographic procedures, I give the students chapter specific situations to work through and solve. One student is the patinet, one student is the technologist, and the third student is the director. Through role-playing and discussion, the students are able to come up with the best resolution to the situation.
