Hi Miriam,
Hands-on activities are a big hit with students. They love the lab portion of various courses.
Patricia Scales
Hi Therese,
This is a great variation to lecture when pertaining to drug classifications. I even know of some instructors that allow their students to do project on drug classifications.
Patricia Scales
Hi Patricia,
I want to encourage my students to really participate and grasp the concepts in our medical assisting program. Would having them discuss select powerpoint slides and asking them to demonstrate the procedures together help?
I also want to find better ways to have them help demonstrate terminology and think that having them use certain terms in demonstrated sentences in class could help.
Look forward to your feedback.
Nadh M.
After completing each objective in the lecture, my students will break up into small groups of two or three and perform a short hands-on activity or discuss a case study.
When I teach drug classifications, I generally lecture. Instead of me giving them all the information on the drugs including actions, side effects, pt consideration, etc. I could have the students use the drug reference guides and pick different groups to look up the above and present to class followed by discussion then fill in "skeleton" lecture notes.
Hi Linda,
I like how you have the other students critique their classmates. This is a win-win situation for everyone.
Patricia Scales
Hi Jane,
I like how you have your students ease into their presentational skills. Small successes help with big successes.
Patricia Scales
Active learning is a large part of EMS education. It is essential that students be actively involved in their learning, otherwise they will lack the skill proficiency needed to be successful. A large part of the program is hands-on learning that requires each student to watch, coach, and practice the specific skills needed to provide emergency care. Student success is constantly monitored and reinforcement is given as needed not only by the instructor but by teammates as well. In EMS, active learning leads to student success.
During my lectures I encourage students to ask questions and bring personal experience into the lecture. I also ask questions throughout the lecture, which often helps to get discussions started. I often have students work in small groups and later present the information to the class. They start out seated, as a group, and eventually will present in the front of the class. They seem to like this progression and it helps give them some adjustment time and gain confidence before being thrown in front of the class.
Hi Jaime,
I like how you changed things to make the learning more interesting and apply to the real world. Students tend to remember more when they are involved in the learning process.
Patricia Scales
Hi Courtney,
Try making the yeast part active as well to generate some excitement in this area.
Patricia Scales
I teach students how to bake bread and they are involved in active learning when they actually get to make it. The boring part sometimes involves realting the specifics of how yeast works. I think some experiments with yeast would be a good example of how to incorporate active learning. Possibly have them log actitivies and share them with the class.
I had been presenting my blood collecting procedures in all lecture and then trying to have them remember the information when we got to the lab. I was finding that they were forgetting, so I made the lecture a lot more interactive. I got them more involved and pushed them to use critical thinking skills. I ask them what they would do in certain senarios. I also ask them to describe their personal experiences with certain procedures, like getting their blood drawn. I have them discuss good and bad experiences that they may have had themselves. Then they need to think about how they'd act differently.
I show numerous videos in a particular class. These videos coincide with the lecture topic. During and after the lecture I like to ask open ended questions forcing students to relate the topic to their lives. The student answers usually stimulate other comments, and the discussion continues.
Hi Jennifer,
Watching is fine, but students get more out of learning by doing, if the opportunity presents itself. I am sure you demonstrate and then let your students try it.
Patricia Scales
As a culinary arts instructor, most "lectures" in my class are demonstrations. It is easy for students to watch from their seats without really being involved. To help them stay engaged, I will have them come to the stove or table where I am working and help me. For example, when I demonstrate hard rolls I make an extra batch of dough so there is enough for everyone to try shaping them.
Hi Camille,
Great exercise! I also like to use guided notes leaving certain areas blank so that students are forced to listen in order to get the right answers to fill in.
Patricia Scales
Hi Audrey,
I like your effort in trying to be creative! Talk to a seasoned instructors to get other ideas as to how to be creative. Games are a big hit as well, jeopardy, scrabble, bingo, etc.
Patricia Scales
Hi Mike,
It may even be more engaging if your pair students up to present!
Patricia Scales
I have covered the flavor profiles of different cuisines by some class notes that I provide. It might be more active to have each of them research a section of this and them come together and put it all together at once.
