Adding real life experience into the mix of teaching adds to the students learning experience which then exgages them more into the subject matter.
Hi Sara,
I commend you on your efforts to draw out the connections between the academics and career applications. No matter the career effective communication both written and oral is important. The sooner students realize this and develop those skills the quicker they will start to see the benefits of being effective communicators.
Gary
I find that it's also valuable to incorporate group work whenever possible--for we often end up in project groups during the course of our careers. They get this.
I agree with these points... and it also shows that we, as instructors, are constantly reviewing the subject and how it relates to the student's lives--with the students.
I've just started teaching at a post secondary career school... and even if the students have chosen this path--they still rebel a bit against the academics. However, because they're excited about the career track material it is much easier to discuss the academic skills in relation so their career. They're at this school because they want to be and I notice that they really pay attention when I point out the value of literacy or public speaking in their chosen field.
I hope that this also allows them to see themselves as lifelong learners. :)
Keep them involved. Give them the chance to come up with the answers. Lead them to great ideas and concepts that they can feel came from them. Given them authorship in the class content.
I think its important to understand how each student learns best and involve ways for each of the students to succeed. If they are encouraged and told they can do well and learn the subject matter, they will be motivated to have pride and continue learning.
Hi Allana and Gary,
I agree with both of you. We must keep focused on our ultimate goal of having our students realize their dreams by preparing them for both success in their future careers as well as their personal lives.
Hi Denise,
The offering of instruction through a number of different formats is important to keep the students engaged in the learning process. You are doing that with your content so I am sure your students are more involved and interacting with the new knowledge they are acquiring.
Gary
Students are motivated if you consider them valuable to the course and their input in the course. For example, encouraging their knowledge of the course content during discussions motivates students.
The use of different techniques to incorporate into the class to keep it interesting. While the course material may be technical, I think that using different types of media and "hands-on" experiences are helpful in motivating students. Also relevance to their real world experience and how what they learn in the classroom relates to their career goal and life experience.
Denise
I have been working as a clinical instructor and classroom educator for the past 12 months, but I have been in the medical field for the past 25 years. I try to instill the excitement and personal gratification that I still feel each day for my choice of careers. I hope that by showing my continued excitement it will encourage the students to be more motivsted and excited about the course and clinical work we are doing.
1) Show students the real world applicability of course concepts. Students who have an understanding of how what they do in class impacts what they do outside of class will be more motivated to learn.
2) Personalize it. Students have different learning styles and different needs. Taking the time to respond to individual students and recognizing their individual needs is important. If students feel like you genuinely care about their individual learning experience, and if you offer them tips suited to their needs, they are more likely to remain engaged in the classroom.
3) Offer feedback that is both helpful and timely. Offer feedback that students can apply immediately, and that is in manageable chunks so students don't feel overwhelmed. The more students can see how they can immediately improve or immediately get better results, the more likely they are to try and improve. Plus, if you focus on one or two main things to improve on per assignment, students will be less likely to feel overwhelmed and give up.
4) Be excited yourself. If you don't care about the class, why should they?
My students would be motivated about the course if: They know in advance what the objectives are and what is expected for them to learn. They have the opportunities to practice the new skills and knowledge they got. They are challenged with new situation that force them to look for more information. They could land all the theory in a specific case, and see the knowledge applied. The progress is measure during the course of the class and they get feet back of that.
Hi Nicole,
This approach is important because it helps the students to bridge the gap between school and their careers. They start to see application and relevancy to what you are asking them to learn as skill sets.
Gary
I find that it helps motivate my students if I tell them how the course they're taking will help them in their chosen careers.
Try to keep the information that they need to obtain interesting, and to add some personel experiences at times when appropriate
Hi Kevin,
Good strategy. The more you can involve the students the higher the egagement level will be. Making it real and letting them apply their newly acquired knowledge helps to keep them motivated.
Gary
In the courses I am teaching, I found that moving away from the lectures to focusing more on lab and practical application of what they are learning is motivating the students. They get to see the application of what they've learned and it makes learning more interesting for them.
I teach math, and many students are very uncomfortable with the subject. So the way that I motivate students is by encouraging them during each class. I let them know how they are doing, and what the can do to increase their performance. I try to show them real life situations where they can use the math concepts.
Troy
As an online instructor, I think the key to motivating students involves giving frequent, timely positive and constructive feedback. Also, by helping students to find personal meaning and value in the material. And lastly, I think it's important to help students feel that they are valued members of a learning community.
