Clear expectations are essential to see the goal, to interpret the directions to the goal, and avoidance of hazards along the way.
I have a friend who finds no anxiety in waking at 7:00 am with an immediate desire to go on a family vacation. After tossing a few articles of clothing in a bag, grabbing a VISA card, and herding the family into the SUV he heads out for a seven-day trip and finds excitement in the unknown…I cannot and I will not. I also ascribe to the adage, “Life is a journey, not a destination” and I enjoy awe-inspiring surprises; however, my sense of security is diminished without a well-planned itinerary…I prefer to enjoy the journey and the destination. Students have similar expectations. They want to feel secure in: knowing where they’re going, how to get there in a timely fashion without undue fear of potholes and detours, and and the joy of the related rewards.
It is important to provide comprehensive and clear description of the course requirements so there not any confusion about the course the student enrolled. I've been in a college class and after the professor discussed the course requirements, I decided I didn't not have the time to put forth as the class required. It's not fair to the teacher and the student not to share those requirements the first day of class. If not, a few weeks into the class, the students may become frustrated as they were not told of the course requirements and it's too late to drop the class.
Hi Norman,
Good job of laying out the course expectations clearly for the students. This way they know what they are going to have to do to be successful. In addition, the use of the pretest tells them what they have brought to the class in terms of previous knowledge and what they are going to have to work on during the course.
Gary
Dr. Meers,
In many of my classes, the first meeting is vital. I do set student expectations and indicate how they are to be evaluated both verbally and in the syllabus/propectus. Students often expect too much of themselves when first reading the concepts in the text.
Many of the classes I teach deal with concepts that are difficult to grasp initially. To me it is important for the student to know it is not because that they lack anything that they may not understand some of the concepts on first reading. Almost nobody I know gets these concepts on first reading. However, in time, with practice in doing the exercises it will all come.
I want to avoid frustration on the student's part right out of the box.
I also give a pre-test so they know what they have forgotten over the many years out of school or what they may never have learned to begin with. They self grade the pre-test and keep it as a reference.
Hi James,
Good way to connect the dots for the students as they are working through their course sequence. This way they can start to see the value of the courses they are taking and how their career goals can be achieved.
Gary
In Cardiovascular Sonography, students are sometimes unfamiliar with the importance of certain skills and how they fit into a courses objectives. Sharing a comprehensive overview helps show them how the course objectives fit into a logical progression of skills which will be useful in their future field of employment. Having the opportunity to discuss what the intended learning domain of a course is and how it fits into the degree program using examples from Cardiovascular medicine helps the student to connect to the subject in a real way.
Hi Donald,
Good point. With this type of preparation and organization you are sending all of the right signals to your students. They know you are there for them and in return they must put forth the effort needed to be successful.
Gary
By giving a clear description of the course requirements, students know what to expect in the class. When they know what is expected of them they can plan and prepare for the course accordingly. You have also set the level for learning expecations, and are showing your are prepared and ready to teach the class. Setting the right first impression by being prepared students will rescept you as an instructor.
Hi Marie,
Right you are. They need clear information from day one because if they don't understand the course requirements they will complain they were not informed even though they were.
Gary
So that your student will understand the requierements and not say they didn't understand
we use the syllabus at the intro ( first day of course so students know where we are heading through the 6 week class & then day tro day Ill use demonstration/ lecture to communicate the daily expectations
It is important in relaing the frame work for the material to be presented to the student during the course. I feel that this can be one of the more difficult areas to express to students and the importance of them grasping the concepts.
This lets your students know what the course is about, what they are expected to learn and the goals that they are expected to achieve. Not giving them this information is like starting a new job where no one has told you what your job responsibilities are. You would not be able to be very effective in your job and the student won't be very effective in the course either.
Hi Danny,
Right you are. How do you share your expectations and requirements with your students? Is it through a presentation the syllabus or some other means?
Thanks for your input on this.
Gary
Hi John,
Your comments made me smile as I am always amazed as I start a new class when I find many of the students with the same look of puzzlement on their faces. Even with my upper level courses I have to define, refine, and illustrate what it takes to be successful in this course and their careers.
Gary
A clear and comprehensive description of the course requirements set forth expectations and direction for students and instructor. Keeping students abreast of the content of the course in the form of a syllabus diminishes misunderstandings such as: deadlines, content and the pace of the course.
so that the students can understand what the expectations & responsabilities of the course will be
knowing what is going to happen is like a 2 year old with his blanket. We say we all hate repetition but knowing what is going to happen gives us a level of comfort about the journey of going from darkness of ignorance into the light of knowledge.
In just my first few weeks in this profession I have already come to appreciate that many of my students have somehow gotten to this point in their lives without ever having a clear idea of what they need to do in order to succede. I think that a clear description of grading criteria and personal conduct requirements actually free the student's brain to work on learning instead of being distracted by worries about ambiguous grading or other distractions.
John Stuckey
It sets the student up for success, highlighting the challenges for everyone. It covers and identifies your expectations via course material and how to effectively strive for success.
