I teach Intro to computers which can be awfully dry and uninteresting. My students tend to span the entire gammut from those who have never touched a mouse to those that think they are aces. They are also from several different degree programs. I try to lecture for no more than 45 minutes and follow each lecture with a project, worksheet, internet research project, comparison paper or activity on the publisher's website. During our 5 hour class I generally do two or three 45 minute lectures and the rest is lab time. Evidently it is working pretty well because I get a lot of comments about them enjoying the hands on nature of the class. I also focus my class on being good consumers and real life information that relates to each of their programs which I seems to help keep their interest. During the lab time and projects I walk around continually looking and commenting on what I see on their screens. I love to tell them what a good job they are doing.
I enjoy using real-world case studys and projects to make the content relevant to student's learning needs. One example is when I taught a labor relations course and split the class into two teams. For the entire course they spent time each class negotiating a contract.
Amy
Hi Claude,
I commend you for making networking a part of your professional development. This way you can remain up to date and current in your field which in turn will be reflected in your courses. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I feel that networking with others is important to stay abreast of changes in our field of training. The more input or information that I am able to garner from those working in the field makes it easier to keep the course content relevant to the students needs.
Hi Renee,
Thank you for your comments about getting to know the career objectives of your students. You are right about how knowing this information helps you plan for the kind of content and how you will present the information for the course. Also, it helps you to keep the students focused and seeing the relevancy of what they are studying.
Gary
I attempt to learn as much as I can about the general career objectives of the students in my classes. This will help me create relevant applications or examples of the material to greatly increase the students' motivation for learning. The more closely related the examples are to student career objectives, the more easily they will see its relevance to their own lives. I think helps prevent the old comment of "do I really need to know this stuff?" I also feel feedback from students is so important. I am frequently asking them what they feel is good about the material and what might be better. This is especially necessary when I teach a brand new course for the first time.
Renee Weeks
Hi Christine,
What a great way to provide instructional support through your "Instructor Guidance" documents. This I know save time and effort for both your students and yourself.
Gary
In the online environment, the college determines course content, but I do strive to help bridge the gap between what is provided and the students. I do this through "Instructor Guidance" documents posted within each module that discusses common trouble spots. These might include Internet links or other resources that compliment the material within the module.
Hi Gilbert,
Good to hear about your instructors. A combination of instructional methods along with knowledge of learning preferences helps to keep the course interesting and engaging.
Gary
Hi Bill,
Great explanation of how to challenge and support students. I use a similar method based upon Confidence, Commitment which provides opportunities for Choices. If students don't have confidence they can do the work or commitment to learn the content then they won't have choices about their careers. The three Cs give students freedom in their future.
Gary
Hi Gilbert,
It is good to have the objectives up there each class meeting. This way the students can see the progress they are making plus know what to expect for that day's class meeting.
Gary
I make sure the topics are the popular ones that the state boards will review.
Our instructors use a combination of instructional methods in order to inspire interest and touch on individual learning style styles.
It is easy to create a curriculum that includes examples, problems, and situations that the student may encounter in future courses or in their chosen career area. If you are teaching in a culinary school, math course projects might require students to cost recipes or computer course projects may require students to do similar calculations using MS-Excel. The real challenge is often to get the students to think of themselves as adult learners and not children. As an adult, the student must realize that they alone are responsible for their learning. One of the main concepts of andragogy is to recognizing people will not learn until ready and motivated to learn. Students should be ready to accept the challenge of taking charge of their life.
I often explain that there are many types of challenges in life, and how you respond to them determines how you are judged by yourself and others. If at first you do not succeed, do you try again or give up? It is easy to be successful if you have previously achieved success or you are not really challenged by a difficult task. What happens when we are assigned a new task that is difficult or unfamiliar? You may sometimes doubt your ability to be successful. There are two types of doubt that can be stated as either a fear of failure or a fear of success.
The fear of failure is the self imposed pressure that requires you to live up to your standards and abilities. For example, suppose that you are an “A” student because you have learned how to take notes and study, and you do not allow outside influences to interfere with your passion and persistence. An upcoming math course may bring back memories of poor grades in high school and cause you to worry, but you overcome this fear by realizing that you are a different person now and will be successful. Your “A” average will not be destroyed by the math course.
The fear of success is caused by trying to meet the standards set by others of what they expect of you once you have become successful. Using the same example, you may be concerned that others may think less of you if you do not get an “A” in the math course. This is overcome by the realization that your achievements are the result of your efforts, knowing that learning is an individual experience. You must want to succeed for yourself and not for others.
There should not be anything that prevents you from being successful when faced with a challenge. Knowing that you have performed to the best of your abilities is the success that should be your goal. Some challenges may be impossible, such as being perfect all of the time or becoming a subject matter expert after one short course, but your standard of success can always be achieved.
After explaining all of this I usually pose the following question: Are you ready for the challenge? At that point many students have a better understanding of my teaching philosophy and are more motivated to learn.
I agree with this approach in making instructional objectives clear to students at each class meeting.
Identifying class objectives must be done for each class meeting. It tells the students what you want them to accomplish. List class objectives on the white board and emphasize them during your instruction.
Hi Gilbert,
You are right on about needing to remind the students of the course requirements and expectations. They seem to forget at times and these reminders can keep them focused on what the course outcomes are going to be.
Gary
By using a varity of learning delivery methods and ensuring that goals and objectives are clearly identified at the start of each class and identified again during instruction.
The students in our training organization are learning a very specialized carreer. In my classroom, we are focusing on one particular model, so knowing the subject is key. I can usually tell if a student is having trouble figuring out the project, just by using my senses.
Hi Patricia,
Great approach to engaging your students on a variety of levels. You are using their academic skills to help them with their career development. As you know often times the weakest link in the skill set of students is their ability to communicate through organization and writing. Keep up the good work.
Gary
