Karlsen,
This is a very important part of being an educator. You are developing alternatives and different venues through which you provide learning opportunities. This is how you get students engaged and moving toward their career goals. Keep up the good efforts as they making a real difference in the lives of your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
My students come from various educational backgrounds, some even international and speak poor English. Since what we teach is practically applied we teach it verbally with a visual lecture that closely corresponds with written material, and then practical activities involving the student. It ends up covering just about all corners of the various ways my students learn.
If I didn't have the variety of methods I do the majority of my students would never understand the material near as much as they are able to.
seems the differant delivery keeps intrests
By offering varied instructional delivery you keep all students interested and learning.
Mary Ellen,
Students like change of pace and variety in their instructional delivery. Your comments reflect your understanding of this so I know you are going to be able to introduce all kinds of activities into your instruction that will get and hold the attention of your students. You have many life experiences you can relate to your students in the content of the material being presented. These examples will help them to be engaged in what you are teaching.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Any one would be foolish to think that a classroom full of students- 'all learn the same way'- so you can't afford to teach in ONE manner- what makes this hard is that everyone has their own unique style they use and are comfortable with- adapting to change (which nobody likes or does well with)is now forced upon the instructor which we mistakenly believe must only be restricted to the student. The varied instruction addresses the diversity of the class and allows everyone to learn without resorting to instructing to the lowest learner.
I have some students that prefer the hands on to learn and it is really easy to loose them in a lecture. Then I have students that prefer lecture and to take it all in long before trying it. I have to balance both with a short lecture on the subject then a hands on assignment.
It is important to use a variety of instructional methods to allow each student to comprehend what is being taught. Not only do we all have short attention spans, 15-18 mins, but we retain so little, 1/4th of what we hear, 40% of what we read! So presenting in different fashions will reenforce the content. I am eager to learn more about using instructional videos, U-tube, interactive computer simulations, I am over 50, so this is foreign ground for me!
It is important to offer a variety of instructional methods because you want to appeal to the different learning styles of your diverse students. You do not want to adhere to just one learning style, and you bore or lose other students who do not learn that way.
Offering a variety of instructional delivery methods in class is important for both the student and helps the instructor, as well. Keeping the delivery method fresh and different should keep the students' interest, attention, and focus which should increase their retention (hopefully). The more we are able to help the students see "what's in it for them", the more engaged they remain during the class presentation, which hopefully, can translate into overall retention for the student's overall success in their chosen program.
Varying the delivery also helps to keep the information and class lively and fresh for the instructor as well. If we get stale, so goes the class.....
Keeping variety in instructional delivery is an important tool in student motivation. Although we are not the only source of external learning and motivation for our students, we can greatly increase the liklihood of the student's success and perhaps positively impact the student's intrinsic motivation by keeping delivery of class content relevant and fresh.
People have a variety of ways of learning and using different tools helps students to learn even if they are not the best in one area. For example, if a student doesn't always do well on a test, but is a great writer, then it's important to also have some essay questions.
Thanks, Gary. That is very helpful.
Janet
Wendy,
Students like to have change of pace and variety in their instructional delivery. By doing so are appealing to the different learning preferences of your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Janet,
Yes, the supply demand analysis is tactile. The use of large and small muscle coordination ties into the cognitive aspects of the content and builds a stronger learning connection for the students. Any type of movement will work. The idea is to get them to make connections between mental, visual and tactile points with reinforce retention.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The delivery of class content in varied ways in each class is important to engage all students and to ensure that the attention span of students is held for the entire time. Not planning for multiple delivery methods will bore some students and make others doubt the instructor. The students will lose faith in the course and the instructor.
Hi, Mark and Everyone,
I know that it is important to offer different techniques for different learning styles. However, I teach economics and I haven't quite mastered how to help tactile learners with this course. Does having students do supply and demand analysis on paper with graphs help them, or do they need to move things around to qualify as tactile learning?
Janet
Susan,
As long as your college has not forbidden you to use other methods of instructional delivery I would explore them Take your basic PowerPoint and then see how you can use examples, experiences, discussions, and case studies to enhance the PPs. Observe what captures the attention of your students and gives good outcomes and then expand that activity. If you get student centered growth I don't think your college will be concerned with your use of instructional methods beyond the PP.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
This is also a challenging area for me.
My college provides me with PowerPoints to use as instructional aids. Although I make rather substantial changes to these templates, I feel like it is frowned upon if I don't use them as my main means of instructional delivery.
Any suggestions for how I can deal with this and improve my instruction?
Students have different cognitive skills so varied delivery of content allows for growth but also a way to find what works best for each student.
Rebecca,
Good advice for all instructors. We need to be creative in our instructional planning so we can reach each of our students. Once they start having success in the class they will have a higher level of self confidence which helps them to see how they are moving toward their career goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
