Most of my classes are of a "lab" style. I find it very beneficial to lecture first. But, I find a way to put things back on the student. I know they already know the answer to the question they asked me. I just reword it and then they get the "ah-ha" moment. Through lecture, I am able to meet most learning styles....looking at the power point, they write or see their notes, they hear me, some even record my lectures for repetition. Finally, I will hold our Lab section of the chapter prior to test-taking. Now they can put all of their individual styles to work!
again, I agree with kathy johnson, in the criminal justice field I have found personal stories about real police investigations assist in the student learning process.
I like to change up the delivery style of the course material. I recognize that people have different learning styles so by changing the delivery style, I have a chance to reach more students.
1)I have used clips from DVDs that relate to the subject matter.
2)Review games like Jeopardy, Hollywood Squares and Family Feud.
3) Off-campus assignments like interviewing a manager, observations at a local retail establishment and Internet research.
One thing I do is to try and teach the material for more then one learning type. I try to do some lecture and some hands on examples so that more students will be able to learn the material.
This is a great thing to do, as many of our students are older than us it shows that we value them and their life expierences as much as our own.
With every topic I introduce, I think of a way to have all students, hear it, read write it, speak it and in one or another interact with it. Regardless the topic this can be accomplished. This does require a lot of work and planning on the instructors part but greatly increses student success.
Mix it up. Plan on including different styles to accommodate each student's needs. Plan on using visualization techniques as well as audio and hands on. Also, ask your students to come to you if there is something they feel they need, but are not getting.
This approach proves very useful in my classes. Most students when asked state that they are tactile learners while others state that they are visual/tacticle learners. In the classroom, I try to incorporate the learning preferences of the majority of my students, but will also try and incorporate all learning styles.
I always attempt to provide every possible learning preference not only to help learning but also to keep some excitement in the classroom
Hi Mokii,
Students really relate to personal stories about experiences their instructors have had. They really grab the attention of the students while keeping them engaged. Keep up the story telling your students appreciate it.
Gary
I use concepts and techniques in their books. I teach them different learning theories. I have them to look up any information pertaing to course content givien by different educators and psychologist. I have them complete an easy and we have a discussion base on what was learned.
I like to relate course content to something that I have personaly seen or experenced while working in the field.
Hi Bernardita,
This is very important. What are some ways you help the students make applications of the course content? Thanks for your input on this.
Gary
I also keep my eyes open to those with any learning deficits/disorders and try to help as best I can.
I am always looking for ways to cross reference course material with actual work place applications, based on new material and past experiences. For me, because I teach IT, the labs are my most powerful tools since they demonstrate the actual processes. Unfortunately, there are times when I have to teach a course that does not have a lab. In this case, I will have to get creative and make my own lab using idle equipment in the classroom. Also, I incorporate work place references in my lectures as much as possible. As I have said before in other posts, students need to see the relevance of what they are learning, and how it complies with what employers are looking for in their field.
Making it personal and relevent to their lives.
Hi David,
The more you can connection the content of your course to the real world the better. You are doing a great job of that with your sharing of real life situations with your students. I use case studies and find that the students really enjoy getting to work through these real life situations.
Gary
i bring in real life situations and apply to the material covered for the day so the student can take something practical back from each and every class session
Hi Rita,
Good way to engage the students while offering them variety in the instructional delivery of content. This also facilitates greater participation and retention of content.
Gary
