Even with a lecture-based class, I incorporate exercises that necessitate student involvement - demonstration, visual examples, question/answer challenges, and/or "scavenger hunt" for materials relevant to course content
I really try to give them a big picture of how it all fits into the big picture of the industry and what they can expect.
Hi Sabrina,
You are doing a good job of mixing up the learning preferences of your students. Yes, you are limited with your options since the course is taught online but you are offering variety of delivery and this really helps to keep the students engaged.
Gary
I try to pull from contemporary culture and assign projects (in the graphic arts) that are current to the students. All of us to one extent or another are influenced by the media - news - advertising - & music to name just a few. Challenging students to recreate and uniquely solve existing advertising layouts motivates and educates.
I have found this to be one of the hardest challenges for me as an instructor. Especially when I have not had some of the students previously, it takes me a few lectures to figure out what kind of learners they tend to be as a group. Overall, I feel it has worked best for me to use a variety of teaching techniques that work with the same overall general concept, this not only allows for review but may shed a different light on the topic from a different angle. Secondly, I not try to not only allow time for questions, but encourage questions from the students. This always creates interaction and allows the students to feel like they have an input in the class.
I try to vary my delivery to keep students focused. Usually my students a visual learners so I try to bring in additional examples to help with the topic. However in an upper level course I like to use case studies as a way of preparing the students to critically evaluate problems.
I am new to teaching online and have found that I am limited in how many of the learning preferences I can touch on. For instance, I try and post polls for students to vote to try and get them involved, but as far as activities and hands on...it is quite different. I do use visual and audible learning.
Group work and peer teaching
I do try and stagger my teaching "segments" during a class period, where we do some board time, then book time, then discussion time, and the last mixed with the other two if possible.
Hi Samuel,
The human factor will always be a critical element in career success. Good point about how you integrate it into your instruction.
Gary
This is so important because as we all know about 20 minutes into a lecture we start to loose students to the glaze over (I like to call it). So by going into a hands on situation really helps keep them
into the class.
I think that is a good idea. Students like role-play. To go through cases is also good. This gives them a better understanding of the material. Great ideas!
I have included case studies and role playing in my lectures and class. My students are studying to be veterinary technicians so I have also had them research disease topics and pretend they were explaining them to a client.
In today's times it is imperative that the computer be utilized for education. However, being in the healthcare field bedside manners are just as important as the knowledge gain in many cases. So in teaching students I utilize case studies and role playing.
I use my own experience in areas. I ask students to share theirs as well. Providing current events on subject matter is also helpful.
Assuming he assignments are relevent; I structure my lectures around the topics in the assignments, without of course, giving away answers. This allows students to learn the required material and helps the succeed on the assignments.
Ed
Hi Albert,
This is a great way to get that final connection between the classroom and the real world. By using real world equipment they are doing work that is like what they are going to see when they graduate.
Gary
Hi Dawn,
This is why your students respond to your stories. They like to hear about your experiences and see different ways application can be made of the content they are receiving. It helps to keep them engaged.
Gary
I use lecture, a/v demonstration and lots and lots of hands on training. I instruct people in the art and technology of audio production and as i explain each part of a piece of equipment, I reinforce its function with a practical example of its use in the real world and then have the students execute a task that capitalizes on that knowledge.
I do this to but I reinforce the theory by having them execute those things on current "real world" equipment.
