This helps to not only keep the students interest but also because different students learn in different ways.
Hi Kimberly,
Good way to set the stage for success. If they know you are there to help and support them you will have created a great foundation upon which to build.
Gary
You have to meet each student right where they are. Everyone is unique and learns in different ways.
By, Edwardo mojena
There are many differences ways of learning and students may use all or one. This approach to deliver in teaching will help your students to success with in themselves to their fullest potential.
Offering a variety of instructional delivery methods in class is very important. First off, it will keep everyone attention. Secondly, as we know, everyone learns material a different way.
Many of my adult students learn differently. I myself am hands on. So for my students I try to implement different styles of teaching. I use visualizationa and audio along with my lectures as well as hands on.
It is important to offer a variety of instructional delivery methods in classes, because of the variety of learning styles. People percieve and process information differently, and a variety of instructional delivery methods could help accomadate students with various learning styles.
Hi Judith,
Good read of your students. By observing how they are responding to the course content you are able to adapt your delivery to really key in on their learning preferences. This keeps them engaged and focused throughout the course sessions.
Gary
I teach computers and fortunately those students that have me for the Intro and then for the senior level know my expectations and my teaching styles. It the students that I never taught who are at a disadvantage. Many adult learners I teach learn by hands on. I combine lecture and hands-on instructional delivery methods in class. I'm learning that a lot of students do not like to read and its unfortunate when the book in the Intro course gives step-by-step insturction. I'm constantly developing ways to reach those whose computers skills are null. I encourage a self-pace environment that fosters student questions to edify the entire class.
Although I understand the different ways that adult learners grasp material, I do find it challenging to deliver material that must be learned in a variety of different ways. I tend to teach in a similar way that I, myself, learn. I have difficulty when students are unable to verbalize questions well, but I know that they have not grasped the material. So I try different things trying to reach them and help them learn.
It is important to offer a variety of instructional delivery methods to enhance learning and to keep students focused and interested in the topic.
Hi Carolyn,
Excellent description of a dynamic and exciting class. Sounds like your have your students engaged from the beginning to end of class. It is a lot work teaching but the pay offs are great when at the end of the class you know it hit a home run with your students that day. Thanks for sharing your strategies with us.
Gary
I have found that it keeps students' interest more consistently, if I vary the methods of delivery. The old "sit and get" method of teaching doesn't work well in today's media overloaded environment. We have all become accustomed to gaining knowledge through constant electronic sources of information -- social media, blackberries, cell phones, text messages, instant messaging, etc. If it doesn't ring, ding, play a song whistle, or pop up a graphic, students may miss the point. I move around the classroom a lot; send students to the board to solve problems; select students randomly to be "teachers" for exam review segments; play games, like "Family Feud", "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", etc.; assign web-based class research projects; present current news items related to our field of study to stimulate students' problem-solving abilities & input. Every day is a new day and I try to demonstrate that with new offerings in each of my classes.
I think it is critical to vary deliveries, especially when the students come from a variety of demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds as ours do. They often learn in different ways based upon their backgrounds, prior education, and even upbringing such as religion. One really must try to step into their shoes when seeing the content from their viewpoints. I try to tailor make my classroom in that fashion....in other words, you take your students as you get them.
As no two people are alike, neither are there learning styles. I use a variety of techniques and different types of assignments to make up the total grade. For example, paper and pencil tests are no more than 30%, a class project (term paper or poster) is about 20%, and wet labs for tactile learners is a cummulative 20%. We also grade on attendance and professionalism amounting to 10% spread out over the course. The students are expected to have read the lecture chapters before class and are given a homework assignment due next class period after the lecture, which overall is about 20% of the grade. I like to use games like Jeopardy or "mock" exams (old exams) for review before a final. Also, reviewing right before the final seems to keep their focus instead of doing the review one week and then giving the final at the beginning of class the next week. I also incorporate field trips or guest speakers to vary the format of the instruction, and give them credit for participation.
One of the fears that I have is that I will be boring, and look across the room and the students are looking like blank stare or asleep. I want them to enjoy coming to class and if there is not any variety, class becomes routine, I enjoy humor, and try to incorporate this in my delivery without placing the class on tilt; however, every class mix is different so I have learned that what works for one class is not always what works for the next class. Participation is another area in which I strongly encourage everyone to do, but much like my four children, some will and some won't. I never did like the negative approach for grading in the participation portin as a student myself so I am sure that the expectations are clear without intimidation to the individual.
Open class room opportunities have served me the best with my students, I feel this empowers them to learn without intimidation. As a student, I never enjoyed the dictatorship approach, and adult to adult communication has always served me better in all my communications of life's experiences.
The old saying variety is the spice of life, this is very true in all aspects of life, and to insure that they want to keep coming back for more, I try to keep things interesting and motivating with real life connection examples. I do encourage the students to complete all the class and instructor surveys, I feel that this give them an opportunity to express, and me an opportunity to learn how I can improve upon any areas of conflict that I might not be aware are occurring.
It is very important to offer a variety of instructional delivery methods to the students, in order to reach all of the students, and their learning styles.There are three basic types of learning styles. The three most common are visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.
The students depend on their senses to process the information we provide them. Most adults tend to use one of their senses more than the others.
For my area of instruction, I have to remember that students can only maintain their attention span for a short time. I have to show them databases for completing research but I try to get their input for search terms and/or try to get them interested by searching timely topics. Sometimes I'm surprised. Recently, I did a search about the potential football strike. I had one head that was already down on the desk and suddenly he perked up. I had his attention! Football!
As they say variety is the key and I have found that to be especially true with adult learners. Many of my students have never been to college or have come from a work background completely different from the one that they are entering. I find that at times they find certain subjects harder to grasp and so I must try to explain it in "english" relating it to a situation or action that most people are familiar with. Another was to vary the instruction is to have the students themselves help explain the subject and then just guide their learning until they get the concept. In the small clinical environment where I teach this is easy to do and the students actually like the challenge, from verbal to demo to hands on.
Planning to incorporate hands-on investigations; require critical thinking and problem-solving skills; and provide opportunities for kinesthetic, auditory, and visual learning with proper planning, will provide multiple options for students to acquire information, comprehend concepts, and demonstrate what they have learned.
