Kevin,
I am a big fan of using guest speakers and supportive material. Both of these resources help the students to see the value of the content and how it can be applied to their career development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Nicole,
A big thing is observation. Observe your students and watch to see those that do best when visuals are offered, those that learn through listening, etc.. Also, there are many easy to use and free learning preference assessments available on the internet that you can administer to get a profile of your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
To make my courses more relavent, I try to use ancillary media materials that illustrate and /or explain the points that we are making in class. I also have guest speakers come in (that are working in the field) to let students see how they may progress in the field.
Any suggestions on how to become skilled in realizing how each student learns. For new instructors this could be slightly challenging. So, how does one obtain that skill?
Christopher,
Students like variety and change of pace so the more we can incorporate both in our instructional delivery the more engaged our students will be.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I also find that it provides a helpful break for any learner. If we can move between techniques it would only seem to be beneficial to retaining student attentiveness.
John,
You mention two important words when it comes to student engagement. Relevant and current. By making sure your content and activities incorporate both of these elements you are increasing the interest of your students and as a result their retention of content is going to greatly increase.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Gretchen,
Great resources for getting your students involved in the application process. I use case studies a lot in my field and you are doing such with your cybercrimes instruction. Letting them work through different scenarios as you mention gives them knowledge and expertise that will serve them well when they are in the field.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
John,
Students like variety and change of pace in their classes. You are providing both in your approach. This will keep them engaged and focused on the content that is being offered.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I try and offer a mix in my classes of the different learning approaches and styles. Part of each class may be in the traditional lecture format. Part of the class may be students reading a handout or reading material and then a class discussion. Sometimes I may raise an issue and have a class discussion regardign the topic at hand. By mixing different styles, I believe it keeps the students interested in the material. Somtimes I try and have one half of the class argue one position and the other half of the class take the contrary position just to get the student involved in the content.
In addition to covering the required core content of the class I also try and discuss and gage from my students what they are interested in as it relates to the course. I also try and mix in any content or information that is current such as a new developement in the field or anything relevant in the news. Students appreciate this and enjoy discussing relevant and current information into the course content. If the students are interested in the material, it makes the entire learning process more advantageous.
I use current news stories and connect them to the material covered in that particular class. I am constantly asking questions and encourage interaction with the understanding what happens in the classroom stays in the classroom. Videos and student instruction are other methods. When teaching biometrics because I do not have the hardware for them to physically manipulate, it is important to use videos. In cybercrimes, the best method is to have an offline lab filled with different scenarios where they can make mistakes and learn how to identify and collect data.
Barbara,
This is so important because the more they see how it is in the real world the more they will appreciate that they have made the right decision in selecting that career area.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I teach medical billing and coding so by visiting hospitals, doctors offices and other facilities. it gives my students a real world view of what is to come once they graduate.
Barbara,
What do you see the greatest benefits for students from these field trips?
Thanks for you input on this.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to use field trips to local hospitals.
Margaret,
The more examples you can use in your teaching the more value the students associate with the content that is being shared. So your instructional plan is right on.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Leslie,
Good plan. The more variety you can introduce into your instructional delivery the more engagement you are going to have.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Preparation and being informed yourself. Showing or giving examples to students about relevancy issues really helps them understand the reasoning behind learning a particular concept or skill.
For those that are visual I try to utilize board work, lectures helps those that prefer hearing the information, I try to combine both in every class.
