Learning Styles
My students request hands on labs. When I provide these hands on labs they really like it and participation goes through the roof. Unfortunately, when I test them on the material they do not retain the information. How can I improve their retention
Hi Michael, Thanks for your post to the forum. Since students in Lab are concentrating on tasks, the debrief will allow them to apply the concepts they have learned to the tasks they have just completed. Great work! Best wishes for continued success in your teaching career. Susan
Susan Polick
Hi Holly, Do you vary your teaching delievry style at all? Susan
Susan Polick
I agree that these are all great suggestions to improve information retention after a hands-on lab. I especially like the debriefing. I know from my own education that many times during a lab, I would follow the instructions, but not fully understand why I was doing what I was doing. After completing the lab, it was very helpful to discuss the process step by step, because after completing it, I had a good basis of the entire procedure in my head and could just fill in the blanks.
I have found that I teach the way I learn. When doing so, I am more "in tune" with the content I am teaching and able to express and better explain the concepts. When I am "in tune" it compels my students to "tune in".
Hi Roderick, Very effective strategy!! Best wishes - Susan
Susan Polick
My students all prefer hands on labs. In order to ensure the knowledge retention is there I do exactly what you're suggesting. I give an outline to follow, but do in suc a way that they have to fill in the missing pieces as they go through the lab exercise. I find that this helps them to retain the information. I also wait about 30 minutes after the lab exercise and do a review of the material to test their knowledge retention. So far its worked rather well.
Hi Robert, Do they have written material to take into the labs? Perhaps some sort of study guide with blank spots that they will have to fill in as they complete the lab. Also make sure that they are reminded each time that they wil be quizzed on the lab. You might also consider doing a "debriefing" once the lab is completed.
Susan Polick
