Subject Knowledge
Whenever a student ask a question you should be honest and state you do not the answer. In the mean time the instructor should make every effort prior to the day of class and before starting a new subject the question should be answered for all the class to hear.
DeShaun,
this is a great approach. Application must be present & it does need to be built upon the theory.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
There is a balance of classroom theory and real world applications as it relates to subject knowledge. I present both to my students throughout the courses I teach so they are not blindsided when they start their careers as technicians.
Douglas,
this is great advice as you said you will always have those students who are so passionate about the topic that they are engaging with you in the process.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Absolutely. There will almost always be a student who knows something more about a very specific subject. If they ask a question about this very specific subject they could be checking to see if you are honest about not knowing about it. Always be honest in your answer. If you don't know, say so, and tell them you will get back with them.
Albert,
this is a good point & with technology where it is, our students can quickly call our bluff.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
My experience shows that students quickly know when a teacher is not in command of the subject matter. The students themselves may know very little about the subject but can really "zero in" on a bogus answer from an instructor.
We have more credibility in the student's eye when we say, "I don't know". This portrays us as human beings, and not the end all, all knowing, expert on the subject.
Albert D'Addario
If a student asks me a question that 50/50 on, I'll tell them what I believe to be true, but immediately follow up with the facts: That I'm not 100% sure, and will gather more information and answer the question ASAP.
Google is a great research tool for quick questions, and this is the one time that I allow my students to get their cell phones out in class. I've found that while they actively search for an answer, and find it, they retain the newfound information more then if I would have told them myself.
Sometimes there is more than one right answer, i.e. how to do a task-I allow students to use their own method if it does not compromise the end result. They appreciate this, and we all learn something new.
I agree and believe that one idea is to challenge the students to a contest about who can bring in the best facts the following day. The instructor gets to play also for the sharing session.
John,
and this is when we can show our students how to utilize the many resources that they have available to them to find out the answers & to continue to research.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I strongly agree. In the automotive industry, the technology changes so rapidly that its virtually impossible to have all the answers as the students ask.
Being honest about not knowing the answer is the best approach. Giving an answer that may not be correct is the absolute worst approach.
I am in total agreeance. In the event you are unable to answer a question, just be honest. As the instructor it is important that your research the information and bring it to the following class. Just because you are an instructor or educator doesn't mean that you have all of the answers.
Scott,
I really do believe this is the best approach. Especially in today's tech world, the students can search quickly & discover if you're bluffing or not.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
As a lab assistant, there are times when i do not know the full answer to a student's question. I make it a point to be as honest as i can, and to track the answer down as soon as i can. I feel this shows the student that i took the effort to find the correct answer, not only for myself, but for the student as well. I believe this shows that the question asked by the student is important, but more that the correct answer is the most important part.
As an audio technology instructor I always insist on honesty in the classroom, which obviously includes myself. There have been numerous occasions in my classroom where I do not immediately have the answer to a students question. I always let the class know that I will research the question and have an answer for them at the start of the next class.
Latoya,
this demonstrates that you are willing to learn & even provides an opportunity to demonstrate how to do appropriate research.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I agree that if a student has a question the instructor should be upfront and honest about not knowing the answer. If a student ask me a question and I don't have an answer, I will inform them that I don't know, write the question down and let class know that I will research the question, find the answer and have it for them within the next day.
