Get Your Students Hired
It helps students put the course content into context so they can relate to it easier and when and if that example pops up in a real life situation they may apply it as they have already discussed it in class.
I love the episodic versus rote memorization passage in the lesson plan. I try to relate every topic (in this case, National Security) to something with which the students relate. By using real scenarios, the students can then apply the information much easier.
You must also guard against always using your own examples as this can lose the students if they are from diverse backgrounds. Try to find common examples that apply to all or have the students apply the information through a guided discussion.
Greg
When I'm explaining a concept, I give example applications in my students' fields. When I add a story about a real person (often me) making mistakes, recovering, and/or succeeding, their ears prick up. Bringing theory to the practical aspects of their lives is certainly part of the magic, but part of the effectiveness is due to the change of pace in voice and body language.
If I make the story characters and their challenges vivid enough (Jake in R&D for a paper company wadding up pages of his report draft, getting more and more frustrated as he misses the trash can on top of not hitting a way to write his ideas...), they'll remember. They may not remember the theory that goes with the story, but they'll be able to work back to the theory from the outcome of the story.
When students see and understand the relevance of the course material it nolonger is a mystery of why they need to study the material. In a culinary school that requires students to take 18 hours of GenEd class work this is extremely important. All the students want to do is cook. Mathematics, my subject area holds no alure for them. So when I am able to show them with examples the relevance and of course importance of the material they "buy in" to it. This make teaching fun and easy for me
Memorable examples are a great way to involve the knowledge of the students in the class to add their life experiences to the points in the lesson being taught. It offers the classroom as Horton would describe as "a circle of learners." I teach in a military climate with adult learners and often will be giving an example reference a particular point and out of the class a student will say "I was there, that was my crew and aircraft."
Hi Cheryl! You have touched on an important point regarding the learning process. The more an adult learner sees the reasoning and purpose behind a concept or application, the more he or she is likely to retain the information. Providing relevant and meaningful examples is an extremely effective tool in this process.
Thanks for you comments,
Jay Hollowell
Guest Co-Facilitator
Memorable examples engage students in classroom discussion and a deeper understanding the material at hand. These examples also bring to life the reasoning behind learning a particular topic. As an added bonus, memorable examples seem to spark retention of materials.
Memorable examples usually help the student to understand the significance of the reason you are learning particular material. This also helps the student to recall this information easier when using applicable anecdotes.
I totally agree with you. I use my life experiences in the classroom that I have experienced in the field and the students love it. I usually get the most out of examples of blood borne pathogens Hepatitis,hiv and so on. This is an interesting subject to many of the younger and older students.
I've found that examples have many purposes. They provide a real world context to what you are trying to convey. If they are examples from your personal experiences they make you more human to the class. They are also an opportunity to inject a little humor into the class as well to lighten the mood.
Examples give the students a reference point for the information. It makes the information relevent. It helps them to remember the main point or objective.
Not only are real life examples important as a break in the technical portion of a lecture, but they can help a student learn to respond to a situation based on experiences that their instructor may have encountered. It can also help humanize what a student may percieve as a dry or data laden presentation.
I agree with this. I always use real life examples when introducing new course content. Sometimes, depending on the student, I have to use multiple examples. But they always seem to "get it" when I provide real life examples.
Everyone can relate more to a personal experience. It can be their own experience, or mine which I share with them. It really helps retention, and generates lots of great questions.
It gives students a real life experience to relate to. I especially find that if I can relate examples of my own episodes of failures when presenting new techniques, the students relax a little, realize that it is OK to fail as long as you learn from the experience and they better relate to me as a person.
Good job Mark!
How do you help the students give examples as well?
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Memorable visual aides have helped my students embrace the subject matter. Photos, books, life experiences have all been introduced in my teaching practices... it is like bringing a piece of the subject right before their eyes.
If an instructor can utilize examples that occurred during the class, students will be more likely to remember associations with course content. I have experienced this first hand!
Memorable examples are great for helping with memory. The more memorable, the easier for it to be remembered. If the example ties in to the course content the better it can be retained for future reference.