Hi Robert!
I find this to be true as well. Literacy levels for many college students can really be a challenge for the instructor and for the student. The problem that it creates in a classroom is that is may be one or two students. So we have to find a way to assist these students with their learning while not slowing the learning process for the greater number of students. How do you think that we can help these students?
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
In my teaching expreience,one of the key things I have found is that some of the students do not know the meaning of some of the important words.
Deborah, isn't it amazing when we can see that students don't understand or have that "deer in the headlights look"? That's an indicator that an instructor is truly connected to the students.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Hi Deborah!
Isn't that such positive reenforcement for an instructor as well? To know that I have helped a student learn and absorb information is very fulfilling.
Good job!
Jane Davis
Ed106 Facilitator
This is a good idea. I have never done this but maybe I will give this idea a try. At the end of the class have students write down one new thing that they learnered in class today.
I can tell when my class is lost because they get the "deer in the highlights" look. This is when I start to ask quwestions of them. Where did you get lost? What do you want me to go over again?
I agree. When the light-bulb goes on, you can see the student light up and say "now I get it".
Hi Joseph!
I couldn't agree more! teaching and learning is a reciprocal process.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I believe a good teacher, especially in the field of adult education needs a bit of understanding of why their students are taking the course and the students goals. One of the biggest weaknesses of adult educators is to teach the same information the same way to every student. Every student does not learn the same way, have the same experiences or have the same academic goals. By the teacher getting to know the goals of their students, they can then adapt to the students instead of the students adapting to the teacher.
I do a demo, I advise them to do what I just did. I monitor what equipment they selected, what method they used to complete the project, did they take notes during the demo/lecture & have they referred to them to complete the project. How they do the written test/quiz & practicals is a gauge also.
I also watch their body language/dozing for an indication of boredom. I also look to see if anyone is trying to slip out of the kitchen during production. These are indicators of people not interested in the subject matter for one reason or another. I try to get them aside and find out if they had a bad night or if the subject matter is not of interest to them or if there is a learning issue we need to address.
Most definetly you can evaluate the student by talking and listening to them. Carefully worded questions directed toward a student can help you assess their level of understanding. I also agree that encouraging students to ask questions is beneficial. The problem there is that many students are afraid to ask questions. Some one else in the forums pointed out that they use the roll sheet as a guide and ask questions. I sometimes use the round table format where I direct questions around the room. If a student gives an accurate answer I praise them. If it is inaccurate I ask other students to help add clarity.
I use a lot of internet videos to help improve concept comprehension. This serves a two-fold purpose: it gives students another (and multimedia) exposure to the material, and the lights are constantly going on and off. This in itself, perks people up!
If I see people dozing, I might throw up a video and have a "Pop-quiz" on the material viewed.
identify learning styles, assign different types of projects, assignments, and exams to assist different learning styles. some people struggle with multiple choice, so i offer diagrams and matching instead; same material, different formats.
I also like the double assessment of oral and written, slipped into the introduction and self-assessment.
A third assessment fits with these two in on-ground courses. We observe our students interviewing each other, making their oral introductions, and engaging in the writing process. Sometimes their body language shouts to us.
Hi Julie!
I hope that you have taken the time to read the discussion stream. There are several excellent thoughts on assessing student learning needs.
Good job!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
There are several ways - through written and verbal communication, observation, and interaction with others in the class. If English is the student's 2nd language, vocabulary skills may not be as developed as it should be for college level. Recommending an English tutor or using the university’s language lab to further enhance grammar and vocabulary skills will be helpful. Enhancing comprehension skills will be achieved through team projects where the student will learn from others while achieving the team goal.
On the first day of the course, I ask my students to tell me a little of their background, their short term goals while in school and their long term goals for the next 5 years.
Having students do a 1 page / 1 paragraph "what I got out of today's class" on the first day. It helps me see whether I was successful in getting the day's message across, and it helps me see what their writing skills are like. I've found that poor writing skills are highly correlated with high need learners.
Seeing those "ah ha" moments happen for students is one of the things I find most satisfying about teaching.
