In my course we have to teach concrete thinking when it comes to symbols and abstract thinking when it comes to their lab projects. From the symbols we give them, they have to put it into practice. Later on in the course they have to come up with a drawing with at least 14 different components and in theory it should work.
I use clear instructions on everything concrete,then I ask questions.I draw on the white board all the time and in great detail this helps alot of students with the abstract,the clear picture of the task at hand.the students,and alot of them tell me in class that the detailed drawings help them to understand better and burn in their brains what is being taught.I believe if their passion grows,so will their learning.passion,helps abstract thinking.
In my class the Abstract thinking is when we introduce the students to communicating with customers and how important it is to document the customer’s complaint on a repair order. Since a repair order is a legal document all areas must be filled out correctly and truthfully. Certain words should be avoided if possible but some times you have to use them to correctly document the event. The Concrete is the hands on out in lab where the student can see what we were talking about. I also think they are equally useful for my students.
I think that concrete thinking can be applied to 'specs', or what the student 'should ' see in our diagnostic learning. The abstract comes when they need to determine if this is good or bad; and where to go next.
I like to think my instruction contains both concrete and abstract, the foundation is there in curriculum(words,slides,pictures), I bring in the abstract by way of relation to real life, the day to day things everyone does,can relate to. The life of the student leads everyday can be tied to what you need them to understand today.
Leonardo,
I think you are right about the 50-50 assessment. It is a blend of both that every technical has to develop so they can diagnose and resolve problems in an efficient manner.
Gary
I see the hands on training aids as one of the best tools we have to show the students the material we are covering.
I think it is a blend of both. What an Automotive Technician does is solve problems. Before we can go out to the shop and solve problems one needs a good foundation of how a particular system works. This is where the Concrete method of teaching comes into play. After the foundation of how a particular system works has been established now we can take these studies a little further and introduce the problem solving aspect of a Technician. This is where the Abstract teaching is used. Teaching a diagnostic process can go in many different directions at certain times, depending on the situation.
I would say that it is a 50 -50 tossup.
Kenneth,
Both are critical is they are going to "get" the knowledge and skills that are needed.
Gary
I use concrete thinking to get the basic knowledge of the subject understood. Then using the abstract thinking process, showing the student how to analyze the system based on their basic knowledge of how it functions.
Abstract & concrete thinking is very hard for the students to understand, Alot of hands on and visual!!
the students get to use both types of thinking. Concrete: when they get to see actual components and where they are going to be on the vehicle.
Abstract: when they have to use mental visual pictures to figure out how stuff works without seeing it.
ibelieve that abstract is good in the class and lecture or explaining in the lab . but concrete is most essential with the hands on do a project correctly then move on to any question . then to the testing stage.
William,
Good way to move the students from the concrete to the abstract. This way you know they have a solid foundation from which to work and problem solve when they are in the field.
Gary
Concrete thinking I go over a subject matter ask questions about the subject then apply the subject in the lab. Abstract is when I have the students color their piping diagrams to represent the different states of refrigerant in the system sense they cannot see inside the tubing.
With Electrical theory I work hard to help the students memorize the fundamentals. After I’m confident that this has happened then we work on the Application.
We have many of our courses broken up into two parts. The first part in based on concrete thinking and analysis about how the software works. The second part is based on more abstract thinking, i.e. Why did you make that particular edit? Not 'How did you make that edit'.
While we try to make both methods just as important I often find that the later is the hardest to instill.
We use concrete thinking for the first part of the course. This is a good way to give the students a solid foundation upon which they can build so they can use abstract concepts to trouble shoot situations and find solutions. Abstract thinking comes into play when the student has to use his mind to see how things work when he or she has little hands on learning experience. Abstract thinking is more like how all the parts fit together to make this happen. There can be many ways to get to the same place.
concrete is easy for the students to apply, the abstract on the other is hard because (as in electrical or fuel systms) the cant see it. so to help them i have them trace circuits from diagrams (fuel and electric)then hve them follow it by hand on the actual circuit and have visualize the flow. this helps to use both concepts together.
Concrete thinking in my class is just how something needs fixed more of a black and white thing. EX. the Sam Cab talks on the data link. Abstract thinking is more like how all the parts fit together to make this happen.there can be many ways to get to the same place
