Hi Cynthia,
Way to sell the content to your students. It is exciting when you can get them excited through examples, stories and humor. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I am lucky in the fact that although I teach a class that students don't think they need for their career (psychology) I am quickly and easily able to prove to them that psychology is relevant to life and career. The first day of class I tell the students that pscyhology seeks to answer the "why" of human nature. Ask ask them, "have you every wondered why a person did something?" I use humor and shared personal experiences to show them that the subject of psychology is relevant in so many ways to their lives. And it works. By the end of the term I often have students telling me that it was one of their favorite classes! It was the same for me - that's how I got into the field in the first place.
I believe that it is important for students to understand "why" we an activity or information is useful to them. When students understand the value to their academic and professional careers, they become more vested in the activity, skill or knowledge. Today's student has unlimited and free access to information. As instructors, it is important to teach them how to filter all this information.
Hi Alan,
Pacing and flow are key elements of instructional planning. From your description it sounds like you have developed a clear flow path for your Saturday class. Thanks for sharing it with us. I know this will be of help to other instructors that teach long session classes.
Gary
Hi Alan,
Good way to start your students out slowly and with a low risk approach. They then get to build on their foundational knowledge to do more and more with what they know. This makes learning fun and helps with motivation.
Gary
I have a class this semester on a Saturday from 8 am to 2 pm. It's been a challenge keeping students focused that early in the morning. I usually give a lecture for no more than 30 minutes. Then I take a 10 minute break. Have the class come back and do a project on what they just learned. I give them an hour to complete it. Then take another 10 minute break. The students come back and we review it. I then go a little further. By this time they seem to be more focused. I agree, it seems that if you lecture for more than 30 minutes you will start to lose them.
Instructional Strategy involves a huge variety of teaching/learning activities such as:
group discussions
independent reading
case studies
lectures
computer simulations
worksheets
cooperative group projects
Incorporate variety into instruction to keep interest and motivation high. Use relevant visuals or sounds to illustrate points, and if possible, bring in a guest speaker to share a different perspective, answer questions, or provide real-world feedback on student projects. Even with thrilling visuals and instructors, nobody wants to watch a talking head for hours; so make sure learners have an opportunity to focus attention away from the screen. Assign small group activities with a task that can be discussed later. Plan breaks to give students a chance to stretch and talk. Highly motivated learners in a tightly focused lesson can tolerate lengthy lectures; but as a rule of thumb, don't lecture for more than 15 minutes. Instead, alternate lectures with activities or discussions.
One of the courses I teach is Photoshop. For about a half hour (on average), I demonstrate to the students how to use specific tools in photoshop that pertain to a particular approach. I have them follow along with me. I then give them a class assignment that was relevant to what was just executed. After that, I give them a homework assignment that is more relevant to the real world but needs to be completed using the technique accomplished in class. As future projects are handed out, the class work is continually completed relevant to the assignments. Thus, as time goes on in class, the students slowly but surely feel comfortable with photoshop without it being to stressful.
As stated in the module-relevence matters. The instructor needs to establish what is revevent for each student and instruct towards that end. In the culinary lab some students come to our class with several years experience. What is relevent to a student with no industry experience will be different for the experienced student. The instructor needs to able to "read" each student and still make the lesson or activity relevent for all.
Hi Renee,
I call this "connecting the dots". The students need to see how what is being offered is of value to their futures and that is why it is being taught. This way they can connect the dots between the classroom and the work world in their minds.
Gary
I always try to link the information that is being taught to a reason of why they need the information in their professional life - a rationale of importance of the material. If the students don't feel that the material is worthy of consideration, that there is a reason to learn the subject matter and retain it, there will be a dismissive quality about the learning process. If the students feel that the material is really important... essential to their success, they are much more likely to be focused on learning and retaining the material being presented.
I think adult learners need to be reminded why they are being taught something, especially if it is material they do not immediately find useful to their education. I teach baking and pastry to culinary students. Often it is a bit of a "hard sell", because few intend to specialize in that field. On the first day of class, I ask them why they think it might be important for them to learn this material. It's a good icebreaker; and it opens the door to discussion about why they need the information I will give them, and how they will use it in future classes and jobs. My goal is to answer in as many ways possible the question, "Why am I in this class?". I often find myself saying "Okay, you need to know this because...", but it does help to drive home the point that they will use that information in some way later on.
One of the end goals of our program is certification in the field. Incorporing healthcare issues such as fraud and abuse in the lesson emphasizes the importance for accuracy and proficiency. The certification (as an outcome) speaks to this required competency and proficiency.
As an adult learner, relevant instruction plays an important role in not only the way I communicate and receive information. This relevant instruction is just like culture, or popular culture for lack of better words. A pedagogy that acknowledges, responds to, and honors relevant instruction for all learners is ideal. The best method for this is facilitating learning, and allows students the flexibility in the way they are able to learn. To respond this, I allow my students to choose the area of focus through course related topics, facilitated through personal interest learning projects facilitated through web applications and other assistive technologies for delivery.
My first reaction to the difference between younger an older learners was that we need to get younger learners to the palace where the older learners are - seeking relevance and application HOWEVER the way evaluation is structured we are training students to seek high test scores and have a reward system that supports prepping for a test instead of prepping for life. If we want to change the attitude of younger learners we have to change the way we evaluate them.
Hi Rachel,
You are right about the adults and their filters. This is why I enjoy teaching them because I have to make sure that I am on top of my game each and every class. Not that I should be anything but at the top of my game each class session but when I have younger students the filters aren't set at the same level. Often my younger students will take the content in and want to know what they will be tested on so they can pass the class rather than internalize it for future use. My older learners are looking for application and relevancy and I have to make sure they get both.
Gary
As adult learners, those filter are always ON. They are going to decide whether a class is truly applicable to their needs and their field of study. When designing my course content, I always try to bring it back to "real world" application. What can they take away from this course for the future? How will they see the world differently? What questions will they ask about the world? I also make it a point to be enthusiastic within my classes to show my own passion about the subject, this usually rubs off on there enthusiasm for taking the course.
During first day introductions students identify the specific area of interior design that interests them the most. I pepper lectures (materials topic) with examples from those areas. While the characteristics of a material are constant, having them imagine the material in a hotel setting or an office setting while asking their opinion for the scenario reminds them that the point is not to memorize characteristics but to consider application to the kind of design they want to do.
Hi Mariann,
Good for you and your program. I am a big fan of service learning. It helps students to see application and relevancy to what they are learning. I am sure you have many examples of how this works to inspire and motivate your students.
Gary
Hi Mark,
Good point. Service learning is a important part of the total educational process and it helps students to see relevancy and application to what they are learning.
Gary
