Hi Joseph,
Good example of learning learner characteristics. Little things really are big things when it comes to personal recognition such as in learning student names. This really sends the message that the instructor cares about each student.
Gary
I teach in a program that sees almost an equal number of recent high school graduates as of second (or third or fourth, etc.) career types (the non-traditional learners referred to in the lesson). I find it a very useful tool to be able to include a variety of backgrounds and personalities in my classes' small-group work, as it allows for more experienced students to give of their wisdom and younger students to give of their energy. It makes small groups a very important part of my lesson planning, and results in intergenerational study groups outside of the classroom. This has consistently been a good thing for my students over the long run.
Understanding the characteristics of learners, especially adult learners, is crucial to the instructional planning process. The main issue is whether the instructor can actually do anything about many of the issues addressed in the instructional model.
I am very fortunate, because the majority of the learners I deal with already understand the Return On Investment (ROI) and are prepared to learn the process that my organization teaches. Our students are worried about being embarrassed if they don’t learn the processes and can’t perform in their new workplace. I do not have to worry about retention, parking, administrations, student assistance, and the other items mentioned.
We use several tools to access the characteristics of each student group, to include; pre-tests, career experience, and evaluations during practical exercises. These assessments allow us to leverage the more mature and experienced students to foster their mentoring skills and guide the less experienced students.
Understanding learner characterics is an imperative consideration I believe. Without which an instructor would be nothing more than semi-useless marginally interactive talking head.
Understanding is the bridge to capable interaction on a meaningful level to the student. It is a way, I think, of making the classroom experience and the theoretical information real and relevant to the learners personal expectations.
Understanding learner characteristics is another mechanism by which an instructor can more specifically tailor course content and delivery to maximize the learning experience for each student.
Understanding learner characteristics helps in the instructional process by enabling the instructor to create a comfortable learning environment. An example would be, in a culturally diverse class, knowing each student’s name and how to pronounce it correctly.
You may sometimes have to alter your teaching technique to fit the learning capability of a particulier student.
Hi Nancy,
I like the way you are using the resources of life experiences that you have available so your students can share with each other plus develop the confidence to succeed in your class. Many of the more career mature students need this type of boost to keep them enrolled in school.
Gary
Hi Joseph,
Critical thinking skills are essential in career success. By doing what you are doing you are giving your students the opportunities to develop those skills. They should really appreciate such opportunities because these skills will serve them well in their careers.
Gary
I have found that many adult students in class soon get over their fear of not succeeding in class or being intimidated by younger students if they are encouraged to share relevant stories about their life experiences.
Although I teach a writing class, I think any classroom may benefit from students sharing relevant life experiences. I have built several lesson plans around responses to these types of experiences.
The younger students see the benefit of learning from someone elses' experience, and the older students get to shine as examples.
Understanding how students learn is essential to knowing what instructional method is best for them. I am interested in empowering students to use language and experience to communicate effectively in writing. Students’ success depends largely on their ability to understand and use the English language. For that reason, it is vital for me to know how students are situated in a world that is essentially mediated through language. What do they know about their world from texts, such as newspaper, television, and the Internet? Understanding how students gain knowledge of their world helps me, in turn, to know how best to approach the teaching of English. My aim is that students will learn how they connect to what they read and become, as a result, critical of the texts and media they consume.
Yes, I think you are right. WE need to take the time to find those unique characteristics of pur students. Everything goes better when we do that. It is so interesting to see how different each class that I teach is. My teaching style is also different depending on the type of class that I have.
Amalia Foster
I believe that we have an obligation to our customers (students) to provide the best service possible. Understanding the learner’s characteristics gives us the ability to provide the tools necessary to help the student help themselves succeed.
Hi Carol,
I create study teams (2 to 6 members depending on class size) in my classes. The teams are a mix of students, meaning different background, ages, etc. I have found that with a common problem facing them, they work well together to reach the solution. In the process of working on the problem they start to develop rapport and respect with and for each other. Not always successful in every case but is successful the majority of the time.
Gary
I totally agree with you. I teach at a technical college, and often find it difficult to get students of diverse ages and backgrounds to interact with each other. I find they often tend to self group with those that most closely identify with, and suggestions?
Carol Kravitz
Hi Gordon,
You make an excellent point about listening to students and then customizing instruction relating to the outcomes of those sessions. This is so important when you have students like your experienced business person. I to have had such students and I make it a point to talk with them and try and determine how I can structure their learning experiences to benefit their career goals. One of them was a downsized CEO of a multi-million dollar company. Talk about experience! He was great to work with and I learned much from him that I still use today in my classes.
Gary
Sandy, I thought I'd like to jump in and comment here. I have personally found that teaching adult learners in the online world requires less time than in a ground class if the preparation and content is clear and well-layed out. I always include a DQ within each course to ask for feedback on how to improve the course and layout. Over a number of times teaching a certain course I've been able to integrate that feedback into the course design and now it runs quite smoothly. I do think however it is nearly impossible to get it right just out of the shoot. I also think constant tweaking is required.
Gordon
Great point. Remembering the name and using the name of a person in any setting establishes a feeling of being valued. This only enhances the learning process.
gw
This is a very interesting question. I was rather surprised by some of the interactions I had with a few students. For example, we use a standard APA format on all written papers. The most common complaint is what use is that format in the real world. In other words, some students challenge why they need to follow a format, particularly when the format is academic and also since the rubric puts a percentage of the grade based on their use of the format. In the discussion I had with one student he went out of his way to demonstrate he had lots of business experience. It was interesting for me to see where he was coming from and by having the conversation and validating his points the rest of the course went much better.
Understanding the nature of the learner is critical or we as instructors are not able to have those conversations which enhance the course for both us and the student.
gw
I feel that an important learner characteristic is the understanding of the motivating factors that the learner represents.
Maintaining a perspective of the various motivating factors is critical to the instructional planning process. Is the learner motivated by positive reinforcement? Is the learner motivated by the final grade? Is the learner motivated by the acquisition of skills to be applied in a practical way? Is the learner motivated by the prospect of accumulating knowledge and experience?
With these questions in mind, an instructor will be aware of the various opportunities to enhance the learners motivation, to inspire passion in the subject-matter and to desire to achieve both academically and professionally.
Utilizing methodologies to address these motivating factors and implementing them into the curriculum, the lesson plan, the follow-up, the assessment will allow for maximizing the potential of the individual learner.
