I think it help the instructor best target methods to make it easier for the learner to grasp concepts being taught. The more effectively he can relay thing to studentds in ways that engage them, the more effective he will be.
Wow, this is great, engaging students in an online environment is challenging and I'm sure this is a great help.
This is a great idea. Give a person that wants to take charge a leadership role. It would also be helpful to rotate and let the students see it from both perspectives.
It is important to understand what types of a learner your students are. Initially you learn a lot by having each of them introduce themselves and talk a little about themselves also. This way you will learn what they like, what interests them most, and a lot of other things that can be useful in planning your instructional process.
Understanding the adult learner, and what motivates them in their conquest of learning is one of the most important skills of the instructor. As we know all are motivated by different reasons, it is my job as an instuctor to try and learn these from having a good repoir with the students, and finding out their motivation. I try to deliver an overall instruction that will fit all of the students, based on the information I have aquired from them. this helps keep the class interesting, as the material is presented in the manner that hopefully all will get the basis for the information.
Student based response-Understanding learner characteristics not only allows the instructor to tailor the class to meet the learning needs of the student, but also allows for the identification of the weaker learning areas in each student. Therefore providing opportunities to strengthen those weaknesses, providing multiple planes of learning.
Educator based- understanding of one's self learning characterisitcs, allow for the same effect.The instructor will be able to identify their teaching weaknesses, thereby providing opportunity for improvement- proving multiple planes of learning
Some student tend to have a better understanding about a topic or skill than others and viseversa, so by working in a group and balance the student characteristics, strong abilities/weak as well, using good judgement can create a good environment for personal student developement and progress. I do agree the team work will definately encourage the students to get better in what they are week and being appreciated by their peers and instructor for their strong skills.
I began teaching with myself as the model of a student. It wasn't until I saw that there were many different student characteristics that i began to make my course more accessible.
Yes, I agree with you, but I will assign the most Experiienced person to be the leader of the group.
It helps to gauge where to start. if there are students without an understanding of the basic principals than introductory steps may need to be reviewed before more difficult proficiencies are covered. Must teach them to walk before you teach them to run.
It is one of the most important steps in delivering the information in a manner that will be recieved by the learners in a manner that will allow them to understand and relate to the areas covered
Understanding learner characteristics helps greatly in the instructional planning process. I try different things with each class. Today I split the class in two teams of eight with each team having their own oven and sous chef. They worked as a team to get four products done and through the oven. It worked really well. But I knew they would be able to handle the situation since this is week six we are together.
Hi Michael,
Excellent point that students sometimes miss. Instructors need to coach and mentor the students into the understanding the concept of the "golden rule". The people with the gold make the rules. Once understood then career success can start. If they don't get it they will spend a lot of time filling out job applications.
Gary
If I understand how my students learn, I can tailor the class and make modifications to meet their needs while still meeting all of the course objectives. I may change an activity to a different type, such as from written work to a discussion, or I may add supplemental material to fill in gaps in what I assumed they already knew coming into the course. I have found that even though I may teach the same course multiple times, I don't ever teach it the same way because my students are different, making the class as a whole different.
Interesting post. Educators as a group can't ignore the reality that the skill sets that get a person interested in a particular discipline are not necessarily those that will help them succeed in it. The industry I teach to has an attitude of rebellion that is not conducive learning or working well with others. The average student perceives that he should be able to remain a complete rebel and that employers and customers will enjoy with that. The truly skilled instructors can keep up student enthusiasm toward the industry while aligning them with the reality of the world.
It is absolutely essential to the learning process. In order to build effective lessons and activities, you must know how your students learn best. However, since we very often have a wide varitey of learner characteristics, it can be a bit of a challenge. I have found it best to vary my approach. I try not to stay in one thing for too long. By using multiple approaches, I have a better chance of reaching more students. As an added bonus, I have found that the more exposure my students have to the various learning models, the more likely they are to find that there is not a one size fits all method.
If you get to know the students, you know in which ways they learn. Everyone learns differently, but sometimes there a groups of learners so you can tailor you teaching techniques to these learners specifically.
I find that it takes alittle while to find this information out and learn to work with it, but it makes teaching and learning less frustrating.
One of the major components of effective teaching is effective understanding. Taking the time to listen to student concerns and issues and then apply that information to the instructional process, will capture more of the student body into the learning process. Simply "marching forward," with the lesson plan will undoubtedly exclude some learners. Constantly observing, listening, verbal and non-verbal, and asking will include more students into the learning process. Not all students fit into one model. The ability of the instructor to listen, adapt, and apply student characteristics into the instructional model will increase positive student outcomes.
By understanding learner characteristics it allows the instructor to use teaching methods that reach a multitude of learners.
This helps the instructor identify and understand how to encourage and support students to set them up for success. This also allows the instructor to provide the proper learning environment so students can acquire skills and work habits needed for their choosen career path. With this understanding instructors can guide and motivate students to master competencies in their field.
