Knowing why students have enrolled in a class will help you encourage them when they become discouraged by telling them why they started the class in the first place.
Knowing why students have enrolled in my program will help me plan the instruction because it will allow me to tailor my instruction to there needs. I will be able to focus on the reasons why they are in the class making the class much more meaningful to my students.
If you know if the student chose the class or was assigned the class it will give you a better plan of action in preparing your course. If they chose it they are already interested in the subject at some level but if they are assigned it you will need to work a little harder to peak their interest in the topic.
Hi Michael,
I commend you for finding a way around a situation over which you have no control. You still get the information you need about students and yet you keep the class moving forward as needed.
Gary
Because so much course content is crammed into such a short amount of time, I find that I don't have the time to ask students this question in class. So on the first day of class I give each of them a short survery or "getting to know you questionnaire" that asks them several questions that are important for me as an instructor to know, such as "Why did you choose to go to culinary school?" or "What do you plan to do with your culinary degree?" By knowing this I can better demonstrate how a course objective is relevant to a student's goal.
Know why students have enrolled determines to a great extent their amount of motivation. Some are attending because their parents have enrolled them and are paying while others understand that their future, and their family's future is greatly affect my their educational success.
Knowing why students enrolled in a specific program is useful because it allows me to tailor some of the material to their career goals. I teach general education courses, so I have a mix of different majors in my classes. During the first week of class, I make sure to get information from each student about what interested them in their program, what they plan to do with their degree (if they know at this point), as well as what they hope to learn from the course I’m teaching. For example, when I teach career development, I make sure to know exactly what type of position the student will be applying for; therefore, I can give them specific information about what they should include in their resume and cover letter, as well as places they can go (groups to join, etc.) to effectively network in their field.
I work for an Automotive training center. Part of our first day is to ask students why they chose this program. Several adults will state they're not happy with their current career and the automotive field is a long time passion. I find these adult students to be mature and focused in their studies.
I feel if I know the situation (homelife) of my students I can better understand their pressures and stablitiy in my class. When students have lost their job and are coming here in desperation for a new career or if they are coming because they watch a lot of foodnetwork kinda of lets me know their state of mind
In the first class of the quarter. Students are asked to share with the rest of the class the following areas.
1. What is your major
2. Why have you choosen this field
3. What is your dream job and why?
I then use these respones throughout the course to respond to each of the students how the course material relates to them.
Dr. C
Hi Craig,
What are some of the ways that you go about learning the reasons why students have enrolled you your program and classes?
Gary
At a career college we have a very diverse group of students from many walks of life. When I know what programs and the reasons they have enrolled I can use my life experiences more effectively.
Hi Joseph,
You make a good point about the students needing to see that hard work is required of success in any situation. Enjoying what you do is wonderful but you have to work at it as well. This is part of joining the "real world" that students need to see. It is hard work to be a student to get the skills needed to enter a field where hard work is required. All careers revolve around this central theme.
Gary
Knowing WHY a student has decided to enroll is important as it gives an intructor a direction to take in designing a course. I find most of my students in my institutions Automotive career courses are enrolled for multiple reason. The majority are passionate about cars in general and I share that enthusiasm, so relating to them in that respect is easy. A great many of them are also looking to escape from an economically deprived background and see a career as an Auto Technician as an easy path to that goal. In that respect, I find I have to show them that, while it is enjoyable and rewarding, its not necessarily an easy path to take.
Hi Wook,
Right you are. With these basic introductions you can develop a very clear picture of the students you have in the class and how you can meet their learning preferences. A very valuable exercise for starting a class.
Gary
It is simple to say, but simply..ask
The first day of introduction class is a great way of identifying different students as wellas their aspirations. Most students will be forthright with their answers. this allows the intructor to actively gauge into how he/she should conduct the class and to accomadate to the general needs of the students.
Hi Louise,
Right you are about the need for students to see application and relevancy in their studies. When they are taking required or elective courses they sometimes don't see the ROI (Return on Investment) that comes as a result of the courses. Instructors need to point these benefits out to students so they can see how each course contributes to their total career preparation.
Gary
When creating my lesson plans, I try to find areas of the lesson that can be applied toward their career goals. Often students who are taking a class that is not part of the career curriculum do not understand the need for "general education" course. By providing examples of how this general knowledge is applicable to performance in their industry, it keeps the students focused.
Understanding the motivation behind the students sitting in the course helps to plan the course through exercises and projects. As an instructor we can build off of this motivation and use it to keep the students going through the course.
