Shannon,
Good point. We can't take the "one size fits all" approach if we are going to be successful. We have to bring variety to our delivery and as a result we will engage our students.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
assessing weak and strong points of student.
If you understand the students learning pattern you will have more "awww hah" moments because you present it to them in a way that they can recall the information versus just memorizing information.
I have a wide range of ages in my class, and my younger students are not always as patient with revisiting concepts for the older students that may be having more trouble grasping the information. So after the lecture and labs, we often play games to reinforce information. One of the favorites is Jepardy. I downloaded a template from the internet and you can insert and questions you want to fit your class. This gets the review to the older students and the younger ones enjoy the competetion.
by understanding their characters you change your teaching ways to accomodate their acceptance to the informations
I think one of the biggest mistakes instructors make is to take the "cookie cutter" approach. In order to effectively teach ALL students, we need to implement a variety of teaching methods for a variety of learning methods. Diversity in our classrooms requires this type of flexibility to fully engage the students and facilitate learning.
I believe that in this day in age we all are very diverse. If you are atentive to the details of whats going on around you particularly while instructing things seem to work out well.
If you can understand how your students learn (via way, pace, and style) it is easier to plan your lessons around that. Incorporate different learning characteristics into 1 lesson to try to make it easier for everyone. I also feel that it breaks up my monotony of just lecture teaching.
It helps because it gives you a better understanding of how to teach that particular student.
It helps because it gives you a better understanding of how to teach that particular student.
Reinforcement will be good for helping to understand the learner. Since each individual learns differently, it is always good to be able to reach each learner with an instructional plan that factors in those who are slow learners. So ecnouraging class participation will help the instructor to identify the learner charateristics.
It helps to build a connection between instructor, student, and material. Instructors should identify how they can present material to visual, audio, and kinesthetic learners. It helps the instructor improve their teaching skills and students grasp material in the best way that they learn.
Michael,
Good example of what it takes for students to be successful. Courtesy is owed, respect is earned and rapport is establish. Each one of these steps depends on the outreach an instructor offers to each student.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Individuals have different ways of learning. It is important that we realize student differences inorder to expedite the learning process.
Understanding learner characteristics helps in the instructional planning process because when you know and realize and understand the best ways in which your students can most effectively absorb and learn material, you are then optimally equiped to design the best teaching strategies for that class. With my entry level allied health field students, I truly believe in the wealth of knowledge that guest speakers can impart to my students -- and guest speakers provide a welcomed break for my students from listening to my instruction over and over.
I will revert to my background in marketing to answer this question: you have to know your customer and you have to know how your product will satisfy the needs of the customer.
By determining the type of student you have (i.e. traditional, nontraditional) you can set the stage for the development of a dynamic leaning process.
If I have nontraditional students in my class, I try to draw them out to give examples to the other students of how what we are learning appear and apply in the “real worldâ€
If my students are traditional, then it is my responsibility to show how the theory we are learning is applied in the “real world†by giving examples from my experience or from news and current events
In an eclectic class I try to use the nontraditional students as “motivators by experience and example†for the traditional students by having the nontraditionals use their life experiences as example of how it is in the workforce
Understanding learner characteristics of students gives the instructor an idea of how the students learn and instructional planning can be more effective if the teaching methods are on point.
Cynthia,
Since so many students bring into class heavy life challenges this is a good way to encourage and support them while helping them to continue moving forward to their career goals.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I believe that you can direct an adult learner to successful learning if you are more aware of the difficulties that surround them not only in the classroom but outside in their personal life. I tell students that have considerable issues (and even those who don't)in their outside life to use school as an retreat from their issues, a place where their focus can be on goals and learning of skills (I tell them to put their problems in a box outside the door - close it - and don't open it until they leave). I have found that many have never consider this option and when they do school not only now provides a future career but also a way to focus only on their abilities as a student and success in the classroom. I have had some very positive changes in regards to the way students then look at school and the classroom experience.
Most of my student learn hands on but in A&P for example which is more thoretical but may be made more interesting and hands on by showing pictures and talking about its clinical significance.
