By getting to know a student's characteristics, you can add a personal motivational and learning perspective which the student may understand and relate to with greater ease and enjoyment. If the learning process can be perceived as fun, easy and approachable,the student will be more likely to succeed in their studies.
An instructor can't presume that students have had the same experiences that s/he did. Most instructors at career colleges did not go to one of them. We often went to traditional colleges and universities often with advanced degrees.
By grasping learner characteristics, an instructor can tailor a class to make it relevant to the learner without sacrificing the integrity of the subject matter. Without understanding learner characteristics, the course will be frustrating to the instructor and the student alike.
Understanding the characteristics of the student will help in the development of the lecture and how we present them to our students.
Salina,
Good point and one that needs to be remembered by all instructors as they approach the classroom. By customizing our instruction to meet the different learning preferences in our classes we will be more effective in getting our content across.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Judith,
This is one of the fun parts of teaching. We get to customize our instruction which means we can be creative and innovative in both content and delivery development. It is for sure we won't be bored if we are always on the look out on how we can be more effective in our instruction.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Understanding the learner characterics help in the instructional planning process by allowing the institution to create a plan that will grasp each student learning ability, and if we base our plan off of how they learn this will allow the student to succeed in his/her courses with excellent grades while buiding their confidence which will push them in to continuing their education and will at same time keep great retention rates. It will also aid the instructor in how to teach the class so that each student can understand the materials that are being presented to them.
Learner characteristics are valuable to the instructor because in a career based educational system a classroom will have a diverse audience. There are two issues to look at. First, there are the characteristics of each learner and second, there are learning style differences. In reference to student characteristics, it is important to be aware that each student is a product of the environment in which they grew up. Additionally, age has relevance. The society in which a student grew up in has a tremendous influence on them. For example, a student who is in their 50's had different experiences as a teenager than the student who is in their early 20's. All that went into a person's past is part of their present. They bring the good and the bad that has made them who they are with them, even into the classroom. It is important for the instructor to be aware of and sensitive to who each student is. Also, it is important for an instructor to be aware that adults as well as children have learning differences and learning disabilities. Some students will be visual learners. I have found this to be common among adults. The instructor will need to present lessons in several ways. Lecture will just not reach all of the students. I try to incorporate exercises; both group and individual into nearly all of my classes. This addresses the visual learner and the students seem to enjoy the diversion from a structured classroom. One important fact I always keep in mind is that adults are generally in the classroom to learn. The older ones seem to want results and often the younger ones are there for the ride. Again, it is the instructor's job to keep all of them on track. Diversity in characteristics are a challenge for the instructor. I am up for it.
When designing instructional opportunities, the designer often assumes that everyone learns the way he or she does. Unfortunately that could never be farther from the truth. For the program to be effective, it must be stimulating to the targeted audience. How can that be accomplished? The construction of an audience profile with the use of questionnaires can be a valuable start. The key to instructional design is to work around the participants rather than the content. It is very important to not develop a program based on the characteristics you hope your audience will have. You must be realistic, the audience may come to you with a wider variety of interests and knowledge. This may seem overwhelming and confusing for a program designer, but with careful preparation and open mindedness, a successful project can result.
Different teaching methods are definitely necessary. No two people are the same. I think it is important to define what specific students need and desire. Older students have been removed from the note taking, lecturing listening for a period of time. I am fortunate, I teach English, so I have the opportunity to give a lesson on note taking. I attempt to show them several methods including the structured method they will most likely recall from school some years ago. Adults are a challenge, but I'll take them any day over children. We are adults, so we can identify with a lot of their short comings.
The first characteristic to remember is that the adult learner, whether 18 or 50 is not a child. They should never be treated as if they are a child. I think this is what is sometimes difficult as an instructor in the classroom.
Adult learners need to be respected as adults.
I think it is important to be considerate of who the learner is and where he has been. The age they are will dictate what era of society they grew up in. Because environment has an impact on a person, an adult who was a teenager 30 years ago will think differently than the learner who is just coming out of their teen years. Additionally, older adults will have experienced many more personal experiences that most younger students have.
When understanding someones charecteristics the meaning of a person the likes and the do notlikes about that person...
Sharnel,
Not sure what this statement means. Can you expand your thinking on this?
Gary
Depending on the student and how they learn.
Getting to know your students capabilities and how they interpret the teaching method allows you to know which direction and how to go about getting the information across...
Understanding student characteristics is very helpful in the instructional planning process.
I read through most of the other responses to this question and I agree with where the majority of everyone was making their points. There is definitely a huge difference with younger and older student and their mentalities, perspectives and priorities. I will watch the expressions on the students' faces as I explain certain detailed techniques and gauge their comprehension. I can sometimes see that blank stare grow in some of the students eyes and I will either give a quick review or explain it again in another way. I have discovered that if I ask if there are any questions at that point, no will speak up in fear of being embarrassed.
Being able to spot the 'type' of learner each student is can be immensely helpful when teaching. When developing lesson plans it is beneficial to include different types of teaching characteristics within the lessons themselves.
When you spot a student who is a certain type of learner, you can use the particular lesson style that best meets that students' needs.
I've found that many of my students are visual thinkers, and some others do well with written instructions. I try to use the style best suited to the student, but also keep it 'mixed up' a bit to keep them on their toes!
Jeremy,
Good analysis if the different types of learners and how to work with them. With the level of understanding you have of them you will be able to accurately identify and then provide the appropriate instructional content and strategies.
Gary
Even though some students are visual learners and some are more hands-on learners, I try and give examples of both when teaching either lecture or laboratory. I will aks the students a question to find out if they visually understood the the subject or do I need to demonstrate something for them to more fully understand the subject being discussed. As well, since visual clues are important, I may make an expression or physically do something or shwo them something to further stress a point.
Hi Walter,
Good to meet you! This is an interesting and fun introductory activity. I also find that the simple task of writing expectations down goes a long way in student success.
Most people have goals that they store in their minds, but the act of writing them down, I have found, is tremendously important in helping to reach these goals.
I like to remind my students that each day they should ask themselves, "What am I doing today to reach my goals? What is the next step? Where do I want to be in 2 years? How about in 5 and 10 years?"
Often people can easily get bogged down in every day tasks and they may forget about the "big picture." By thinking about the big picture every day, and planning how to achieve their goals, I feel that students become more effective and accomplished.
Jeremy Bolton
