Hi Donald,
Thank you for that snapshot of how you approach your students. Well said and well done. I am sure your students really enjoy as well as learn much from your abilities, experiences and professional attitude. Keep up the good work.
Gary
I think that the real question is what techniques are going to be the most effective? Due to recent turns in economic conditions, the face of the college student is beginning to change. With an influx of career-change orientated students, students returning from war on the G.I. Bill, and students coming fresh out of high school, the levels of motivation are different across all three groups of people. It has been my experience that I can teach anyone anything technical, but motivation is something that you have or you don't. This is the primary reason that there are winners and losers in the world today.
Gary,
The way I motivate career college students is to relate the material we are covering to real life experiences. I keep the experiences to the point, and on target. I open up the floor to the students when I'm finished, and surprisingly enough, they stay on task, and give legitimate experiences of their own. It is a tremendous confidence builder when they find out that they have some knowledge of the subject already.
Don
This is a great idea and I've seen it work. Sometimes when an instructor tells students that a certain skill they are learning is going to be very beneficial to them in the workplace, they kind of accept it half-heartedly...yeah, yeah, whatever. But when a recent graduate tells them the exact same thing you said, boy do they hear it loud and clear!
Joanie
Since almost all of my students are adult learners that are holding down jobs, I encourage them to share personal experiences with the learning topics. I then build on theier experiences and facilitate further student discussion of the topics.
Again, as I stated in an earlier post, relating class material to their jobs and careers is by in and by itself a motivator. Most students are motivated if what they are studying gives them an advantage in their jobs or careers.
Instructors can be excited about what they teach. They can express that excitement to their students. They can be prepared for their classes with a well thought out lesson plan. They can share "good" war stories from the past - what they saw and experienced when they were in the field.
They can talk to and listen to the students. They can work students through problems one on one. They can always be available. They can bring in guest speakers who can share what they are expecting of people going into the field.
The final issues is grades. Assignments should be handed back graded on the next day. 3 weeks down the road is to long.
-Chris
I find empowering students as actors in real-life situations motivates students to learn and look forward to their career. For example, if we are deciding or evaluating an issue, I might call my students "Judge Jimmy or Judge Monica." I have found that when students have opportunities to appropriate subject-positions outside their everyday point of view, they appreciate and respect the identity shift. These acknowledgements (as judge, senator, president) show students their potential and give them a chance to visualize themselves as contributers in the world.
Quite possibly a BAD example... I teach two classes in rotation... Electronics and Computer Repair. In this day and age, computer components are plug and play... and it is not really worth the time and effort to resolder most components. AND since the majority of my students are enrolling for the computer aspect, the electronics class is particularly lacking in enthusiasm about the time we get cranking on Thevenins Theorem.
"I came here to learn COMPUTERS... I'm not going to be repairing toasters!"
Usually, here I pull a "pop quiz". I flag components on a mother board and have them write out beside the number on the flags on their own papers AND it's job, what it DOES. Once they have tried to visually distinguis a toroid from a capacitor and tried to remember how each one goes about storing for about 2 minutes, I run down the list of the answers. Then I play a documentary movie about the original "hackers" who made and programmed the first computers.
No, I dont take the grade for the quiz... I'm not COMPLETELY heartless.
Once the movie is over, we spend some time in discussion... where I do NOT tell them "THIS is why we are covering this stuff". Instead, I ask "harmless, innocent" questions leading them down the garden path until THEY say it.
Generally, I have found that "borrowed" motivation only lasts until we are out of line-of-sight of the person who gave it to us. Discovered, or REdiscovered motivation lasts a bit longer.
Hi Raana,
Good idea about taking students to the graduation ceremony. This gives them a clear picture of where they are headed if they keep their work up and stay with the program. Can be a strong motivator.
Gary
Instructor can motivate students by relating life experiences of student that went throgh the program and are successfull in their fields.
Taking the class to graduation ceremony is also an effective technique in this regard.
Hi Shanel,
Good approach to helping your students to complete their projects on time. Small steps and supporting timelines help you to help them complete their projects.
I have found that using this method reduces student frustration and stress, plus the projects get completed.
Thanks for your ideas.
Gary
There are many motivation techniques out there. One example is to allow the students to complete a final project by giving them small steps while praising/assisting them the entire way. An example of this is to comprise a business plan. A business student may want to develop a business plan that they can actually use. This can be done in small steps (for points) throughout the class. The final product will be a complete business plan that they can use. This can work in other classes as well, by creating portfolios. This way a student can compile their best work or see how far they have come.
Hi Nancy,
You covered a number of very good points in your forum response. One thing you mentioned (the development of soft skills) is critical. As you say many students have not had "soft skills" modeled for them so they aren't really sure how to react to discussions and group idea sharing. They need help with listening and showing respect.
Instructors should try and build into their instruction different opportunities to develop not only specific skills but career (soft) skills as well.
Gary
One of the biggest motivators some of our students discover in our classes is for someone to actually LISTEN to them and respect their point of view. We encourage participation and try to be very respectful when students express their ideas--even ones that are not necessarily socially acceptable. Usually the entire class will take the cue from the instructor so that the students learn to listen respectfully and learn not to be unnecessarily judgmental. They also learn to "appreciate" someone's good comments so that they are similarly rewarded by other students' appreciation. These are considered "soft skills" I suppose, but many of our students have never seen these modeled.
Hi Dr. Stover,
Well developed plan of progression for your students. Isn't fun to see how they progress and sometimes they don't even know it. Then one day they do something quite advanced and are surprised at how far they have come. This is what keeps most instructors excited about being in the classroom.
Gary
Clinicals, clinicals and more clinicals. Our students love the opportunity to practice and then demonstrate their hands-on knowledge and skills. We attempt to make each project a little more difficult than the last, in order to allow the student to experience the thrill of achievement on an ongoing basis and to reach their expected program outcome by building on each step. We find that the recognition that comes with their performance motivates them toward future goals.
Hi Taxpulat,
You listed a number of very good activities that help students to learn how to apply what they have learned in your class. It sounds like they are then ready to take the next step and apply this information to the world outside of the classroom.
Gary
The techniques are role-playing exercises, giving bonus points to students for subject-related researches, and in-class debates about the outcome of a situation.
ecognition after each time student do great work.
Hi Suzanne,
Sounds like you have a very student first approach to your teaching. Keep up the good work. You are using a targeted instructional way of meeting individual student needs while keeping the class on schedule.
Gary
