Motivation Through Relevancy and Application
Why is it motivating for students to see the relevancy and application of what they are learning?
It is important to use relevant examples within the classroom so students can see how what they are learning in the classroom applies to their personal and professional lives. By making the material personal in some way, the students are able to connect to it and remember the information longer. Often when I am lecturing I will ask students to provide me "a real example" of what we are discussing. This helps the students to remember the concepts/ideas.
It provides a clearer understanding of why they have chosen this course or program. It allows a the students to see the value of the information and provides stronger working memory.
Robert,
These stories are great motivators for students. I use them a lot with my students with great results. Keep sharing these stories.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to sprinkle in stories of graduates who may have had several job offers before graduation. I emphasize their initiative and enthusiasm, hoping it will inspire current students to dig a little deeper when they feel discouraged.
Many of my students want to learn something that they can apply in their career paths. They don't want to complete "busy work." I try to show the students a direct application for most of what we learn in the class. I try to be as practical as I can when teaching so the students can say, "this is relevant to me."
I always use real world scenarios in my classroom. When I begin to explain certain things to students, they at times get this certain look on their face as if they do not know exactly what I am speaking of. I have found by using real world situations, the students not only grasp the material but they also never forget the life application on how I presented it and they begin looking at other life experiences they have had that relates to the scenario.
Edward,
Yes they do need to connect with their new career field. If they do not then they will have a tough time getting motivated and doing the work needed for course success. If they can project and see themselves working in their field then their enthusiasm will increase and their engagement will be enhanced.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Students need to connect with their new career field, to assure themselves they made a good choice. I feel they need to have a constant reminder of what their learning relates to in their new career field.Having students apply what they have learned to simple projects, builds their self-confidence.
Thomas,
I teach a required general course so I encounter your experiences on a regular basis. It is a selling job for sure to convince the students that the course content will help them move closer to their career goals while providing them with valuable skills. The more connections to the work world the better. You are doing a good job of that with your instructional approach. Keep up the good work.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In the program I teach, often times the students do not know why they have to learn certain subjects as they feel the subjects do not relate to their focus. Once explaining why or how it ties to the subject of their focus, they are motivated to learn more about. They see how learning these “sub-topics†will only enhance their expertise.
Tom,
Thank you for sharing this activity with us. It is a great role playing situation that helps to prepare your students for the real world they are seeking to enter. The feedback you got from some of the students tells you it was a good one and I know they are looking forward to some of the same types of activities as they progress in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In my class today I had what could have been a boring written assignment where the students had to research and write a proposal for a client to switch from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1. When presenting the assignment I added a little twist that wasn't in their instruction sheet, they now had to present their proposals to the class as if the class were the client. A few balked but I explained that this often happens in the IT field. After class several students approached me and asked if we would be doing more of these assignments and stated that they were looking forward to them.
If students do not see a connection between learning and actual life experiences, they will feel that the material is not useful in the work environment and that they are wasting valuable time that could be directed towards other more important things in their lives. The connection between what they are learning and how they can utilize it in the real world is paramount to their retaining the information.
Kelly,
Great activity. This is such a wonderful way to make their education come alive and for them to see the value of what they have been learning. This way you are helping them to see the transition they are going to be making from being students to being professional dental assistants. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Shawn,
I agree. This is so important for the reasons that you list. It is an honor to be able to go on to school and select a career to prepare to enter. Being reminded of this helps students to see the value of what they are doing as students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
At the end of a term, I have my students do a "mock day in the life" of their chosen career. I teach dental assisting, so I set up the clinic and hand out schedules of mock patients and procedures. The students work in small groups consisting of a dentist, an assistant, and a third person to help clean up. They all rotate and play each role throughout their mock day. For example: They will have 5 or 6 "patients" to see. They each are to arrive at a certain time and have certain procedures done. The students are required to set up for the procedure, perform the procedure, and clean up after the procedure. It actually allows the student to use all that they have learned throughout the semester and how to stay on task. By the end of their mock day, the students are feeling pretty proud of their accomplishments,reflect on how much they actually retained from the semester and have gotten to practice things they may not have had confidence in before. It's a very positive day and the students get that "ah ha" moment when everything they have learned fall into place and make sense.
When a student sees the relevance and application of what they are learning they become very excited because they can see this align with their goals of coming to school. There is also a great deal of excitement and hope given to the individual student with the reality of a new career coming into view.
I believe students need to see the value in their education. They have given up family time, finances, and many other sacrifices to be in school. They want those sacrifices to not be in vain.
Heather,
When the light bulb comes on then you as an educator get that feeling of success and reward. You know they got it and that it will be of value to them in the future. When this happens it is a win win class session for everyone.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
