Kevin,
This is such a key point. There has to be value associated with what is being asked. If students do not see value then their motivation levels will drop and it won't be long before they are gone from the school.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Being able to build on previous knowledge helps students retain information and generalize it to other areas of life. To help a student explicitly connect the material to relevant areas and to find application opportunities is to help him/her find an individualized reason to learn the material.
I do not think anyone likes "busy" work. Students are spending money for classes and want to see a meaningful purpose to their activities. As, I restructure my classes in accordance with these concepts, I find students are motivated because they see the tangible goal.
Kathleen,
Thank you for these good comments as they reflect how we should approach the classroom or lab. By showing both relevance and application to our students we can help them grow in their career development and remain interested in the learning process. This sets them up for success once they transition to employment.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I think using relevancy and application for motivation is especially important for career college education. Asking to memorize a lot of facts can be tedious unless the student understands why they are learnign the information. Once they see the why they can apply the information to real-world examples and it creates an association that will help them to remeber the information. And it will motivate them to learn more. It like instead of seeing the indivdual puzzle peices, which can be overhwleming and daunting, they see how the pieces fit together to make the bg picutre, which is the final goal.
Tracey,
So true. Application and relevancy are two essential elements needed in the learning process. This is how students can associate value to what they are being taught.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Ellen,
Relevancy and application is critical for these students if they are to see the value associated with what is being studied. The more of these connections that can be made the better it is for the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
When students understand what they are learning and can apply it, they are motivated to learn more and are excited about learning.
Especially for students in a career college, relevancy and real life application, are important motivators. Adult learners are going to school for a specific purpose, not because they are mandated by law to attend.
Demonstrating relevancy and practical application reinforces the idea that they are getting educated in a way that will be useful in life, and also helps concepts become tangible.
Dr. Kipp,
I use this method a lot in my classes as well. The more connection we can make between their life experiences and the course content the more they will value the information being shared. They will see both relevance and application in what is being taught and this is what we are trying to do with all of our students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe that curriculum and instruction needs to trigger internal stimuli for the learner. Relevancy allows students to establish and maintain control over their learning processes. Many of my students have jobs and family situations with which to juggle the educational responsibilities and, therefore, bring to class extensive life situations. In order for the students to get their hands around the topic they are studying, I encourage students to share real-life experiences that enhance the learning outcome. Adult learners need to know how learning will enhance their lives. My students question authority and will reject learning information if the only apparent reason for learning is that the teacher demands it. They need to know why they need to learn a concept.
David,
This is a good point because students need to be able to see the ROI on their time and financial investment in being in college. We need to remind them of such often in our courses.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Adult learners young and old need to know that they will be able to use the knowledge gained. Whether it is through instruction, stories, or hands on is not relevant. The question is what can I do with it.
Naimah,
So true. Relevancy and application are two essential elements of the learning process. After sharing content with our students we need to be able help them make applications and then see relevancy in the material. By doing so we will have increased the value of the course to the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Relevancy is important because as a student if I can not see how the class content fits into my career, I will probably want to drop the class. If the students can see the relevancy, they will be motivated to stay on track with the course of study because they can see how it is going to benefit them.
Dana,
The more examples you can share the more value the students will associate with the content of the course. They start to see both the relevancy and application of the material in a way that makes sense and is understandable.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Michael,
This is the core of what you are trying to do with your students. You are showing them the value of what you are teaching through application. This increases the ROI of the content for the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I believe when explaining a concept pertaining to my field, I am able to convey numerous real life examples of how this concept might affect the students in respiratory therapy.I truly believe this allows the student to feel connected.
I agree. For example, it can be a challenge to teach a math formula unless the student can see the relevance. If I am talking about lung compliance and its formula, I need also share with the student the consequences of not calculating the formula when changing parameters on the mechanical device supporting the patient.
Jorge,
Relevancy and application needs to be a part of our instructional planning. By seeing both students will be able to see value in the content we share with them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
