Why are we doing this?
Adult students in particular want to see the relevency in everything they do. In part I believe this is because they have experienced situations where they felt like their time was wasted in a meaningless activity. Adult students make a lot of sacrifices to go back to school; child care, work arrangements, borrow large sums of money, etc. As a result they expect a meaningful return on this sacrifice. Relevent activities reinforce why they are here and they see a direct and immediate benefit to making the choice to return to school.
Joel,
I definitely agree with you. I see quite a large portion of my students as adults who are returning to school due to life events or simply because they have a change in their desired occupation. In either case, they do look for rationales behind each lecture note and each activity assigned to them. I think it is important, as this section spoke about, to take on all of the characteristics of a good instructor as well as to allow these students in particular to use previous experiences to help them see the relevance in what they are learning.
Also, to expound upon your comment regarding the sacrifices made to return to school, this is the prime example of when to frequently and relevantly give your students positive reinforcement. They may be so worried about their circumstances outside of work, as well as intimidated by returning to the classroom, that a little reinforcement can go a long way. I know I have witnessed that personally, and it really makes a difference to see a student's excitement when receiving positive feedback as they properly execute a relative skill.
Thanks!
Amy
