Hi Nichole,
You do a fine job by making learning apply to the real world so that students fully understand the relevancy of the course.
Patricia Scales
I show how excited I am in the information and skills they will learn. Add in a few examples of how the requirments/expectations will aid them in their careers and ask them to share with the class why they have chosen this career path.
My primary tactic for buy-in is very simple. I have found over the years that as students become more aware of the practical applications of lessons they are more likely to become involved. As such when introducing concepts and the course itself I very bluntly spell out the use of the course and specific materials. By linking these concepts to the overall lesson students can see how nonparticipation can affect their ability to earn.
I use different activities to show how the content is relevant to the field. I use field trips that reinforce a concept from the course. And I assign projects that use course content in which they use to create and present their topic to the class.
Hi Noelene,
I like how you get your students to buy into their ownership. Students feel apart when they have a say.
Patricia Scales
I often poll the class in terms of how they would like to see contecnt covered....through group work, quizzes, practical, lecture, online exercises etc and try to maintain a mix of these modalities, but being sure to stress the main needs of the class.
I also use this as a tool when setting classroom rules. The students help develop consequences for disruptions etc on day one of class, we compile these as a group with my input as well, then it is written and signed by the students.
This way, students feel that they have some control in their class, and also can see how the disruptions affect not only the instructor, but other students as well.
Getting buy in from all students must be a priority. I would say many students come to the class prepared and ready to engage. Students that are reluctant, unmotivated or disinterested in buying into the class should receive additional attention and focus to ensure that they do not get left behind. A combination of the teacher doing their part to teach the material and also drawing the student in are key components.
Hi Traci,
Super variation of teaching methods. Bringing a class to life is definitely a way to promote course relevancy.
Patricia Scales
My class is a hands-on lab, so each day is unique. Every day brings a new technique and a new theory, so I am always trying a different approach (such as games, real life situations or examples, etc) to bring these skills to life. Since my classes tend to be 10 students, they can work in smaller groups or we can come together as a whole. This allows students from various backgrounds, age groups, and comfort levels to participate and come out of their shells.
In my class I have a "Sit Down Talk" Half Way through the term and evaluate how they have received the materials. If they feel it was a average workload I keep doing what I am doing. For the advanced people I give them "Add On Materials" that prepare them for next term and keep them excited/interested. For the needing more help students I try and ask what they need help on and assist or ask if they need more than I can offer and get a tutor…
The biggest challenges for me is getting buy in for foundational classes, especially lectures. I found that using practical exercises whenever possible keeps the students engaged as well as re-enforcing ones learning objectives.
Hi Kenneth,
What a response! Instructors have to do a superb job selling the course to students to generate buy in. When the instructor lets the students know how the course is going to help them in their career, students tend to buy in because they understand the benefit of the course to them.
Patricia Scales
Hi Christopher,
You are right! Students want to know how the course is going to be applicable to the workplace.
Patricia Scales
Buy in is a term that is so often used but not explained how. “Did you get your boss’s buy in on the project?†“Yes he agreed after I explained.†Is this buy in? Maybe, maybe not, he just agreed to the idea. Did the supervisor want that outcome already or did he need his thought patterns changed to agree.
Buy in could be defined as:
The agreement of an individual or group of individuals to the thought patterns of another individual or group of individuals by means of persuasive argument (K. Hewes)
As instructors, we need to develop buy in from the student. We cannot assume that because the student has registered for class that they have buy in. The class might be a prerequisite class that bares no interest for the student and the instructor is charged with the task of developing buy in from the student. Even boring subject matter can and should be brought to life where interesting matter can be delivered in a lifeless method which will cause loss of interest from the student.
The easiest place to get the student to mentally financially invest in buy in is at the beginning of the first class. Instructors can have the student invest in buy in later but the financial investment increases on both sides (instructor and student) of the transaction. In the first day of the class the instructor needs to deliver the syllabus with the goals, outcomes, and matrixes so the students know what is expected. Eliminating surprises reduces the student’s anxiety and develops the first purchase of buy in. The student will know what to expect. An example is class calendars which help the student understand when, where, and how the class material will flow.
Students will purchase additional buy in if they are an active part in the education process. They are not just occupying a seat in the classroom waiting for the last tick of the clock before they leave. Class activities that are designed to use critical and creative thinking skill that can be related to actual work experience can show students why the education and activites are relevant to their desired path. The buy in is developed when they student understands the activities (homework, reports, presentation, etc.) and its direct relationship to gaining their desired career. An example would be group activities that produce a single item teaches students interpersonal skills with working with diversity.
Student buy in is very important for the instructor. Working from the first minute of class to have the student expend mental finances to the buy in process will develop better students. Students with mental buy in generally attend class regularly, achieve better education success, and are less likely to withdraw from class or school. The instructor’s role in producing student buy in is to develop methods, plans, and process that will have the students eager to spend emotional and mental finances.
Using "real life" examples where I have used the subject matter that the student is learning. It gets the students thinking that they will use the material.
I use real life examples of things in their field. This helps the students realize that the things they are learning now really are relevant to their long-term goals.
I try to associate the "real world" aspects with the course. I have found that my adult students are very interested in learning and knowing how my "beginning" course could be relavent to what the business world may require of them. Basics may sometimes seem boring, but everything builds upward from a solid foundation!
Hi Mary,
When students understand the relevance of the course as it applies to their career, they will definitely buy in.
Patricia Scales
Hi Tom,
I agree! When students can actually apply what they have learned, they got it!
Patricia Scales
Hi Donald,
I concur! A good indicator to determine that a student has bought into the course is when the students keeps coming back every day to class.
Patricia Scales
