Hi Karianne,
Students gain a great sense of excitement for the course whenever the instructor can share practical stories/experiences.
Patricia
I give past on the job experiences of my own that pertain to the topics we're covering in our classes. This sends them a message that I've had working knowledge of the topic and it's relevant to their profession.
as an instructor with many years of experience in the subject matter I enjoy giving them practical applications and real world experiences.I find it helps them understand why it is important for them learn certain concepts and procedures.
To really make the subject meaningful to the student they do have to see the value in an assignment or in the course work. In a technical enviorment it is good after explaining something in "theory" to then show them hands on examples of how that applies. Once they can see a "real time" example of the things you described in "theory" they see how important that material is and you have them "hooked"
I like that Lynn. I like to have students think and talk about how they may get the promotion. What makes them a better choice than someone else if they both have the same credentials.
Hi John,
I like the analogy of the wrapping paper. Students must practice great communication skills so that prospective employers take an interest in them.
Patricia
Hi Sheila,
Students love it and want the lesson to be made real as it applies to the real world. Students tend to have more of a keen interest in the subject matter when it is taught from a practical perspective.
Patricia
Demonstrating "real-life" application of course material, bringing in role model graduates or other professionals, and updating course material to current application in the work place.
As we just learned in this module, when the instructor can relate the course content to what is for the student and how it will affect his performance and attitude, it creates a need to know. The students start to take ownership of their education.
I teach pharmacology and giving examples of right and wrong things to do and the consequences associated with those actions need to be said. I have a lot of stories, some fun, some not so fun (legal implications). Sharing life experiences with students is very useful.
As we just learned in this module, when the instructor can relate the course content to what is for the student and how it will affect his performance and attitude, it creates a need to know. The students start to take ownership of their education.
I teach pharmacology and giving examples of right and wrong things to do and the consequences associated with those actions need to be said. I have a lot of stories, some fun, some not so fun (legal implications. Lefe experiences shared with my students are very useful.
Hi Ken,
Knowing the requirements on Day 1 is important. Students need as much advanced notice as possible. Our students have real hectic lives.
Patricia
I think one important strand here is to get students to realize how they have been commmunicated with [i.e. propagandized] without them even knowing it. If they see how effectively communication can be used to get results, they may be inspired in two directions -- one to be more effective communicators, and the other to be a more critical and self-aware consumer of communications.
The issue of being able to speak the language of business is a good place to start. In IT, I stress how understanding business processes makes the difference between being an employee who is the 'go to guy' and the ex-employee. So knowing how to talk about the 'bottom line' really is the bottom line for success.
Even more powerful here, I think, is having an actual employer come in to the class and speak of the importance of effective reading, writing, and calculating skills. To show that this is not merely a 'one-off' assumption, you can reference a wide variety of surveys showing that one of the most valuable skills employers look for is good communication skills.
Good grammar is like nice wrapping paper on a candy bar -- it may not have anything to do with the taste, but it motivates you to buy it in the first place.
In teaching IT concepts, this is a genuine problem, because the relevancy of the course may not be immediately self-evident. Instead, one particular course may be like a brick in a wall -- useless for the intended purpose unless bound together with the mortar of experience.
Even so, there is one way that even a fairly introductory class can be made more relevant: "Talk Like A Network Pirate" [less, of course, the concept of being a pirate. Getting the students to understand that they need to be able to grasp, for example, what someone means by a reference to a "Layer 2" device can be helpful in getting a fairly theoretical [and not hands-on concept] concept like the OSI model across.
Once the basics of knowledge has been acquired, in IT, I find involking the concept of "button monkeys" to be helpful. That is, with a modern Network OS or control system, it is possible to do useful work just by knowing when to click what button. If you don't have a good understanding of the theoretical and applied basis of what happens when you press the button, however, you will not be able to respond to requirements for upgrades or disaster recovery, because you will not know the basis for the network in the first place.
As another example of this, in ACCESS, it is possible to implement a query by point-and-click and drag-and-drop. What you are doing, of course, is writing an SQL statement 'behind the scenes' -- but what is it does not work? If you know the SQL command syntax, it can be a quick matter to get something to work the way it *should*, whereas with the GUI, you might never realize what is wrong.
Of course, this begs an immense question -- that the course is actually relevant in the first place....
Telling them the importance at the beginning of class along with giving them examples.
As an instructor of general studies, it is often a challenge to relate the relevancy of the course directly to the student's careers. I meet with the program director of the group I am about to teach and they assist me in making the connection between course content and how it will play into the student's futures. I also assign brief research reports for students to share with the class, that will reinforce the benefit of the subject matter to their career choice.
Hi Martin,
Find out from each of them what they expect to gain from the course and try to target these expectations in the lessons.
Patricia
Great idea and suggestion!! Thanks
I like to bring in students who have recently graduated and are working in the field to speak with the students. This person is the "goal" the new students are striving for. The graduate explains to them how the course is relevant to their profession.
Patricia, I have also found that if the course doesn't meet their career needs, they sort of disconnect if they are stuck in a required course -- seems like just going through the motions. That has been a big challenge upon occasion. Marty
