I teach A & P to medical and massage student so relavance is different for each group. As an RN, I can give anecdotal evidence as to how the information they are learning will be used in a medical setting. As a massage therapist, I can stress the condtioins that a client may present with and how they will need to treat them.
Hi Charles,
Sharing applicable personal experience is a great way to demonstrate course relevancy. Students enjoy hearing about our applicable personal experiences.
Patricia
Hi Annarose,
Applications that students will be doing on the job is a sure way to demonstrate course relevancy.
Patricia
Hi Debbie,
Students need to hear what is encountered in the real world. Our students need to know what to expect once entering the real world.
Patricia
I like to share my day's events on the job with my students. Nothing that requires a lot of time, but by relating what I encounter on a job it opens up
discussion among the students and reinforces that there's more to just learning the mechanical skills needed in our profession.
Provide practical professional applications
Hi Arlene,
Students do not like not knowing. It really puts students at ease whenever experiences are shared with them as to what to expect in the world of work.
Patricia
By sharing little things that happen during the day on my job I can keep students interested, interested enough to ask questions; and ultimately bring in how my experience is relevant to the skills I am teaching at night. Usually students are eager to hear things unique to our field. Sometimes I take a job and afterwards make a mental note to tell the
students what I encountered to prepare them.
Using a Syllabus and completing everything on it.
Provide students with real business world examples of information, materials, and/or topics covered in the course. When possible use personal experience to demonstrate relevancy.
Usually I talk about my own early experiences in the field to give the students some perspective about what to expect when they get out there.
Hi Melissa,
I have heard good things about this assignment. Try it, it has proven to be very effective. I like the idea about short-term motivation; this makes a lot of sense.
Patricia
Hi Winsome,
Students like hearing about our eperiences in the workplace as they apply to what is being learned. Students are highly motivated by applicable stories.
Patricia
Hi Mark,
Great ways indicated to show course relevancy. Students really get excited about current events related to the lesson.
Patricia
Hi Mark,
Students get excited when they can see that jobs are out there. They automatically buy in to the course.
Patricia
First, I try to find out what the students' career goals are, then I am able to point out some of the advantages of knowing and implementing our subject, in order to achieve success. I also draw on my own experiences and the benefits of implement specific strategies.
I think the relevancy issue is very difficult in core classes like English (which I teach) and Math, etc. I try to not just show how these skills are going to affect them in their careers, but also in the other courses they take. Sometimes emphasizing a more short-term benefit can be more motivation. I really like the idea posted in March about giving a first assignment in English having the students research and then present the reasons why writing is important to thier field.
Jo Ann,
That's a great idea. Think I'll do the same-
regarding circulating newspaper ads in class for Medical Assistants and Surgical Techs, that I teach.
Mark S
These techniques may be used:
(1)In class personal examples of how understanding of core course content actually helped me succeed in my work experience.
(2) Reading & discussing, in class, current
newspaper articles relating directly to course
content topics.
(3)In my field, passing actual physical examples
around the room to illustrate course content,
e.g., model of actual size adult kidney, or a
bottle of normal saline solution, etc.
Hi Shalomar,
Students are very interested in hearing stories as they apply to the course content. Great discussions generate based on good story telling.
Patricia
