Tenisha,
The effort you are putting forth to learn more about your students is so important in understanding and supporting their learning needs.
Gary
Episodic memory can be powerful, as we know from personal experience. The trick is tapping into it to aid the education process. It is often easier to do this in softer sunjects such as communication and critical thinking. In algebra, I itry to use concrete applications from episodic memories to establish the intuition for the subject. For example in attempting to motivate a lesson in linear algebra, I draw a city map and talk about landmarks and directions and how we navigate without GPS. Then I consider a GPS and ask how it works. I can step to coordinates from there and eventually move to graphing equations. DOesn't always connect the way I hope, but it opens the learning the process.
Understanding the basics of learning will benefit me as an instructor because I will be able to focus in on what type of learning environment each student needs so he/she can gain the most out of the course. Currently, I do a learning style assesment with each student (a simple survey) and from there I can plan for that class. I might adapt this assesment to also incorporate some information on how the brain functions, and share this information with my students as the evidence of why it is important for me to understand their learning style.
Larry,
Great way to bring episodic memory experiences into the learning process. You are helping your students to "connect the dots" in terms of learning content that they can apply to their own lives as well as see the relevancy.
Gary
Understanding the basics of learning will benefit me as an instructor because I will be aware that differences exist. Also, I can choose instructional strategies that will target each type of learner and various learning styles.
An example is say that Jay has been in prison for five years for robbery and has a 10th grade education. Lin has been going to the community collge for about 2 years now.
I ask the learners to explain the various parts of a speech. To this, Jay asks, "What do you mean?" Lin raises his hand and begins to give an answer. Jay interjects at the mention of each part of the speech that he doesn't understand. My job as an instrutor would be to revisit the parts of the speech to bring Jay up to the learning level of the class.
Tracy,
Good example of the diversity found in classes today. We need to be able to provide support to and for all of our learners providing they are willing to put forth the effort required to be successful.
Gary
Understanding the basics of learning is vauable for an instructor because it strengthens your ability to teach and adapt to many different learning styles.
Rickey,
Right you are. This understanding helps with customizing instruction based upon the identified needs of the students.
Gary
Liked the info on concrete and eposodic memory. Never realized how this worked. I often tell the students when they actually DO a procedure in a clinical setting they will remember it much better than me just dicussing it in class.
I agree you need to learn about your students on the first day.
Dr. Meers,
Before adapting my instructional strategy, during the first week of class I am investing time in examining the student’s characteristics as: Assessment learner characteristics (Smith & Ragan, 2005).
General Characteristics (languages and reading levels, visual or ability to gain information from graphic), general or specific aptitudes.
Specific prior knowledge.
Target audience / Social (gender, ethnicity, racial group, age, general heath, sensory perception,)
Affective characteristics (interest, motivation, attitude toward learning, anxiety level, belief…)
During my introduction and presentation, the assessment can be conducting on different or all methods by observation, interviewing, small written essay about asking why are they motivation, personal and professional goals, and what and why they choose the programs. Based on the information recollected, could help to determine the types of learning ( Cognitives skills, declarative, intellectual,procedure, problem solving, psychomotors and attitudes), and to plan the teaching methods.
Rothwell & Kazanas, (2008) believed by analyzing the learning outcomes and selection appropriate strategies are essential.
References
Rothwell, W. J., & Kazanas, H. C. (2008). Mastering the instructional design process: A systematic approach (4th ed.). San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.
Smith, P. L., & Ragan, T. J. (2005). Instructional design (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
I think understanding the differences between short and long term memory can help relate to what a student is learning. i may focus more on concrete examples when introducing new concepts.
It's important to be able to identify the various learning styles and barriers to learning in each class. This helps the instructor assist students in being successful.
I realize I would probably use more anecdotal and episodic content in a lesson more often, cutting down on dry lecture. I believe students, especially in career colleges, would resonate deeper with that.
-E.A.W.
By adapting your teaching style, or method, you can tailor to the students preferred style of learnng. If a student is more visual, you could use more demonstrations to get your point across,for instance.
I have classes ranging in age from 18 to 50 year olds and each learns differently. with the mature learners I can use methods that make them recall something similar to my discussion and build upon that experience to further understanding of the current topic. my young learners to which there is no knowledge of the subject I will break it down into portions that will piece the information together in smaller bits.
when teaching a diverse class of students it is necessary to assess the age differential and get a feeling for the skill level and technical expertise of the class. I generally will involve all students in the class in a simple how to solve the problem exercise. all students are ask how they will fix the problem with the basic testing results given. I write each respone on the board without comments. after each student has responded, everyone must respond, I go through the responses and explain why they are correct or not. This method levels the playing field and gives each student the idea that he/she can learn from my classes. Each class is different so this allows me to adapt my style to each class.
i try to be as visual as possable but sometimes hands on works best
I believe it is imperative we, as educators understand the basics of learning so we can deliver knowledge to students at a rate and method the students can understand.
I spend the beginning of a new class trying to learn if the students absorb the information best by seeing hearing or doing. I then restructure my class to hone in on what seems to work best. For example if I find they learn better by doing, I will stop my lecture in class and continue it in the lab making sure to hit the key points on a live model. There are just some things that you can explain one hundred times and they won't understand it,or you can show them once and see it work and there mind will be able to process it in there own way to understand it
