I agree, Dr. Meers. This will help immensely right from the get-go and give you a feel where each individual stands.
Adult learner needs and expectations might be a basis for relevant instruction in that the teaching style will certainly change. The adult learner needs to build his/her learning on a foundation that is rooted in goal-setting and time management, two very important components. In setting smaller tasks and learning assignments, and building on them, a student will be able to manage time better and also feel a sense of accomplishment.
We try to use class participation as much as possible to get an understanding of where the students' knowledge level is. Engaging the students helps the instructor to understand their strengths and weaknesses and aids in preparing study plans for the next day's class.
Hi Jaroslaw,
Good points. So many students come into my class without either the ability to goal-set or manage time. We are doing them a service if we help them to develop skill in these two areas.
Gary
Hi Enoch,
What are some of the strategies that you have found help students to apply the knowledge which they have acquired?
Gary
Hi Lynda,
You are right about class participation helping you to get a "reading" on your students. You can start to see the individual and group dynamics within the class and how strong a foundation the students have coming into the course.
Gary
Shirley,
I use the same techniques in teaching court reporting. I relate to the students my experiences, good and bad, and how to handle them. Hopefully, they will learn from my mistakes and not have to make the same ones. But I want them to know what to expect in the "real world" and to go out there as prepared as they can be.
Dr. Meers,
As an instructor its important to know as much as possible about the student prior to instruction. One of our programs requires the student to participate in a panel interview with faculty.
Hi Angela,
The more information that you know about your students the more accurate your pre-course planning can be. Also, you can target your instructional delivery to help support the learning needs of your students.
Gary
When dealing with career schools the students are focused on industry relevant information that is applicable immediately professionally. This would tell the educator that the approach of instruction will be different from that of general education or something similar.
This is an excellent idea. I plan on suggesting this to our staff in our next meeting. Retention is a challenge in our school. I feel like some sort of interviewing process would be very beneficial in assisting us in helping our students to reach their goals as well as helping teachers make out their study plans for each semester.
I agree w/Ms. Percy . . . an assessment of basic skills would not only enhance the probability of success, but many times the possibility of success, as well. Without fundamental skills, many tasks are prolonged or perhaps unable to achieve without remedial preparation.
I like to start the course with students discussing either their current careres or future careers along with their expectations for the course. I incorporate their responses with my stong belief in the case method to add relevancy.
Brian A. Thompson
An assessment of basic skills would not only enhance the probability of success, but many times the possibility of success, as well. Without fundamental skills, many tasks are prolonged or perhaps unable to achieve without remedial preparation.
Some of the courses I teach are required, and not relevant to the students degree. For instance EE major taking a programming class. I try to show the relevance of understanding programming concepts that they may use in Electrical Engineering. Students that are taking the course are scared and unsure because they have little or no programming experience. The first class after introductions I make sure to assure them that my methods of teaching are proven, and they can get through the course by using my examples, and practicing at home. My methods include lecture, examples(Which are given to the students), and hands on demonstrations.
Gary:
I ask my students at the beginning of the session to provide me with their profile. The student profile includes academic, professional and personal information. In addition I ask them to briefly describe their expectations for the class. Invariable, most students expect to know how the subject applies their profession. Hence, I use an Excel spreadsheet to help me personalize examples to students.
Here is how it works. I copy the student roster to the workbook. Next to their names, I add their profile using the Comment feature. I boldface key words in their profiles, such as the place their work at, their title or job description and their expectations. During class time, I open their profiles using the feature “show comments.” Then I arrange the comment boxes on a 24-inch screen so that I can see the whole profile and easily spot the boldfaced information for each individual.
The students get a kick out of me using their individual information to illustrate concepts and customize examples.
Thanks,
J Medina
Hi Angela:
I am not sure I understand what you mean by a panel interview. Could you elaborate?
Thanks,
Jose
Dorain:
I sometimes ask students to describe a situation (or challenge)that they might be facing at work and that relates to the concepts being discussed.
Eager to learn students are very amenable to this challenge. The end result is that the concept is applied immediately to a specific, real-life situation and the student gets pointers from fellow learners on how to deal with the situation (or challenge).
Students like to walk out of the classroom with “tangible” ideas on how to use the knowledge just learned.
Thanks,
Jose
Hi Jose,
I really like your system. This is a great way to get a profile established for your students and give you a reference point on them when needed. The software is accessible so anyone can follow your directions and create their own profile format.
Gary
Thank you. How do you manage to promptly respond to so many people? What is the secret?
Thanks,
Jose
