I feel that providing examples often helps clarify & assist students to better understand concepts & importance of concepts especially in the healthcare fields. It is important for students to realize that most of the information that we are providing is the backbone for what they may be persueing in a career for the rest of thier lives.
For example in my Respiratory Specific pharmacology class, we cover a vast amount of medical information. It is very difficult for them to comprehend every medication, indications, use, contraindications & so forth. However, when I provide examples of my experiences & how in the field of respiratory we deal with these medicines day in & day out, it helps my students link med with disease process, & symptamatic characteristics of patients that may need specific meds. The more in depth of an example I provide, the more the students seem to better understand use & indications of meds.
I like to also use my students as "my patients" for examples. This allows the students to realize what is expected of them in the role of the "respiratory therapist" and they better understand what I (the instructor) will be expecting once I begin to check them off on clinical competencies.
Bruce,
yes, the stories are a great way to cement the learning as well as help them learn from our mistakes as you said.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
They are valuable because examples show that you understand the content you are trying to teach and also show that you relate persoanally to the situation.
It gives the student the ability to apply what they have learned in the classroom to the world of
job environment. They can take that example or one like it to their environment and remember that segment.
DONNA,
exactly & they will often remember these examples when they find themselves in similar situations.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
This is a good point. I know that I remeber things for the long term if there is an emotion attached with learning the information. Emotion also comes into play when students decide wheter they like or dislike an instructor.
Students often remember stories of times when things didn't go right better than stories of when things do go right, just as people are more likely to tell friends of their bad experience with the grocery clerk, but not their good experiences.
By using memorable examples, students are more apt to keep the content stored in their memory. My students always tell me that if I tested them on my stories they would get an A.
When an instructor uses memorable examples, the students not only relate to the material but they also get a better understanding of why they are learning the content. Many students question why they need a particular course. By using examples that relate to them, they will understand the purpose of the material and more likely remember it.
The course I teach is massage. I find that student appreciate and benefit from hearing case studies about my personal clients. This has proven to be a true learning experience for them that is lasting...they have mentioned these case studies months after I shared the story.
With adult learners, giving memorable examples helps them "cement" the information in a concrete way. They can recall the story you've told to help recall events or use the visual image you created with your story. Once the visual image is created, recalling the information is much easier for the student.
Basically they are easy to remember. You remember a great scene from a movie but not the scene before or after...Hence using an example puts the information into something that captures the attention of your students and solidifies it in their memory.
Anita,
yes, case studies (examples) provide a powerful way for the students to learn from real situations. We can set up the story & then hold back on what happened & ask them to think through it & provide suggestions.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Anita,
yes, case studies (examples) provide a powerful way for the students to learn from real situations. We can set up the story & then hold back on what happened & ask them to think through it & provide suggestions.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
Some students may feel there is no relevance to what they are doing in class if the person who is teaching has no examples. I believe the more examples used, the more "real" situations will seem to the student. The example of the experiences can sometimes bring something back to the students' memory in the middle of an exam.
Some students may feel there is no relevance to what they are doing in class if the person who is teaching has no examples. I believe the more examples used, the more "real" situations will seem to the student. The example of the experiences can sometimes bring something back to the students' memory in the middle of an exam.
After working in the Industry that I teach for so many years, I have aquired a series of anicdotal data that is strategicly placed to enhance the retention of the materials being presented. They are commonly humerous tales as-well. Making them even easier for the students to remember.
Using real life examples, at the start of a class makes what they are going to learning real. They can relate and it creates a team evniornment. Through the team and activities they remember the concept.
Memorable examples are important as it helps to drive home the point of the lesson or skill. It will help the student see that what they are learning is relevant and used "in real life" and important. Using examples also helps to solidify the lesson/skill in their memory.
Donald,
yes, these real life examples, used early on, can build the excitment & interest in the course.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
