Get Your Students Hired
The beauty of learning is that is occurs on a daily basis. What is most difficult is managing all of the styles of learning in a class setting. I find that the older students while mature have a disadvantage in that they are set in their ways and take a little longer to adapt at times.
Terence,
So true about adult learners. This is why we need to provide them with early course success so they can expand their self confidence and see themselves as being successful.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Older students are also afraid that they can't learn. I spend a lot of time trying to prove to them that pessimistic comments like "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" are false. The brain is capable of learning, they just have to believe that they can. Michael Merzenich has shown that the human brain is capable of adapting and changing at any point in life.
Robert,
My experience as well. This blend makes teaching fun and I am always surprised at how much I learn from each generation represented.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Having younger and older students in the same class is a lot of fun. Older students bring focus, and determination. Younger students find the shortcuts and the ease of learning. Together they look out for each other and grow
Bob,
Thank you for your input on this. You have given us a very clear picture of how to understand the learning differences of students and respond to them.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Consider that older learners are not "stuck in their ways", but have formalized methods that they believe provide the best methods of learning. This is a challenge from the standpoint of introducing other learning options and learning modalities. I have found that teaching using multiple modalities provides several benefits:
1. Your can influence the learning style of all students.
2. certain concepts are best learned using all learning styles. Take for example learning postural control. Your can verbalize the alignment of the body over one foot, show a digram of the center of gravity over one foot on a powerpoint slide and then have everyone get up an not only experience standing on one foot but then collaborate in a group as to what where the requirements of joint alignment, muscle activation and neurologic control that made standing on one foot possible.
3. Some student may become aware that their learning style or modality is not the best one or that a combination of several are more effective. This is truly helping the learner to learn how to learn.
Bob Plotke
I find that I have to be aware of those tendencies in myself when approaching a new situation. I have to tell myself, "If I already know everything then I can't learn anything new."
William,
I do to. I really enjoy my adult students because they bring to the class a commitment to their future that the younger students can observe and benefit from. They can be good role models.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I have found that the older students are more attentive to the material though it may take them a little longer. But the effort is there if they can see the benefit. I enjoy the challenge.
You know, an additional challenge to remember when working with students who tend to use life experiences is that those memories may lead them to an answer that is not "textbook". So I found I needed to make time to validate students' experience while differentiating learning strategies.
I agree that it is important to remind them of their successes when they get discouraged. Also, I have found the 5-minute wrap up session at the end of every class to be a valuable tool for retention of the most important information.
Learning is a life time occurance. I find that the older students relates to a subject matter through their experience better than what is being presented in their text; where as the younger student is relying on the instructor to explain to them exactly what the text is saying and they are egar to hear what the instuctor have to say. It is the instructor's job to reach all students.
Yes, This may be true but, I found that if I introduce visual it helps them to remember.
You have made a good point that learning occurs on a daily basis. When my students get discouraged that they are doing poorly I point out what they learned that day and the day before. I find that while older students may be set in they're ways, younger students will challenge what you say and disagree with out correct fact or knowledge of the subject. It's a challenge either way for the instructor. It makes class interesting.