Kelli,
I think this approach is so valuable in starting a new class. You are letting the students know about your human side as well as informing them that you had to work hard to get through school as well. This creates an understanding with the students and start the earning of their respect.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Marcia,
With this new approach I know you are going to have some great results. Your students are going to see the value of the content that is being shared by the theory teacher in relation to the application of content. This will greatly increase their ROI and motivation.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I find that relevancy is the number one way to retention. I always make the subject relevant not only to the course but to the real world application. I teach audio production and in every class I teach, instructional points are highlighted by relevant situations. For example, in a class specifically about microphones I will lecture about the technical features of the devices. I then explain why each feature is necessary (and why there are so many different types of mics, each for a specific purpose)... This dry technical info can get overwhelming to many people but as soon as I give relevant examples and demonstrate different scenerios as to why one mic will be more preferable to another or why having certain feature will be beneficial over one that does not offer that feature, it becomes very clear and obvious why these devices are constructed in different ways and the dry technical info now has clear meaning to the student. They also get a crystal clear understanding why it is so important to understand how to apply these devices as it the the single most important thing in their personal success or failure in making great recordings, which of course is their ultimate expectation.
The students need to understand that the information is relevant to relate this in their daily activities. This particular group likes to immediately apply learning in practice.
Albert,
Relevancy and application are the essentials of learning and teaching. The more both can be introduced and used with the students the greater the value of the content is going to be to the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Being that we are a career college. I try to find ways that meets the students expectations of improving thier station in life. They like to hear the benefits of being a healthcare professional. Second, I try to make it relevant to improving themselves. They are always very interested to improve their own health and understand the impact of good medical care on themselves and their family. Lastly, I appeal to the students to grasp the science behind the instruction. We try not to perform memorization, we want critical thinking. When we teach the students to apply critical thinking skills tothe problem and apply the principles above....then we have something.
Christopher,
Your last sentence should be the goal of career programs. Problem solving and critical thinking are two essential ingredients of career success. The more these two can be developed the greater success students are going to enjoy.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
My students are constantly asking me, "how is this relevant?" Or, "do I need to know this?" Of course my answer is always, "yes." In our careers, as in life, we need to know some history in order to understand why we are doing things the way we are today. I will bring up these points when we are doing procedures in clinic.
In almost all technical instruction courses, learner needs and expectations are the very reason the course exists. If a course does not fill those needs and expectations, it will cease to be.
Content and delivery should be in a format that the learners can understand and relate to. Making sure that students have a working knowledge of technical terms and have adequate resources to practice and perform tasks is key to any technical school.
Peggy,
Students are always asking those questions in terms of value and relevancy of the content. The more applications we can provide them where they use their newly acquired knowledge and skills the quicker they will see both the value and use of the content. This increases the ROI of the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Tim,
The "take away" of the course has to be seen by the students. If they don't see the value as we all know then they are not going to be engaged in the learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding and anticipating the adult learner's needs and expections is paramount to an adult's concern's of a course's relevance. These needs and expectations must be recognized, thus providing the foundation for a relevant course.
I would utilize a strategy of demonstrating the relevance of the class by making the connection between class content and what I believe his expectons to be. Provide him with the big picture and a "road map" of how his needs and expectations can e met.
students have their own ideas about the course based on their lived experiences so an instructor can use that information to present the information to the student.
TIMOTHY,
Good global approach to learning. You are showing both the big picture and the segments that are needed for learning success with your method. This helps the students to see the progress they are making in learning the content and competencies needed for career success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Melinda,
Good point. It is a scaffolding process in terms of learning that lets both you the instructor and students build on previous experiences and knowledge to move forward toward their career goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I like to consistently refer to field experiences that I have had when discussing course material. It bridges the gap between the classroom and the "real world."
For me it is trying to make it clear of how they will be able to use the skill/concept in a future setting, e.g. by understanding this you will be able to...
On the first day of class, I will informally talk with the students about what they are hoping to learn, and what they are expecting to learn. I will write that down and go over it after class to make sure everyone feels like they received what they asked for.
Earle,
You are connecting the dots between the course content and the real world for your students when you relate how what they are learning will be used in the future. This increases the ROI for the students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Putting things in a "Perspective" that is relevant to the students is a given. They feel that they "Need" to pass your course to graduate. They "Expect" you to tell them what they need to know in order to pass. The job, then, is to get from needed-instruction, to one of relevance within their career-choice... and to tie them both to the same kite-tail. As an HVAC instructor, my opening-strategy begins with a 3 minute summary of "Archaeology 101". Most of my students give me funny looks, or they're scratching their heads & looking around to see if anyone else thinks that this is the wrong class. I then begin to explain that it's not a study of culture, peoples or geographic locations, but rather, a search for the "Facts". It's only at that point that I can begin relevant-instruction. I can (1) eliminate the expectation of archaeology "stuff" from their minds and, at the same time, make them aware of what (exactly) the HVAC expectations are, and why they're needed. They get humor, relief, and clarity all at the same time. Once the session-content starts to be covered, it is an easy thing to go back, time & again, to a search for the "Facts". Most learners simply want to know why they're learning what they're learning. Knowing the facts, as the content-expert, I can begin to show each student the why & how of relevancy through use of the "Facts".
