Sherry,
I teach a gen ed course so I can relate to the challenges you face with your students. You are right on target with your approach in using the examples. The more you can connect math to their field and how math will help them be successful the more engaged they will be. It is at times a tough sell for some students but it is great when you see that you have won them over and they see there is value to what is being taught.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Todd,
I am sure you have noticed that your students really perk up when you share stories and examples from the field with them. This is because you are helping them to connect the content to their career area. They get excited and their motivation levels increase because they start to see themselves being successful in the career area and that all of their hard work is going to be worth it.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Knowing your student needs and expectations can really assist in your instructional delivery. For instance, in my commercial driver's license course I found out my students were all planning to be long-haul drivers. I was able to cater my classroom content to the needs of that particular realm versus the local driver demands.
Just to clarify, you told a student that it was too much work to get a degree so they should happy with just a certificate? Why didn't you tell them there was nothing stopping them from getting both and having a strong toolbox to compete with other job applicants? I assume this was what you did and were just paraphrasing your conversation and didn't just say "Hey, getting an education is just too much work and expense".
Mike, you have me at a disadvantage. I can't remember the context, nor could I find the discussion on line so as to respond more intelligently.
I can tell you that I always encourage students to go as far academically as they can. Heck, I'm still taking classes, looking for a second masters. Ican't imagine saying anything like,"Hey, getting an education is just too much work and expense".
Wendy
Jeffery,
Good strategy to follow as you learned about the career plans of your course you adapted the content and examples to their plans. Thus they learned more about being over the road truckers than local drivers based upon what you found out about them.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Oh Don't take it personally, I always try to have at least one "I disagree" statement in a discussion board. Yours just happened to be the one I picked. We all know that's not what you meant.
Adult learners come with relevant experience and like the information stated they are both autonomous and self directed which brings a different level of motivation and desire for success. The subject matter might not be relevant to them directly but being able to creatively see how this information can be practical and relevant.
If instruction is not meeting student needs and expectation how can it be relevant? I constantly have to ask, how is my course content and my instruction of that content meeting student needs and expectations? If they do not perceive the content as meeting their needs and expectations, how can I demonstrate that is does? as long as I continue to ask and answer these questions my instructional content and delivery will be relevant to my students.
Tom,
The more you can show your students how they can take the content of your course and apply it to their personal lives outside of the classroom or lab the more value they start to associate with the course. They start to see relevance and application and this is when they see the reason why they are taking the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
In many of my IT classes, there are discussions on what areas of study and concentration are important in the technology world. For instance, if we are in a computer networking class there is never a time when Cisco who is the leader in network gear does not come up during the time of the course. As an instructor being cautious on vendor specific recommendations is important to obtain objectivity, but the reality is having the skill set to support Cisco and their product line is something employers with complex infrastructures look for.
As we know, adult learners must be approached differently from children. They bring a large amount information to the classroom based on life experiences. Instructors should work to relate content to real life when ever possible. This assists in making the materials seem more relevant to the adult learner.
Paula,
This is a good point. The more we can use the life experiences of our adult learners the more engaged they will be. They need to see how what they already know will assist them in the learning process. As a result their self confidence grows and they become even more motivated to be successful in the course.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
One of the main challenges as a general education instructor is to show students how science courses will help them in their career. I am often asked by students:"Why do I need Chemistry if I am going to be a dental hygienist?" Why do I need math if I want to be a nurse?" Importance of general education courses are not clearly seen at the first glance.
Granted, those are prerequisite course the students MUST complete. Without them, they will not be able to enroll in the program of their choosing. However, strong scientific background is paramount to be successful in most of career programs. For example, dental hygiene courses involve subjects of local anesthesia that require knowledge of pH, gases behavior, acid-base interactions, etc. Students administering local anesthesia (working with syringes) need to understand solutions, mixtures, units of volume.
Written Dental Hygiene national board exams require students to recall critical information in General and Organic Chemistry, Biology, Anatomy.
All required science course are like pieces of a puzzle, so to speak, that will come into place forming a bigger picture and helping students to understand their career-related material better.
Nastassia,
I teach a required gen ed course as well so I can relate to your comments and situation. I want to commend you for the connections you are drawing for your students between your subject and their career area. The more of these type of connections the more engaged the students will be because you are showing them value to what they are being taught and will need for their career growth.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
The adult learner needs and expectations are the foundation for my current instruction. The job I am currently in provides current and relevant instruction to the students. We managing student expectations all through the course by showing them that the information is current and relevant for their next job assignments, this makes the instructional content a lot more interesting for the adult learner.
When you are able to assess the needs and expectations for relevant instruction, you are able to come up with more creative strategies and curriculum application. Bridging the gap between theory and practicum is always the biggest challenge, but understanding how far that gap is the first challenge.
Paul,
This is a good way to bring value to the course. By connecting the content to their future and their opportunities for employment you are helping them to see why they are in the course. They need to be able to connect the course content to their own career goals. This is when they see ROI in relation to their efforts.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Jimmy,
This is a very good point. An instructor needs to analyze how theory can be taught in relation to practical applications. When this is understood and a blend of methods developed then the students will be able to make the connection and not only learn the content but also make the applications needed for skill development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Adult learners usually know what they "want" to learn and are enrolled because they already see how the classes will improve their life. Making frequent references to how the material can benefit them outside the classroom can be a great way to make the material relevant and meet student expectations.
