Get Your Students Hired
Hi Joseph,
Great way to show course relevancy. There is nothing like bringing the real world into the classroom to show students that what they are learning will definitely be utilized in the real world.
Patricia Scales
Hi Benjamin,
You have to stick to book theory, and perhaps have a guest speaker come in to share experiences/stories.
Patricia Scales
Hi Charla,
Students need to know that what they are learning is extremely useful in the real world. Students are more excited to learn if they know that they information they are learning is practical.
Patricia Scales
I teach audio production students electronics. One of the ways that I show them the relevance of a highly technical and somewhat tangential topic is to read to them from a sales catalog of production gear. I point out the number and variety of terms used that relate directly to electronics. I then relate specific product features to specific course objectives or weekly breakdown topics. Even students that are more interested in business and management can see that they will be able to make better financial decisions with a deeper understanding of unavoidable industry jargon.
I believe helping students to see how they will use the information being presented in the course after graduation would be one way to show relevancy. Each course will be a little different on the ways in which I would try to demonstrate relevancy. For example, an Anatomy and Physiology course would be a little more difficult than say a Biomechanics course (I will be instructing future Personal Trainers). I do, believe, however that I will be able to relate both topics to how they will use the information in the workforce. Just by looking back on my own experience I can already think of half a dozen ways I have used both.
I do have a question on the topic: When it comes to topics that I am not as proficient in (i.e. a Mixed Martial Arts course), I won't have personal experience to relate to, so what tools would I use to help the students relate in that kind of situation?
I teach an intro course for massage therapy. It is like a little piece of every class they will be taking over the next year. At the beginning of the class I explain to them that I have taken the information provided and parsed it down to what I believe are the important points for them to learn. I don't want to have them wade through all the information in the book to pull out what is important, I have done that for them. I also try to use examples from my own practice whenever possible to show that the content I present is valid and useful in real life.
I agree that guest speakers can inspire students. We asked a hiring manager to come in and speak to our students about her expectations for our students when they come in for an interview. Even though we covered some of the same topics she spoke about in several of our classes, the students didn't seem to really take it to heart until they heard it from a potential employer. Additionally, several students changed their attitude and worked much harder to gain a coveted externship spot from this employer after learning all the company had to offer. We also scheduled a field trip to the site and the students were given a tour to see exactly what they would be doing on a daily basis. The combination of the guest speaker and field trip enabled them to imagine themselves as an employee of this large clinic, a visual many of them needed to help them stay on track to reach their goal of a new career.
Hi Rebecca,
Great way to make course relevancy stick. Students understand the importance of the course when you can apply the course to how helpful the course is going to be in their career!
Patricia Scales
Hello Patricia,
I love to explain how the foundation of the new skills will ease some of the tension when entering the dental field. Giving them the most up to date technology information as well. Sharing what a great career they can have to create a future that can last a life time.
Rebecca Boghich
During lectures and in the clinical setting, I discuss with the students how taught tasks and information are used daily in the professional setting and will be used until the students retire from the profession.
Hi Jeff,
Students love hearing about how things are done in the real world.
Patricia Scales
I draw from real experiences to reinforce my lessons. I often remind them that they will be hired because they have a degree from LCB, but that opportunity/degree comes with an expectation that the student knows what he or she is doing.
If you refer every example to how it could be used in the field. You should give examples of scenarios that you ran into in the field. State what you have heard from other connections in the industry.
Hi Jean,
Students want to and need to know how it really is in the real world. We need to share our stories as they apply to course content.
Patricia Scales
I show relevancy by giving examples from the real world or from my practice. Students seem to like this also.
Hi Randy,
Awesome way to show course relevancy. I love how you are honest with the students, but you really end on a positive note.
Patricia Scales
Hi Donna,
Students get the relevancy in a course as such. They are doing exactly what they will be doing in the real world.
Patricia Scales
Some of the ways I show my students the relevance of a particular course, is by giving examples of my own experiences. They always include at least one botched attempt to let them know I was just as scared and nervous as they might be. To prove I do know what I'm talking about, I always end with plenty of successful experiences to reassure them that it does get easier and more fun with time.
Fortunately, teaching medical ultrasound gives us access to an ultrasound lab that has the machines used to scan patients. The students are required to scan each other and perform the actual protocol that is used in the field.
Hi Joseph,
Yes, students love hearing stories as to how they apply to the course content. Students want to know how it is like in the real world.
Patricia Scales