Don,
I agree wholeheartedly with your comments. As a matter of fact, I use the same examples that you do-- even to the point of the same exact wording. I encounter many students who "just want the answer" and don't want to or don't care about the 'what or why" that makes it that answer. I tell them that I will help them learn how to do it and will ask them questions to make them think it through, but that I am not "helping" them if I just give them the answer- instead I am actually "hurting" them because if I just give the answer (aka spoonfeed) they will most likely not remember it anyway and when they encounter it or a a similar situation in the future , they will not be equipped to do it properly. Therefore, spoonfeeding only sets them up for failure and my goal is for them to be successful. I also tell them that they will find it frustrating and irritating as they go through this learning process, but in the end they will appreciate it a lot more than if I simply gave them the answers and didn't make them think it through or develop those critical thinking skills which are necessary when it comes to practical application of knowledge
Thanks for the post and the affirmation it provided.
Barbara Davis, RN
Medical Assistant Instructor
