Olaf Olsen

A laboratory environment presents a unique dilemma in that the different skill levels among students are magnified during hands-on activities. A student who is quite skilled might finish a project quickly while others need more time. This often requires that students set their own individual pace.

A rubric is an assessment tool that helps both the student and the instructor in setting proper performance expectations when a student is being evaluated on course competencies. Rubrics help to:

Communicate the student's level of achieving the learning objective.
Establish objective consistency.
Reduce the possibility of a grade being challenged.

Studies have found that when less lecturing and more active learning takes place in the classroom, students are more likely to complete the reading outside of class. Students quickly learn that the text information is necessary to complete the laboratory assignment.

The cognitive domain deals with recall, recognition of knowledge, and development of intellectual skills. The affective domain addresses changes in interest, attitude, and values. Finally, the psychomotor domain addresses motor skills and manipulation.

Experiential learning supports the fact that learning should be tied to the adult student experiences, and all should recognize that learning is not an isolated event. Learners should be connecting what they know from the past to what may happen in the future.

Successful student advising will result in varying degrees of learning by both the student and advisor. Other studies have also noted that developmental advising requires both student and advisor to take responsibility for the advising. 

Verbal communication is an integral part of active listening. Encourage the conversation by providing comments to let students know you are focused on what they are saying.

Students are very different from business customers. Learning institutions can be selective about students while businesses cannot. Learning institutions continually test students to see if they may continue. This is certainly not true of a business.

Nonacademic factors include the responsibilities of an adult learner outside the classroom as well as situational, personal, and institutional barriers.

A better procedure is to call on students whether or not they volunteer. This is sometimes referred to as “cold calling.” Some instructors hesitate to employ cold calling, fearing that it may intimidate students or make them uncomfortable. However, research indicates that in classrooms where cold calling is used, students are actually more likely to volunteer responses than in classrooms where cold calling is not used.