I believe that as instructors we know how important it is for our students to be comfortable in the learning space. It is no different than designing YOUR space at home, the office or wherever you want to feel comfortable and at ease with the world around you. I know instructors who spend thousands of dollars on creating their own sanctuary at home yet have the leanest starkest exisitance of a classroom. As much if not more thought and energy should be brought forward to the classroom inviting students into the learning sanctuary. Color, music, invigorating visuals all play a critical point in this method. My favorite tool is to write a daily quoate on the whiteboard based off of the previous days "feelings" about the class topic. It is always handwritten and it is something that is immediately noticed should I not create one, at which time I generate one about how the world perceives simple items... for example; We are all born with love, fear is what we learn. I find my students writing every quoate down no matter what it's direction is for we can all find relavance in what ever the saying is.

From past experiences it is easy to be the "bully" teacher stating you must learn this and I know more than you. This expereince however has also sparked the movement that I now share, we all have a clear image of what we want out of a course including the instructors, the students hold preconcieved notions as to the desired outcomes and falling short of recieving these outcomes become disconnected with the class and the subject. As an instructor one can make the impact real for each and every student by finding relavency to each student. Admit when you are unsure, incorrect or have misspoken; this makes you a real person, students learn at an elevated rate when they can relate to the insructor. I tend to favor the interactive debates methods of group involvement encouraging everyone to chime in on a subject matter often by providing a controversal element to the discussion, this method invites even the quitest of wall flowers to rally behind one side or the other.

There seems to be ongoing debate as to the fairness of utilizing tests and assessments with true or false questions, matching, fill-ins, and essay questions, as opposed to straight multiple choice questions. In this instructor's opinion, multiple choice tests do not accurtely test the knowledge of students. There are times when diagramming, matching, outlining and even sequencing are necessary in order to demonstrate understanding of a concept or methodology. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to incorporate sequencing and process flows into multiple choice tests?

Student feedback is important to me, and assessments are one way to obtain that feedback. I think that with assessments, students are provided the opportunity to relate their thoughts and opinions about the course material and delivery methods. Importantly however, the learning assessment questions must lead to answers which are measurable, and the questions should be correlated with objectives and goals outlined for the course. An assessment should allow a brief "non-measurable" comment for the students, to express generalized likes or dislikes about the course. Student likes and dislikes should not weight too heavily on the instructor; there remains the need to substantiate any serious student complaints or grievances about the instructor. Finally, the instructors should be able to utilize the results of the assessments to improve upon their strategies and methods for teaching. Incorporating assessment results into future instruction is not an easy task. Does anyone have a few suggestions on how to accomplish this?

Upon determining the student's individual learning styles, the instructor can either cater to the learning styles of the students or assist the students with developing additional learning styles. FOr instance, students who prefer to read, should also become adept at outlining, report writing, making flash cards, etc. During the last course I instructed, I made it a point to include outlining for almost every chapter covered. Many of the students objected at first, however was not surprised when students began relating to me that outlining helped them organize information and structur imformation better, and of course the outlining made studying mush easier. I have been considering adapting case studies into learning aids, has anyone achieved success with case studies as learning aids?

One of the major mistakes that instructors can make in the classroom is to consistently teach course content without varying their teaching techniques. The term "andragogy" means "the art or science of teaching adults." According to that definition, then if we are to be effective instructors, then we need to become in essence, "artists." Mortimer Ardler states “The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds, unlike our bodies, can continue growing as we continue to live.” Our objective as instructors should be to encourage and participate in the continuous learning of our students.

As an adjunct instructor whether it be online or in a traditional classroom setting, it is imperative to provide students with a positive first impression. If a student's first impression of you is positive, you established the necessary credibility to move forward in the student - instructor relationship. However, if a student's first impression is a negative one, it will be very difficult to earn the student's trust. Suzanne Summers stated that "It's not what you wear, it's how you present yourself that determines what your first impression will be."

How important is it to do things in the order listed in the "game" for this module? I know that some things should come before others (introductions before in depth discussion of the course requirements) but I found that many of the things in the list seemed a give or take for which comes first. Is it really important to discuss my accessibility before I take attendance? Or to show the text before I give a course overview?

As an adjunct instructor that teaches both campus-based as well as online courses, I find that selecting supplemental materials for each course is just as important as the course text itself. In fact, I've discovered that adult students are typically more interested in articles that share relevant business experiences rather an some dry information in a textbook. Do you have any recommendations regarding sources where instructors can locate supplemental materials?

I like the info that you do not have to always be the expert. Students do bring many things to the table.

As adjunct instructors, we have the exciting opportunity to participate in and facilitate the learning processes of others, specifically adult students. As facilitators in learning for the adult student, it is imperative that we have a firm grasp as to how adult students learn if we are to be effective facilitators. Cross (1981) states that "When we talk about how children learn, we often focus on the developmental stages that children go through as they mature. Adults likewise go through developmental stages which can be grouped chronologically or sociologically (i.e. grouped according to socially defined roles of adults)." This statement by Cross reinforces the importance for instructors to ensure that their instructional style involves wrapping together their personality and competencies into a presentation format that will inform, encourage, and instruct each student. Do you any advice as to how a relatively new instructor can identify and develop an effective instructional style?

As a relatively new and young instructor I find that there is almost no end to the ways I can improve upon what I do in the classroom. I would love to spend more time observing other instructors, taking additional classes, attending conferences, etc. but find that I often run into two barriers: One, I have trouble making the appropriate time under what seems to be an impossibly long list of "other" administrative duties that keep me occupied. Two, the budget for conferences, classes, materials, etc. seems too thin (nonexistent, maybe?). Any suggestions for improvement that can be squeezed into a small time frame and (preferably) require no financial commitment? Thanks!

An instructor needs to love and understnd the learning methods of differnt students some students need to discuss, some need to see pictures. An instructor needs to acknowlege her students

Important to have these set early on, and encourage to move in small steps that the puzzle will eventually come together

At times a challenge they need to understand they are in a professional field, and patients depend on their clinical and medical knowledge.

Our students lose points for spelling on exams and assignments. This can be a real sore spot for students with dyslexia.

I currently have a student who is learning English as a second language. She speaks well, but her comprehension is not as good. She demonstrates her hands on skills very well but her exam scores are low. It is clear by her answers she does not understand what they are asking. However, she refuses any tutoring or additional assistance. Very frustrating!

I prefer small groups and usually try to pair students who are at different levels in their understanding of the material as well as different social satus.

I find it helpful to often time lecture from the back of the room

I have not had to work, that I know of, with a student with learning disabilities yet, but this topic will definitely help me in the future when and if I do have to work with a student with a learning disability.