Gary Meers, Ed.D.

About me

I am an Education Advisor/Consultant for MaxKnowledge. I write courses that assist in the professional development of career college instructors. These courses range in content from the introductory level to advanced instructional development. I started my teaching career as an instructional technology teacher on the high school level, completed graduate school and then moved into higher education. I spent many years in the area of teacher training at the University of Nebraska. While at the University of Nebraska I stared working with career college instructors to improve their instructional delivery skills. As a result of these experiences I have been a consultant to career colleges throughout the United States and a number of foreign countries.

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Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Effective Motivation Techniques

Hi Ileana, Good strategy. This is what I do in my classes as well with great results. This method keeps the students engaged and interested throughout the entire 3 hour period. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Michele, This is a good point. I teach multiple sections of the same class and it is hard to remember just what I said to each class and to maintain a fresh energetic approach to each class. I work very hard at this like you because for the students in each class it is the first and only time they are going to hear that information. They deserve our very best effort every time class meets even if it involves us having pep talks with ourselves before each class. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding Learner Characteristics

Hi Todd, Great way to meet the individual needs of your students. You do as I in your grouping of common student characteristics for instructional planning. This effort really pays off in student retention and success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Reinforcement as Motivation

Hi Melanie, The point value assigned to the specific projects need to reflect the effort required to successfully complete the assignment. I agree with you about the larger projects getting larger assigned points and for smaller projects lower point values. The key is to award sufficient points to keep the interest of students and have them feel their were awarded adequate points in relation to effort. It is a balancing act that we need strive to find to keep our students engaged and forward focused in their learning. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Teaching to Multiple Intelligences

Hi James, These observations about how different groups of students perceive and define success are very helpful in planning instructional delivery. This way you are able to more accurately target their specific learning preferences and this will lead to increased student retention and success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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The Human Factor in Retention

Hi Melanie, I really like this approach in developing rapport with your students. The personal interest of an authority figure is very important to students. For the older students they see a person that cares about their success and will help them achieve their career goals. For the younger students the instructor is someone that be a source of networking and career development. No matter the age of students nor their experiences both groups like to know they are accepted into the class and have an instructor with whom they can talk and share ideas. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Offering Varied Instructional Delivery

Hi Dorothy, The delay is fine because I understand that you many responsibilities that take time and concentration. I appreciate your interest in instructional improvement and how all of us can be more efficient and effective in our course delivery. As you plan your lectures around the 10-15 minute time frame keep in mind that you don't have to stop the flow of the class but introduce some variety in the process. You mentioned that you do a lot of Q&A in your classes. This is a good way to keep the students focused on course content, then variety through… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

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Instructor REFOCUS

Hi Ryan, You sound like me in terms of why you go to graduations. I like to go to see the end results of my time with the students. Seeing the excitement and emotion shared by students and their families at graduation gets me fired up and ready to go back into the classroom for another course. Keep up the good work and exercising those mental muscles as an educator. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Reinforcement as Motivation

Hi Joe, You are right about points being points. The key are percentages as you mention but I have found over the years that students generally don't think that way. It amazes me that these higher points get them ramped up so I am more than happy to give larger point values to assignments and tests and the students really like getting their "points". This is what keeps teaching so interesting, we are always trying to figure out what makes students "tick". Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Adapting Your Instructional Strategy

Hi Andrea, It will be interesting to see how your students process and internalize the course content with more tactile involvement and learning opportunities. I wish you much success in your teaching. Gary

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