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

Creating Personal Support Systems

Hi Marlo, This is a great assignment to get the students to focus on the challenges they will face and then put down possible solutions to those challenges. This way they can anticipate what they are going to face and will have at least thought about possible solutions. This should help to reduce the drop out rate for a number of students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Rolinda, Good strategy. This really gets your students thinking and problem solving because this is what real life is all about. The more skill they develop in this area the more valuable they are going to be in their positions. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Sharing Comprehensive and Clear Course Requirements

Hi Drian, This is a very good question concerning in a sense overwhelming students with the course requirements. Students that are not that self confident in their abilities can find themselves overwhelmed at the course requirements the very first day. What I do with these students is to break down the course into small success points. By giving them the opportunity to have success early in the course then their self confidence builds. It is like the saying "How do you eat an elephant?" Answer: "One bite at a time." This is what I try to do with these students.… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Donald, You are right about clinical experiences. The real world is the real world when it comes to patient care. In the classroom/lab what we can educate the students in the content and skill areas and then try to get them to expand their abilities to problem solve. There hasn't been a textbook written that covers all of the situations that the students will encounter when they start their first job. What students need to develop are strategies for solving situations and problems. This is a critical skill for career success. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Students as Class Members

Hi Fatima, I agree with you on the type of reinforcement and encouragement to give to students. It needs to be customized to their position in the course. This way the recognition is of value to that student. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Herman, You are right about the differences between the classroom and the customer setting. This is why it is hard for some students to make the transition from being a student to being a professional. What do you do to help with this transition? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Offering Varied Instructional Delivery

Hi Robert, You are right about the whiteboard and powerpoint presentations. What do you see as being a good way to reach all students in an online course? Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Mike, You make a good point about student surveys. Also, at my college there is a standard survey form which does not include questions that really apply to my course. The surveys are given at the end of the course when the students are finishing their major projects so they don't devote a lot of time to filling out the surveys and when they do they are only snapshots rather than total course exposure. In short they are very little value. What I do is to give out 3x5 cards after quizzes, when projects are completed and any other… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Chris, Yes, I have. The extrinsic students are can be found in two groups as well. The students that have just lost their jobs or are in danger of being replaced due to the lack of certain skill sets are driven to acquire the needed skills and knowledge in order to survive and provide for their families. They want an instructor that gives them the basics and coaches them. They are motivated because of their circumstances. The other extrinsic students are those that know they have to have certain courses in order to get their certificates or pass boards.… >>>

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Making a Positive First Impression

Hi Ronald, This is a great way to reduce the questions that deal with all aspects of student life. You make a good point that if you don't inform them about such things as weather related school closing methods you get to answer the same question over and over again. This reduces time that can be spent on answering questions related to the content and student development. Gary

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