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

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi David, You are right about needing to know about the characteristics of your students. This information will help with planning the different delivery methods. There are many different variables that influence learning and as instructors the more we know about them the more effective our instruction will be. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Understanding learner characteristics...

Hi Rehema, You are right about needing to know how different students react to certain situations as well as their learning preferences. This helps with the planning aspects of the course to better meet individual student needs. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

The Learning Environment Effect

Hi Robert, Good points all. Each component contributes to the success of the class. Instruction involves social, physical and cognitive effort. These three elements needs to be supported through an understanding of the learning environment and the impact it has on student focused learning. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Matthew, Glad to hear about all the things you are doing to expand your instructional abilities. In relation to the time line and giving no credit after a while this has to be or you will be stringing out the credit issue throughout the entire course phase. This does not set the standard for the students. They need to learn to meet deadlines because their positions in the work world will require that of them. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Matching Content to Need

Hi John, Excellent three step program to help your students see the big picture. They are creating a foundation for their future and your insight and life experiences help them to see the applications they need to make with their newly acquired knowledge. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Earl, Great to hear the kind words about the course. We all like to be recognized and having some one know our name is one of those methods. The harder we work at recognizing students and making the feel a part of the class the easier our job will be during the instructional process. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Leonard, To keep a student like the one you described involved in the course you might want to ask him/her to help you with certain instructional activities. You could put together learning groups and have this student lead them. Any type of arrangement where the student can use his/her skills and knowledge in an applied way to the benefit of the class while gaining some recognition for the contributions that are being made. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Becoming aware of retention strategies...

Hi Caroline, By knowing the learning preferences of students one can plan accordingly for how the content will be shared in an effective and efficient manner. This approach will enhance the retention factor for the students. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Clarifying Your Expectations To Students

Hi Eli, The key is to remove the mystery from expectations for students. You are making it clear what the expectations, requirements and assignments are for your course this will help to reduce confusion at a later date when everything starts coming due. Gary

Gary Meers, Ed.D.

Discussion Comment

Your Instructional Style

Hi Robert, This is why instructors like you are so effective. You know both the content and applications that can be made. This helps to make it real for the students as well as showing them how they will be using this content in the future. Gary

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