Delivering Course Content
I tried today to do what I have learned in this CEE training and it went Great! I would go off topic about every 15 to 20 minutes and would joke around and found everyone was getting involved with the class so it does work. Richard Molloy.
This does work well. This is how I teach as well. I teach theory based courses which can be very dry. By adding in stories relating to what we are talking about that I have experienced I find the students stay focused during lecture and they learn more.
I do the same. I would give examples from experience and relate it to the topic in discussion. I find the students are engaged and attentitive.
Yes, that does keep the students more engaged. I use stories that relate to the subject and they love it. It gets them more involved by discussing a real world problem rather then all power point subjects.
i agree that real world expierence is everything for the students and brings validity to your statements
Hi Anthony,
These types of experiences also help to motivate the students because they can see the relevancy of what they are learning.
Gary
Definitely! I think humor is an important key to captivating your audience and keeping them engaged. It is also important to be able to admit when you make a mistake so students see you as accountable for your actions too - it helps them relate to you and accept if you are having an 'off' day.
Hi Rebecca,
Right you are about being willing to admit when you make a mistake and to use humor in the classroom. Both of these will help you with your students as you strive to create a relationship with them.
Gary
I have found that the mini lecture and problem work really have made my classes work better, and students are retaining more subject matter.
I also did not realize that the attention span was that short in the adult. However, I do like to mix up lectures with brainstorming problems, powerpoint, small group discussions and exercises used in the textbook. It helps to solidfy the ocntent that the students hoepfully just learned.
Hi Martha,
Good job with changing the pace of the class by introducing the different techniques and media to support your instruction. This change of pace really does make a different in terms of the attention span of your students. All of these things will help to keep the focused and engaged.
Gary
I also use the 15-20 min mini lecture method. It's great.
Hi Christina,
Way to go. Good to hear about your success with the mini-lecture format. I know it works for me and it really helps to keep the students engaged.
Gary
I also find that learning is experiential; meaning that for students to fully absorb new information, they have to relate it to a past experience. By discussing my past I'm inviting students to go through their experiences and make connections to the new material that otherwise may not have occurred to them.
