It is always important to make the curriculum and teaching relevant to a student's life and experiences. The student needs to know their education relates directly to their career path.
I find that when teaching laboratory sections of the class it is critical to be able to relate it to what the student is going to be doing in their work. Students today (at least students I have seen over the last couple of years) are more interested in the end result than the process. This attitude presents a unique challenge when dealing with education because some students fail to grasp the importance of learning the methodology of learning. Through labs it is possible to make the student understand the journey...performing the core concepts taught in theory in order to acheive the results they want in the lab. I've seen more than one "light bulb moment" during labs when the student all of a sudden understands the theory because they were able to perform an experiement hands on and see the results.
I totally believe in this teaching style. Trust can be gained in the form of the student's success. Having their trust is monumental to the success of their education. Using this style Instructions must be clearly defined and the objective known. Using Bloom's taxonomy as a resource is successful the Competency Based education. Safety is paramount and communication is key to the success competency-based teaching. It must be delivered constantly and consistantly. The students will get frustrated. their confidence at an all-time low. Doubt has showed its ugly face. The instructor must calm the frustration, rebuild the confidence allow the student to believe in themselves and the process understanding the value while developing motor skills. This style of teaching can become very emotional. More so It is very rewarding. Repetition repetition repetition
It is highly important when instructing a lab to relate theory to practice using real world applications that apply to students career, motivate students by promoting an efficient active learning experience. Also, it is significant to allow students hands on experience so that they are able to apply the concepts in lab and how it can be used in real world applications.
It is important to use the three area of blooms taxonomy into competency based education to ensure that students are develop as a whole.
