I try to fit whatever we are leaning into the student’s major, so they can see the need to learn the material. If they don’t feel they will use what is being taught they lose interest and don’t become engaged with the class.
For years I have watched for the moment a student's "light bulb comes on." That "AH HA" moment when he or she seems to "get it." It's interesting to know a little about what is actually happening inside those heads. What I know now is the importance of reinforcement to ensure the learning process reaches it's maximum effectiveness. Causing the light to come on is just the beginning...now it's up to use to make certain it's a long-lasting bulb !!!
Understanding the basics of learning will help me develop my lectures and demonstrations by including a variety of teaching methods. Examples: giving students a day by day topical course outline on day 1, list the days main objectives on the whiteboard, have a visual "title" with a picture up on the monitor so when they come in to class they can start "shifting" their brains to the days activities. But mostly getting to know my students individually so I can learn more about their learning styles and try to teach using a variety of methods the relate to each individual.
Daniel,
Like the way you explain learning for your students. You are so right. Getting the bulb to come on is step one and then keeping it on is step two. This is where application and relevance needs to come into play in relation to class activities and projects.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Having a better understanding of how students learn will benefit me in many ways. As far as teaching is concerned, I am going to try adding in more associative learning. Learning by associating the steps, ingredients or techniques with some sort of memory trigger.
As an instructor, understanding the basics of learning is vital to sharing knowledge with your students in a manner that they can comprehend, decode, recode and apply over time. Knowing how the brain functions and that there are many ways students can learn, or prefer to learn, I am able to adjust my courses based on their diverse needs. For example, I can be sure that each class offers something for each type of learner; lectures and discussion for the auditory learner, graphic organizers and infographics for the visual learner, and then actual practice/practical application for the kinesthetic learner.
Mary,
Thank you for these good comments because they are right on target concerning how you engage students in the learning process for the duration of class sessions. It is hard work but the results are enhanced learning and increased student focus on their career development.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
As an instructor with one year in the field, I am finding this learning module very helpful to me personally and also in the application to my students. I feel that I can teach more effectively now that I understand the learning process better. Thanks!
Mary,
Glad this information was of value to you. Thank you for the kind words about it. I wish you continued teaching success as you continue to impact the lives of your students.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Since everyone assimilates information differently, knowing how the brain puts pieces together can help instructors form new strategies. I need to vary my instruction to appeal to more learning styles. Including more hands on learning is something I lack in most of my instruction.
Both Episodic and Semantic is used in my classroom, but by being repetitive in the semantic area, it provides for a more exciting class as opposed to making the students memorize.
Laura,
Right you are and the students will be more engaged and focused on the learning process.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding the developmental stages of humans up to the adult learner has brought an awareness of how to approach blending a classroom with younger adult learners (aged 18-23) with the older adult learner (25+). This section has encouraged me to alter my approach to each group understanding that each group process information uniquely to the stage of development, experience during that stage, and what type of communication is best suited to the individual. This section has also made me realize if student to student misunderstandings occur how to better explain why the students may or may not agree on how material is learned and processed but assimilating the material may take multiple approaches and vary from person to person.
I really enjoyed this module. Many ways to learn and use in my classroom. Life experiences are the best in learning application of information - theirs and mine. I teach management/business classes, which we all have experiences to share ex. excellent or poor managers we have worked for, ethical situations, customer service and sales experiences, etc.
I now see how in my Math classes it is more beneficial for some of the older students to include more applications (word problems). This will allow them to better see how the information they are learning can actually be used in their day to day life.
