how the brain process our thoughts
I believe highly that in order to teach an adult learner, we must keep the class room motivating, exciting and challenging so that our student can use their brain, short and long memories.
Delmera,
I agree with your comments. It is important that we engage them early and help them have success with early projects. This will build their confidence and help them to see that they in fact can compete and complete the class.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I concur with both your comments, however, teaching both accounting courses, as well as other business courses (management, marketing) I find that keeping the class motivated and interesting is much easier with the non-accounting courses. Do you have any suggestions with regard to livening up ostensibly dull subject matter, i.e. accounting?
Mitchell,
I teach a required course that is seen as having little or no value to my students other than they have to pass it to receive their state certificate. What I do is to dig up triva or create a mystery concerning my content and then share that with my students. With your accounting course I know their are fundamentals you cover and while doing so I would share a story or example where a person in history used numbers/accounting tactics to save a nation, win a battle, etc.. Anything that might capture their attention while they are processing through the course. I will often start the class with a question that sets the stage for the mystery such as "Who used accounting to rally an army to defeat so and so?" Then throughout the class I drop hints or we talk about the question a bit. At the end of the class I see if anyone has the answer and if not I tell them it was "so and so". I find they really like this approach so it is something you might try.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
I feel that as we age, our memories decrease with regard to our short term memories. I think it is very important to keep the class motivating and challenging to encourage the student's minds to stay active. Adult learners I think have a different way of thinking and learning and I think that having different applications to help their minds going and keep the class motivated will increase the challenges of an adult learner's mind.
Regina,
Your point illustrates why we need to be creative in our instructional delivery efforts so we make sure to engage our adult learners in ways that will enable them to retain the required content.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
