Hi Joseph,
In theory I agree with your post whole-heartedly. I teach General Education courses at a school that students attend for training in a field that is not academic so I quickly learned to answer demands 1 & 2 in general terms in my opening remarks on the second day of each term.
On day one, I we cover the basics, and I set my expectations, and let them know what I bring to the table early, and then most of my activities are designed to get them active, doing what we'll be doing in class all term (working in groups, researching answers from sources provided, public speaking) and an ice breaker activity that gets them to drop their guard and let me know a bit about who they really are.
With that in hand (and some survey answers that they must complete before the second class), I can position my class based on them, and what they are there to learn. I generally teach multiple sections of the same class per term, so I have to keep things similar, but I try to connect with each group early.
That said-- As an instructor, and as a trainer in a corporate setting I see a continuing trend to "make things consistent." This is usually accompanied by the buzzword "best-practices."
I am all for sharing approaches and activities to improve classes or give me something that I could use at a later date if I have a group I think it would fit-- but this isn't usually how these are communicated.
I understand that for accreditation purposes (and even for HR documentation in work-settings) that a consistent approach to the course and its content can be required.
Even so, I have found it to be difficult to balance these competing obligations at times. I'm a professional, so I never share this with my students/trainees directly, but there have been more than a couple of times where I've personally felt that something required is actually counter-productive to student learning because I am not encouraging personalized learning opportunities.
What tips/insights/observations do you, or does our facilitator here, have to share about finding out where to strike this balance in environments that are emphasizing "consistency" over "learning outcomes"?
I teach communications, which can be a bit abstract and term laden (I make class more about discussions/activities/videos as I can)
But part of my role is to make those terms easier to understand. I always try to hit three points when I'm teaching them.
1) -- "What" The term/concept actually is.
2) -- "So What" -- What that term actually helps us understand better.-- basically why does anyone even care.
&
3) -- "Why/How" -- Why/How understanding that actually matters to the people in my class.
I've found that many people think that 2 & 3 are the same, or they see 1 & 2 as the same. But they aren't. Some teachers just teach the what, but don't even say why people should care.
Others teach what it is, and tell people why they should know about it-- but forget to actually tell them more than what the name is.
The reality for me is that 1 & 2 are what my expertise in the discipline, or a textbook, can tell them-- 3 is based on my relationship with them, and my knowledge of their goals as individuals and as a group.
I've also found this to be a good test to see if a concept really deserves to be on the syllabus: If I don't think it is worth the time to answer those three questions for my students, then that topic/concept can't actually be that important to them.
You make a good point here, David. I started as the first general education instructor at a career college that focused only on technology. The most important thing for me to get across to my students was how what I was teaching them was going to make a difference for them.
Jeffrey Schillinger
Instructors need to be flexible, allowing themselves to slightly deviate from their lesson plan if by doing so will engage the students more. For instance, recently several of my students asked if we were going to make bagels
sometime during the course. When told that they wouldn't I could sense their disappointment. I slightly rearranged the lesson plan so that the bagels could be worked into the curriculum (without sacrificing course objectives), and the students were pleased that I had done so. Adult learners often bring with them their own "objectives" that they'd like to accomplish in a course, and I seek to oblige them when possible.
It's helpful for instructors to realize that adult learners bring with them a wealth of life and work experiences that can be utilized in the classroom. When I have students that are currently working in "the industry", I like to ask them if they use the same procedures or techniques where they work as we do in class. If they say "yes" it reinforces to the rest of the class that what they are being taught is relevant, and if they state that they do something a bit different it demonstrates that oftentimes there is more than one approach that can to used to accomplish a task.
Great post, Michael. You did a nice job providing a model for other teachers to follow. There is always time to customize the course while still meeting the objectives. (How did the bagels turn out?)
Jeffrey Schillinger
Adult learners need to see relevance in what they are learning. Some of the techniques or dishes we teach in culinary school can be very "old fashioned". Adults learners should be able to see and adapt these dishes to modern times. Sometimes it takes the educator to help them see a modern version.
Thank you for this post, Joel. I find this interesting becasue I would have thought the culinary arts would have less objectives that might be perceived as "irrelevant" by adult students. I stand corrected.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I believe holding the focus of the student during class is very important. One way to do this is by using an interactive student response system that engages the students through technology. I also like to give students encouraging statements before, during, and after class.
Dr. Carlton,
Some teachers are leary of using such a system becasue they feel the technology is unreliable and/or they feel it is too impersonal. How do you make using this technology a more personal experience?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I agree with virtually all of the discussion in this thread. I find that I often have a different and difficult issue with many of my adult learners: fear. I teach math. Many students come to me with a history of bad experiences and often weak fundamentals. My goal is to share the beauty of math while fostering an environment that removes their fear. Notwithstanding this, I am charged with delivering a corporate-designed curriculum, so I must often walk a tightrope between student apprehension and the need to press ahead. Humor often alleviates stress in these situations. Also, a well-timed break where those with the greatest fear can see me for a quick one-on-one conference can defuse a tense situation.
Thank you for this thoughtful post, Larry. My first career college position was as a general education instructor. Adult students were resistant because they did not see the need for this type of course. I found that making sure the students knew how the course applied to their goals and finding ways for student to find early success upon which to build.
Jeffrey Schillinger
In my experience, effective instruction for adult learners can be challenging for several reasons. I will discuss one. First, adult learners in my field, the graphic arts, are often at a disadvantage technologically. In my admittedly specialized world, artistic talent is not enough -- one must also have in-depth knowledge of at least ten software programs. My traditional age students are more used to technology, may have already experienced it in a high school setting, and tend to pick up software more quickly. My adult learners, by contrast, have had much less previous exposure to technology. So, the effective instructor of adult learners must be very patient, explain procedures slowly, and be prepared with handouts and visual aids.
Lisa,
Great advise. It is important to make sure incoming adult students are aware of the technology they will need to master. Avoiding big surprises is a key to retention.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I teach at a culinary school, and since we spend a lot of our instruction time in kitchen based labs with our students learning how to cook and be entry level professionals in the hospitality industry, I believe that flexibility in delivery of the day's learning activities is essential. For example, a good culinary instructor knows that their students value being allowed and encouraged to exercise their natural creativity when preparing food; so while I make it clear that I expect them to show me competence in the basic technique being worked on during that class period, I also allow my students to alter non-essential aspects of a recipe in order to ignite their excitement and foster a sense of self pride in what they have accomplished at the end of the day.
This is great advise for all teachers, Michael. Finding ways to facilitate activities that allow adults to "customize" the learning experience to their taste.
Jeffrey Schillinger
An effective instructor must be able to create a supportive environment in which all students can learn, not just the "A" students in the front row. By determining the learning styles and personalities of their students, good instructors can vary their delivery to maximize retention of information. To simply stand on the stage and lecture for hours is not effective teaching. Getting students to "buy in" to their education and invest their own energy can help to maximize the outcome.
I agree that establishing respect, as well as trust, with the adult learners is crucial. A very important step in establishing both respect and trust is to make a real effort to get to know each student well. I find that using a confidential Welcome Quiz which asks questions about the student's prior educational experience, goals, and learning preferences during the first class is very helpful. The students see that the instructor really cares to know who they are and what they want out of their education, and they don't mind the extra credit points from the quiz.
Aylin,
"People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care." This is an old saying, but it sure does apply here.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I agree. I think the same concept applies whether you are teaching a patient why they need to perform an exercise, or teaching a student why they need to know certain material. If a patient doesn't understand the importance of doing what you are asking of them, they won't do the exercise. If a student doesn't understand why they need to know certain facts, they are not going to study and retain the necessary information.
This is so true where I work. I had to explain how to use the internet to several of my students. People have no conception of what that is like, as most of us take the interwebs for granted. I had to walk these students through, bit by painstaking bit, before they could even understand what Google was.
I suppose it all comes down to the realization that not everyone has the same skills or exposure, and so one has to be patient, caring and understanding.
