Adult learners of mixed ages.
One of the challenges of teaching adult learners of different age groups is the diversity and degree of thier motivation to learn. As pointed out in this course most of your younger learners even though they are young adults tend to have that high school mentality. where as the older adults can see the benifits of learning new task. Without being to much of a displenarian an instructor has to find some way to motivate all of his class regardless of age or attitude. One way I do this is by telling them the different methods that I do not do well in when learning something new. This lets them see me as more human and down to earth and makes them more willing to listen and partisipate in whatever activities I arrange for them.
I like the idea of telling your students about the different ways you do not do well when learning something new. This could put them right at ease from the beginning because they will see you as a regular human rather than someone that is "perfect" and knows everything. This helps them to relate to you on a different level. The challenge of teaching learners that come to you at different stages does involve a little more work. It is necessary to spend some time to get to know each student and understand what got them to that point in their lives. Before they will share that information with you, it helps that they feel you are approachable.
Deborah,
Thank you for this post. Your point about being a "regular human" is sometimes refered to as setting onseself as a "similar other." It is a good way to build rapport.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I teach ethics and political science, two very sensitive subjects with any age group. I make it a point on the first day of class to state that I don't believe in perfection, but nonetheless we can strive towards an ideal. I also tell them I do not expect them to know everything, as no one, including myself, can possibly know all there is to know, or be right all of the time. I also tell them is is not my job to tell them what to think, but rather to help them think better. Acknowledging that mistakes are opportunities for learning, rather than signs of failure, is also crucial.
I have a hard time setting boundaries though as far as turning work in on time. It seems that there is always something in the way of turning in timely work with adult students. I range between being a hardliner, to being very flexible, to trying a new moderate policy, to positive reinforcement; yet, I still don't know what the right thing to do is regarding timeliness. How much self pacing is a bad thing when it comes to turning in work? Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Melville
Melville,
Good question. I typically had a policy that assignments were subject to a 10% penalty per day when they were late. If the paper was more than three days late, the most a student could get was a 60%. I still wanted the work done as the work was selected to prepare themm for tests or aother iimportant assessments. The "penalty" was not enough to discourage them from doing the work. It was enough to inpire students to try to ge work in on time.
I said "subject to" in the policy becasue I could waive the penalty if a student had a good reason and kept me in the loop before the paper was late.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I teach at a small career college I have several different age ranges to deal with, learning styles, and skill sets during this time frame.
I have to be able to present my concepts, principles, and theories in many different modes to reach all in the classroom. With the small class sizes this helps everyone to see things in many different lights. I'm able to help each student learn and understand at their own pace not mine or the clock.
This also helps with study groups to have this in my tool belt to prepare material in many different ways and styles.
Greg,
What are some of the ways you try to identify each student's learning style or skill sets?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I will have them take a personality test for one. I will ask for an outline of life experiences and duties prefomed on various jobs during their lives.
Some adult learners do find it very hard to adapt to learning new technology. I try to encourage both young and older adults to embrace the old with the new. Also to help one another.
Brenda,
Studies show that Net Generation students are comfortable with personal technology but lack sufficient levels of information literacy.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I do believe that incorporating technology into the learning experience will definitely make our students more employable.
Eileen,
We have tried to "web-enhance" as many of our courses as possible. We have found as must resistence from faculty members as students. Any ideas on how schools can convince reluctant faculty members that incorporating technology is the way to go?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I agree that the challenge with teaching adult learners is the difference in motivation and maturity. I feel that less mature students will oftennot apply themselves to a lesson or skill that they do not feel is importan to them. This can be problematic especially when students are broken into groups. One way I try to get the group to buy in is to use media or other visual aids to show how the skill is in fact transferrable into the contemporary workplace.
Jason,
A key to teaching adults is making sure the students see why they are being asked to do something and why it is valuable to them.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I'm an educator to adult student. Some ways I can identify the student's learning styles are to incorporate them all in my lectures. I'm animated, I'll draw on the board, read from the books / powerpoint, pass out pictures so that they can label etc......While I'm engaging in the various techniques I'm also watching to see which student are thriving the most per technique. I'm looking to see whose "wheels" start to turn while I'm at the board or who completes the worksheet or picture first, etc.........These are a few ways i try to identify the student's learning style.
LaTonya,
Thank you for this post. If you build in ways for students to hear, see and touch in each lesson, you should be able to reach most students.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I am very similary to you LaTonya. My facial expressions are animated, I gesture with my hands, I walk around the class - sometimes between the rows of desks. I take notice to the students who will draw while they listen which shows me they are probably visual learners as well. I pair students up and assign them to specific subjects in the hospitality book we use. They define, explain, draw on the board, give examples and summerize concepts, methodolgies, terminology and vocabulary. We can take an entire chapter during a class and review it in its entirety this way. Both students on each team partipate and retain more information than just reading it themselves.
Using a combination of learning styles and techniques in the classroom is key to the success of touching different adult learners.
Cathleen,
This sounds like an effective classroom experience. What do you to partially replicate this for students who are absent the day of the lesson?
Jeffrey Schillinger
I spend time with them after class going over the lessons they missed. It is certainly not the same but I still remain very enthusiastic about catching them up on the material!
Cathleen,
Some teachers put together a "packet" to send to absent students that includes the lecture notes, written assignments, extra reading that cover what was discussed in class and tips on upcoming classroom events. This works well for all students and works especially well for classes that may only meet once each week. Meeting 1:1 with students is also great. The combination is powerful, though we still want students to be in class.
Jeffrey Schillinger
