Understanding Learner Characteristics
How does an understanding of learner characteristics help in the instructional planning process?
It seems to me that knowing the way the majority of your class learns can help you make the most of your instructional time. For instance, if you know a big chuck of your class learns best through text-based visuals, you can inject more bullet-point slides into your lecture. Then place those visual-verbal learners with the kinesthetic learners during your lab.
Kristopher,
Yes it does. Knowing this helps with instructional planning and delivery. You know how to target your students more effectively as a result of this knowledge.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
You are better able to meet the needs of the individuals and therefore the outcome of them better understaning the content is greater.
Understanding your "audience" is necessary in order to achieve success. You wouldn't provide a speech on sewing to welders would you, no. Knowing your audience or in this case characteristics of your students is very important. The sooner you learn them the better off the student, class and you will become.
Roberta,
Yes, you are because you know the population you are working with as a result of introductions and the investment of some time in getting to know each student.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Vaughn,
Your last sentence says it all in relation to the value of knowing the characteristics of your students. The outcomes from knowing them better are tremendous in relation to earning their respect and establishing rapport.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
For me its all about passing along information to career minded students that will assist them in obtaining their career goals. Understanding our diverse student population helps me in providing the best education for each student.
Lawrence,
Well said and your definition of your role is made clear as well. This is why we are in the business of teaching. We are impacting lives and helping individuals achieve their career goals.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding your student helps with learning by knowing how to teach them in a way they can comprehend. Also, knowing their backgrounds you can see what type of learner they will be. Maybe using a different type of terminology will help them to learn a different way too.
I think it is important to address all 9 learning styles when engaging students.
The why I understand learners characteristics is by giving a test on peoples learning ability. Once the students and myself know how they learn then I lecture and teach on all different learning abilities.
Sonya,
Good method to follow. The more you know about your students the more accurately you can plan for their learning preferences. This becomes a winning situation for everyone.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding learner characteristics assist me in identifying meaningful activities and learning opportunities that will appeal to the diverse learner.
Understanding learner characteristics has proven to be a challenge for me in the past, but have worked hard to overcome these challenges. One of my greatest challenges was trying to teach a course to students that spoke no English. I drew upon the community to find assistance for the students to take some free English lessons, and then re-enroll in the class. Once they had taken these few lessons, they were excited to finally be able to participate with others in the classroom.
I wish I had taken this course prior to being faced with some of the challenges I've had over the years. It might have made things easier for myself and the student.
Micki,
Glad you can see the value of the content that is being shared. To bad you are not just getting access to it and after acquiring your expertise through you on the job teaching efforts. I wish you continue teaching success.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Age and cultural differences can be challenging as well as how long they have been out of school.
One other situation encountered in my class has been how they were educated prior to this class, some have traditional public education, some charter school, and more now than before, home schooling. Each comes with different "issues". I have found my home schooled students are self motivating, but do not know how to interact with other, no matter what age. The charter school students wish to work ahead or behind the rest of the class as they feel they need, and the traditional students just want to learn what is on the exam. The privet school students have high expectations of the facility and the equipment. On basic learning they are highest, but have been spoon fed so much it is at times hard to get them to become self starters. Somewhere, as instructors we need to put all of them on a different plan, one that fits the course study and yet one none of them have experience before. The longer I teach, the harder it is to plan an effective plan to teach this diverse group, as far as educational background is concerned.
Sharyl,
Your analysis is right on in terms of how diverse learning groups operate. This diversity really challenges us as we do our instructional planning and so as we do our planning we need to seek common areas if they exist from which we can help the students operate. It is an ongoing effort for sure. We need to continue to share our efforts with other educators so collectively we can identify the best practices to use in settings like this.
Gary
Gary Meers, Ed.D.
Understanding how each of my students learns helps me to successfully relate to them. I understand how each of my students learns and retains information in very different ways. Even for myself when I am teaching a specific subject I like to use different ways of showing the information, powerpoint, handouts ,lectures and actually letting the students participate in a hands on demonstration. It is important to keep the students engaged and focused that way they retain the information you are teaching them.
