learning styles for adult learners
ask about their favorite television sit-coms or game shows. ask what is it about these shows that sparks their attention and have them to share with the class, one thing that they can relate to their personal lives, be it good, bad or indifferent. and as a group exercise, make up a game that relates to their field of study, to help them to understand, become motivated and to retain, every aspect of their course.
With my classes I have the students to research the term and tell me 5 things that they learned about the term.
One semester I gave my students a learning style assesment to determine if there was a correlation to age and learning style. I figured older students, the ones who would have been more activie as children, to be more kinetic and the younger students, the computer generation, to be more visual. After passing out the assessments and giving a few verbal instructions, I learned, the week before mid-term exams, only 62% of the studnets were still attending class and 15% of those present could not follow simple verbal instructions.
Charles, what a powerful lesson to learn, even if it was half way into your class. I also have been surprised when I focus on student learning, not my teaching. Keep up the good work!
That is a good idea Judith. However, I am finding it hard to find a game that covers surgical procedures. I'll keep searching though. Thank you for the advice though.
What about the game operation? When they remove a body part have the student give the medical term and have them break the word down and define it.
Jomarie Gagne
I have met people who have used this game effectively, too.
I will always try to come up with memory tools for harder terms that relay to the concept of adult life. For example, the term nat means birth, so I may rely on the students that have had children and make a list of words that have the word part "nat" in it. This allows them to attach the term to a personal memory in their life.
Amanda, making it relevant to each students life experience anchors the content in long term memory.
Michele Deck
