The use of different sources of information along with the value in the this information for their goals.
Gregory,
Great ideas...thank you for sharing these. I invite you to share more in the Faculty Lounge and in the Instructional Exchange forum...
Dr. Ruth Reynard
These days, I think students are more likely to believe what they see on the internet than what they are told verbally. By emphasizing the use of the internet, students should be happy to gain additional information through the use of one of their favorite mediums. In addition, most things can be repeated over and over, allowing for maximum retention of the information.
Using outside sources such as the internet will encourage those who want a deeper understanding to search for that information. We should, as instructors, be prepared to discuss that additional information in class, and filter out misinformation that students may encounter during their virtual studies. Today's students have a wealth of information at their immediate disposal, so we should embrace the technology,encourage it's use, and incorporate additional information in our daily discussion.
Fred,
Yes, instructors must introduce and reinforce effective uses of the Internet with students.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
David,
Good summary of the role of the instructor in the process - being innovative and creative help instructors to create cultures of exploration and discovery using new technology.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
Today everybody has access to information at thier finger tips. In the course I teach information is key to being able to diagnosis a vehicle. I encourge stundents to get all the information possible to better understand the system they are working on
Our curriculum uses several methods for virtual connections. The internet connections are used for Service Manuals and TSB's, Special service messages, Owners information etc. We also use the internet resources for web-based training and testing for prereq. couses and testing before the instructor led hands on course. In the lab environment we are connected to the internet for live interphase use of the manufacturer specific tools and connections to look up information, do diagnosis testing and test component functionality. Students are introduced to the OEM diagnostic equipment thru demonstration and demonstrations are in the classrooom and lab enviroments. The students are busy and focused.
The greatest asset I can help develop in my students is their problem solving skills. It is important for students to know where to look for the information they will need and how to interpret the information in order to solve problems. They will need to access the internet for the neccesssary service bulletins, technical manuals, wiring diagrams and use their critical thinking skills while concurring in small groups to determine what the problem is.
After successfully diagnosing multiple problems their confidence is greatly enhanced. Many look forward to the challenge of the post test because they know where to find the resources they need to be successful.
If used properly, I think that you could use those connections to highlight real world applications of what they are learning, so I would personally choose to use real world situations to point out relevant situations, and the proper or improper use of the materials as it relates to their professional lives.
John,
Great! Do you also help students work with that information in terms of analysis and application? If so, please explain for us...
Dr. Ruth Reynard
If used properly, I think that you could use those connections to highlight real world applications of what they are learning, so I would personally choose to use real world situations to point out relevant situations, and the proper or improper use of the materials as it relates to their professional lives.
Sometimes when students bring up questions about a subject rather than simply giving them the answer I have them research it themselves or have the class research the question. We then later discuss the outcome of thier research to get the answer to the original question. This way the student can come to the answer on his own, possibly another student may find it, and at the same time we can eliminate any misinformation that may be out there.
kenneth,
Yes, the instructor is vital as a guide and support throughout.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
James,
Great!!! Yes, allowing students the time they need to research and explore is vital to increasing student autonomy.
Dr. Ruth Reynard
The computer is a very useful tool in the automotive industry. A lot of the times they have information overload utilizing a computer. They start looking up a single point problem and find other information that could or could not relate to their problem. Or even information that they have been thinking about for weeks on end. In the automotive industry setting on the computer and over researching something is a lot of lost wages. This is true for the technician and the shop owner. I stress to them to stay on target with the information they are looking up.
In the classroom setting in the student is asking about material that is to come shortly or other chapters. If it's a short answer I may actually answer it then. Tell them where could be located so they may look it up at a later time. Asked them to remind me when we get to a particular chapter. If it is information they really need you to fix the vehicle they're working on now. I will try to answer the question helping that one student now and the other students get interested in the information. They also get to see how to solve a problem, asking critical questions and a real-life example on problem solving in the automotive industry
In the course I am currently teaching we have many virtual (internet) type connections avaiable for student use. They are not only encouraged but in some cases must use it to find correct answers to questions. What they sometimes discover is new material on the web counters what is written in a book. I use this as a learing opportunity to show how quickly some technical material can become outdated and invalid. This helps to emphasize the fact that the learning needs to be continuous thru out their career and doesn't end in the class.
Making students aware of how the class and life relate can engage learning. On top of that we use some types of sofware to bring the paper to life, this is key to most students and making them aware of this sometimes proves positive.
In our section we talk about additional problems that could occur in a certain system on a vehicle and how they are related and if, what and/or why they could cause a problem in another system on the vehicle. In the lab we set up certain problems and encourage the student to think outside the box as they work through the problem. Getting the student to look at a situation and see how that relates to other situations that they have seen or may run into in the future by knowing the immediate material gets them to think.
By allowing the online connections and class room instruction and lab work to pull every bit of information together giving students conection and struture.
