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What Does Understanding Learning Do for the Learner

As you look at the responses from college students about how instructors both frustrate them and engage them, you will see their comments can be categorized. Clearly, however, no instructor has the time to deliver classroom content in ways to address all of these sometimes polar opposite comments. And students don’t have the option of matching instructors with they way they learn.

So what is an instructor left to do? How can one win by “giving out hand-outs” and “Having open discussions, rather than, busy work with handouts.”? The answer lies within the learner. When the student becomes aware of their learning selves, they take ownership for their learning. And when students understand themselves as learners, they can develop strategies which serve them well in the world outside the classroom.

The statements which follow tell us that students know well what works for them and what doesn’t. As you read each think of your own Faculty “teaching” Characteristics.

Specific things instructors do which made it more difficult for me to learn

  • “Didn’t follow a book or some kind of syllabus to follow by.”
  • “An instructor who tells me to do an assignment/project with no directions or example.”
  • “Assigning work out of the book without going over it.”
  • “Strictly lecture.”
  • “Lecturing without visuals, samples, cases, notes, or speaking on own opinions”
  • “Simply talked w/o writing anything down.”
  • “Drone on in a monotone—no feeling or spirit in the tone of the voice, going through the motions of the curriculum.”
  • “Made you feel stupid when you ask a questions.”
  • “Did nothing but write notes and hand out assignments. I didn’t sign-up for an on-line course but it sure felt like one.”
  • “They taught the way they thought was best and that’s it.”
  • “Lectured too quickly.”
  • “Didn’t explain what they wanted.”
  • “Did not encourage questions during a lecture.”
  • “One instructor used little class discussion, which made it harder to stay focused.”
  • “Would never go over the quizzes or the test.”

(Executive Summary of the Use of the Let Me Learn Process, Cumberland County College, NJ, 2003.)

 

Specific things instructors do that really helped me learn.

  • “Agenda is very clear and topics discussed in an organized pattern.”
  • “Instructors, in my opinion, need to be accessible to the students.”
  • “Took the extra time to stay after class and answer any questions that I have had.”
  • “Relate the course to real-life experiences.”
  • “By giving thorough examples.”
  • “Providing real-life experiences for topics being discussed so that we could see the importance or value of whatever was being discussed.”
  • “The instructor involved me in the lecture to keep me on my toes.”
  • “Gave one-on-one help.”
  • “Allowed class to have humor rather than get too strict.”
  • “Gave me choices and options.”
  • “Study guides.”
  • “Hands-on examples.”
  • “Having open discussions, rather than, busy work with handouts.”
  • “Use power point so that we can see what he is lecturing on.”
  • “Go over and explain any wrong answers or difficult questions.”

(Executive Summary of the Use of the Let Me Learn Process, Cumberland County College, NJ, 2003)