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A December to Discover: Day 5 (ACUE Educators Making Magic!)
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233
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326
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After just a quick skim of the research, I would be interested to know if there was any overlap in the understanding of Instructional Clarity and Perceived Attributes of the Instructor. I would assume there would be a natural linkage between these two but I am not sure how that was considered.
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257
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Great research! And helpful! As I wrapped up the semester and received feedback from the course, a lot of students commented and stated that active learning was important to them. I am surprised as with this current generation, research shows that they have a hard time collaborating. Although, I believe the modality of how they collaborate is important as they prefer virtual to in person due to the pandemic.
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242
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Hi – I just watched/listened to the recording of the webinar summarizing this study the other day. It was interesting and I think the results were pretty much to be expected. That students want (and should be provided with) clarity concerning instructions shouldn’t be a surprise, although I find that many students. particularly the younger ones, cannot/will not follow even the clearest, most concise written instructions that have also been stated verbally in class more than once – and then are surprised when they don’t do well. I do have problems getting many of my first-year students to participate in “active learning”; they want to sit in class and passively absorb material like a sponge – yet these students can’t explain to me how the membrane transport process osmosis works even after they have been quizzed on it! Others want everything to be fun and interactive which isn’t always possible due to the constraints of scheduled class time and the amount of material that must be covered. I suppose that part of the issue is that most of my students were not enrolled in a college prep curriculum in high school and are not at all prepared for college level work (and our program’s prereqs don’t help in this regard either). They just want to memorize everything and then become frustrated when they cannot. Students often resent being pushed out of their comfort zones but as one of the panel in the webinar stated, this is part of what educators must do to foster learning and critical thinking. While I am encouraging and let them know I am in their corner always, I am very direct and never sugar coat anything with my students; some find that off putting initially (and a few always find it intimidating). As in the study, I have found that what appears to be the most meaningful to students, especially the younger ones, is taking the time to develop a rapport with them and showing them that you do care about their success with school and in their lives. This is the opposite of how I was advised by my chairs and other more seasoned instructors. when I first started teaching. I was told to be “professional” at all times – to keep students at an arm’s length and to talk to them only about school topics. Discussion of anything of a personal nature was a no-no. I’m not sure what the context of “professional” is here – the perceived level of our expertise within our profession or the way in which we engage with our students. – R
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