Category Archives: Teaching Tips & Strategies

headphones

Helpful Strategies for Teaching Auditory Learners

headphones
Auditory learners digest knowledge better from lectures.

There are many different types of learners — kinesthetic, auditory and visual. An auditory learner is a person that learns best through active listening. They take on information through listening and active discussions. If you feel that you or your student may be an auditory learner, there are a few things you can do to  help.

Here are some great strategies for teaching auditory learners:

  • Questions are key — By asking questions, auditory learners can receive verbal clarification on learning material. Putting an idea into words can help the listener to retain the information. When asking questions, a student is becoming an active participant, helping those around them know that they are taking in the information.
  • Repeat study material out loud — Whether reading out a whole text or paraphrasing as they read, auditory learners can take in the information they need by hearing themselves repeat it out loud. This works better than reading the text or information.
  • Beware of distractions — When it comes to auditory learners, too much noise or things going on around them may become a major distraction. While some people do well listening to music while they study, others find it distracting. Awareness of the things that cause you or your student to become distracted can help increase focus.

If you are interested in learning more about teaching auditory learners, contact us today at Labyrinth Learning.

Cloud Computing

Emerging Trends That Will Push More Technology into Higher Education

Cloud Computing
Technology in the classroom is improving the line of communication between professor and student.

Recently the New Media Consortium published its annual higher education report. Much of the report focused on emerging trends in technology, their uses in both online and classroom settings, and the positive impact that is being derived from this higher science.

Promoting the momentum in adopting a variety of technological platforms is seen as a group effort. Social media is finding a place in higher education as a way for professors and administrators to interact with students outside the traditional classroom. For example, Vanderbilt University has a dedicated YouTube channel allowing viewers to see the inter-workings of certain areas of the campus, while at Texas State University, Facebook and Twitter have been incorporated as learning platforms.

Through social media, students and educators are generating large amounts of untapped data which has the potential to reveal algorithms that ultimately can assist in individualizing the learning experience. Universities hypothetically have the ability to use this information to increase the success and graduation rate for at-risk students.

While online learning has been seen as a realistic alternative to a traditional classroom setting for sometime now, there are still strides to be made in improving and integrating specific asynchronous and synchronous tools. Studies have shown that it is vital for professors and students to be able to interact while online through eye contact, body language and additional human gestures to build a strong unspoken connection.

For more information on emerging trends in technology, please contact Labyrinth Learning today.

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laptop

The Benefits to Asynchronous Learning

The traditional form of learning in a classroom setting has already been demonstrated as useful in an online format. While these interactive – or synchronous – forms have held sway in the educational community for the last several centuries, it is the new, asynchronous form that is leading the way in the online community of the 21st century.

laptop
Asynchronous learning is changing the way that modern students approach course material.

Here are just a few benefits to asynchronous learning:

It is Unbiased – Teachers are people and will exhibit their biases whether they realize it or not. Asynchronous seminars avoid this problem altogether as there is no “face-to-face” interaction between teacher and student. This means no cultural bias and no bias against those in other time zones.

They are Available 24/7 – The world no longer runs on a 9-to-5, Monday through Friday, schedule. People work all through the day and night and on weekends. Asynchronous learning allows them to schedule their classes at a time that is convenient and most learning-efficient for them.

They Do Not Rely on Expensive Technology – Many synchronous meetings utilize bandwidth-intensive graphics and videos. For those students without the necessary “high-end” equipment, these seminars may be all but useless. Asynchronous ones, on the other hand, allow a slow connection to buffer the signal and transmit the entire seminar.

For more information on the benefits of asynchronous learning and other, creative teaching techniques, please contact us at Labyrinth Learning, today.

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Teaching with Technology: What the Students Want

Teaching with Technology: What the Students Want

With the advent of the Internet, the demands made on the modern educational infrastructure have become ever more severe. Thanks to the fast paced world around us and opportunities available, students require a greater flexibility in their courses, their schedules and their technology.

Teaching with Technology: What the Students Want
Outside of the computer lab, here are a few ways students expect to see technology in the class.

Here is what students are looking for in particular:

Mobile, Integrated, Cutting Edge Interfaces – This means that students want access to the class, no matter the time or their location. Wherever they have an internet connection, students appreciate being able to access discussion boards, reporting, online tools and a classroom response system. These are the bare minimum, and the technology can support far more.

Less Disruptive, Disinterested Students – While technology brings many great benefits, it also allows the less disciplined to engage in counterproductive activities during classroom time. Real students are looking for valid ways to avoid distractions and concentrate on their studies.

Off-Site Access – Modern students, especially those that are connected online, want and need the versatility that our present technology affords. And, most importantly, they want it where and when they want it.

We live in the age of technology, and our students are veterans. They’ve grown up with and have seen more technological advances and breakthroughs than anyone. So, make sure your lesson plan and teaching style fit their expectations and needs by using these helpful tips.

For more about these and other teaching tips, please contact us at Labyrinth Learning.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons 

Lecture Hall

Tips New Professors Can Use in the Lecture Hall

Lecture Hall
Source: Wikimedia Commons

Are you new to teaching college courses and lectures? Teaching at the college level can be very rewarding and more than a little daunting. Here are some tips for new professors when standing up in front of a lecture room full of students for the first time.

1. It’s OK to be nervous- Standing in front a room of people is always a bit nerve racking, but above all else you must exude confidence! Students need to know that you are an expert in your field, especially during the beginning of a semester.

2. Innovate- Sitting for two hours and listening to a lecture can be less than entertaining.  More and more professors are implementing multimedia into lectures. Video, for example, will continue to play an important role in education.

3. Don’t over-prepare– Spending to much time preparing for a lesson may overwhelm you when the school year rolls around. Prepare your course outline and learning expectations early, develop an assessment standard, and take it one step at a time.

4. Be honest- If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t fuddle an answer. Instead, just say, “Let me get back to you.” You don’t want to lose credibility by giving a false answer.

Above all else make the lecture fun! Get creative in your lesson plans and make use of all resources available to you.

To find more tips for new professors and other resources, contact us at Labyrinth Learning to see how we can help you prepare for the school year.

College Student

How One University Quadrupled Female Enrollment in Computer Science

College Student
Source: freedigitalphotos

Despite the numerous successes of the Feminist Movement, female participation in tech-oriented programs remain low. However, evidence shows that this is not an insurmountable problem for colleges. Better still, there is reason to believe that the solution to increase female enrollment in computer science can be replicated.

Here are the three methods that Harvey Mudd College used to increase female enrollment in computer science:

  • First, Harvey Mudd College changed their course from “Introduction to Programming in Java” to “Creative Approaches to Problem Solving in Science and Engineering Using Python.” The change of name made the course less intimidating to interested individuals, while Python replaced Java because it is a more forgiving language. At the same time, the professors separated the class based on coding experience to improve its atmosphere.
  • Second, the college encouraged women to sign up for the course by showing them that women can be successful in tech-oriented industries. This was accomplished by bringing the students to the Grace Hopper Conference, which is meant to celebrate women in said industries.
  • Third, students were encouraged to use their skills to make something that mattered. Examples ranged from educational games to the conversion of popular software for use by new user bases. Their successes showed them that the tech-oriented industries were not out of their reach, with the result that large numbers of women switched over to computer science.

For materials that can be used in computer science courses, please contact us at Labyrinth Learning to speak about our products.

Video Will Continue to Play a Bigger Role in the Classroom

Video Will Continue to Play a Bigger Role in the Classroom

Video Will Continue to Play a Bigger Role in the ClassroomVideo learning in the classroom has come a long way from simply playing a movie to students. With multimedia opportunities constantly expanding, developing, and improving, instructors now are able to incorporate video technology into lectures in many new and interesting ways that better inspire learning.

These are some reasons why video use is increasing in the classroom:

  • People prefer video. In 2012, video accounted for 40 percent of all Internet traffic, but this number is expected to rise to 62 percent by 2016. Video allows students to collaborate in the learning process, it meets the needs of different learning styles, and it makes greatest use of school resources.
  • Video helps students learn a wider variety of skills. Rather just improving test scores, educators want students to learn problem solving, communication, and collaboration — all skills in which video learning can assist.
  • Students who learn with video perform better. Various studies have found that students with access to on-demand video have better grades and exam results. The vast majority of university students surveyed said videos helped them learn course material.
  • Video provides a bridge between school and the real world. Through video training, students learn skills useful for the workplace, including sociability, civic responsibility, and media literacy.

For more ideas about how to use video learning in the classroom at your community college, contact us at Labyrinth Learning for educational resources.

Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

Engaging Students to Enhance Learning

Teaching is a complex process that entails much more than being an expert in a particular field. Teachers must engage students enough so the desired information can be transferred from the teacher to the student. This may require you to step back and evaluate your classrooms and teaching styles to determine whether or not you’re truly connecting with students.

Engaging Students to Enhance Learning
Engage your students with a few of these handy teaching techniques.

To engage a tough student or silent classroom, utilize multiple learning styles. Most instructors teach the way they were taught, which often results in the traditional lecture hall format: teacher speaks and students listen. Unfortunately, this style only reaches the auditory learners in the room. Remember that there are seven learning styles:

  • Visual (they need to see)
  • Auditory (they need to hear)
  • Kinesthetic (they need to move)
  • Verbal (they need to speak)
  • Logical (need linear approaches)
  • Interpersonal (learns better in groups)
  • Intrapersonal (learns better alone)

Make sure your teaching approach alternates between different modalities to give everyone a fair chance.

Liven up your lesson plan by utilizing technology. Your students have been raised in a technologically rich environment. It is what they know and it is also their source of connection and entertainment. Take advantage of technology in the classroom to engage students and increase the relevancy of your lessons.

Reinforce old lessons on a regular basis. Students need to practice over and over. Create a curriculum in which each lesson connects to and repeats the concepts from previous lessons. It’s even better if you can create continuity between disciplines.

Contact Labyrinth Learning to learn more about teaching materials and software designed to engage students using technology and relevant, real-world curricula.

Image Source: Shutter Stock

The Social Learning Trend is on the Rise

The Social Learning Trend is on the Rise
Break students out of the traditional mold of interacting in class with social learning.

With even more people becoming connected to the Internet on a global scale, the increased availability of smartphones, and the growing popularity of social media, it is no wonder that social learning — the use of mobile devices and social media to assist in eLearning and enable peer review — is on the rise.

The following statistics explain how the trend is expanding on an international level:

  • Worldwide Internet users — In 2014, it is estimated that 2.8 billion people will be using the Internet worldwide. This is up from 2.1 billion in 2010 and just 1 billion in 2005.
  • Facebook — In 2013, there were 1.15 billion users on Facebook, which is a marked increase from 1.06 the year before. The number of users accessing Facebook on mobile devices has increased even more significantly: by 51 percent in a 12-month period, reaching a total of 819 million users.
  • Smartphones — The cost of smartphones is rapidly dropping, which has provided Internet users with a cheaper way to get online. In 2012, the average cost of a smartphone was $298, but by 2013, this number had fallen to $180.
  • Peer review — Of students surveyed, 92 percent said they benefit from reviewing the writing of others and 82 percent found peer review helped their own writing.

As an educator, you should already be taking advantage of all social learning has to offer. For more advice about how to incorporate technology into your classroom or training program, contact us at Labyrinth Learning.

Image Source: freedigitalphotos

A Look Back at the “Future” of Technology in Education

A Look Back at the "Future" of Technology in Education
The current classroom setting isn’t even close to the future predictions created by leading minds of the past.

Remember The Jetsons? As kids, we watched The Jetsons in delight, looking forward to the days when flying cars and meals-in-an-instant would be the norm. Well, some of the Jetsonian technologies have become reality – like microwave dinners – but others have yet to come to fruition. The same is true for predictions made regarding technology in education.

A recent article on Gizmodo took a look at 15 Technologies That Were Supposed to Change Education Forever…but haven’t. We’re highlighting a few of our favorites.

Instant travel. Back in 1912, an Iowa newspaper predicted that the distance required to transport students to school would be eliminated via pneumatic tube shuttles, monorails, and gyroscope cars. Alas, the mileage from students’ houses to school has remained the same. The only improvement is the speed and fuel efficiency of school buses.

Radio Books. During the 1920s radios became a mainstay of American entertainment. Thus, it didn’t require a stretch of the imagination to think students would all be connected to radio books in the future. Granted, these predictions were somewhat accurate in the sense that audio books are the preferred method of reading for students with vision impairment, as well as those who are predominantly auditory learners.

T.V. Teachers. By the late-30s, forward thinking educators imagined a world where teachers were no longer necessary in the classroom. Instead, students would watch and listen to lectures via the television. Instead, computers have dominated the scene and online learning is more popular than every before.

Contact Labyrinth Learning to stay in touch with real-life advancements of technology in education.

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