Learning about Adult Learners - Approaches to Classroom Management with an Emphasis on Compressed Format
By R.L. Hayes

The following are some general guidelines I use for teaching in a compressed format.

1. The longer the session, the more types of mediums should be used to present the information. One for each hour seems to work best; they do not have to be an hour in length, just have that number of mediums. As an example, for an eight hour Saturday session you might have the following; lecture, group work, video tape, student supplied examples on subject matter, (e.g. articles from newspapers), power point presentation, reading from course text, website examples, and classroom discussion.
   

2. Get to know people’s names by the end of the first meeting. It’s a challenge, but it helps by establishing respect. A trick I use to learn people’s names is to have each of the students fill out a 3 x 5 index card with the following information:
   
   · Name and how they would like to be addressed?
   · Where do they consider home?
   · Where did they get their undergraduate degree from, what was the subject?
   · What is there favorite technology?
   · What do they want to get from the class?
   
   I use the cards in a number of ways. In the beginning I put them on my desk/podium ordered by how people sit in the room to learn the names. Throughout the course I keep using the cards to determine who answers questions, presentation order and who works in what groups. I stack the cards up and pull out the first one randomly. After that, whosever’s name is drawn gets to pick the next card. Each time I then set aside the selected person’s card. The students have a lot of fun with this role. Also, by using the cards it ensures that everyone participates and I do not end-up playing favorites.
   
   By having the background material on where their “home,” or school is, I can add personalized anecdotes. When selecting examples to highlight the material covered, I use the cards to determine illustration points, e.g. which state regulations to use to emphasize a point.

3. Take breaks every hour. There is no sure killer to classroom spirit than a never ending lecture on Friday night or Saturday. Plus most people’s attention span wanes after about 60 minutes anyway.

4. The first day of class, when discussing grading, pass out a photocopy of the course evaluation sheet. Let the students know that you take the forms seriously and that it is how they are graded. By putting an emphasis on the form at the beginning of the course, and revisiting the form at the mid-point, you will receive better feedback at the end of the course.
   
   I also read from past evaluations on the first day of class – both the good and the bad. The less positive comments I talk about and let people know how I have changed my teaching to improve. This may seem scary, but in the end the improvements I have made due to thoughtful feedback has been worth the risk.

5. Advice that I was given by someone else is that you should not deviate from your syllabus -- it is a slippery slope. Once you start on-the-fly modification the amount of things that can go wrong exponentially multiply. I have never deviated from the syllabus, and there are a number of times it worked to my advantage.

6. Do not let work groups self-select. (Reference point two.) I randomly draw the cards to select groups. Some people do not like this approach, but it is better than having a group that has worked together before and ends up overshadowing the others.

7. Try and get in some type of graded assignment ASAP at the beginning of the course. This allows student to see what type of grader you are. Consider having a short quiz at the end of the first meeting and getting it back to the students at the beginning of the next meeting. Short answer quizzes seem to work best. They allow more expression. Multiple choice quizzes might be harder to write and easier to grade, but student learning is more important. Short answer questions come closer to replicating what tasks the students are encountering in the work place. If you do use the short answer approach, have the quiz structured so the student only has to answer a segment of the questions, e.g. four of six questions – this takes the pressure off by giving some flexibility.

8. Spread out the assignments evenly through the course. Your students are juggling multiple responsibilities. Having a number of assignments due all at once adds unneeded stress on them to perform, and you to grade.

9. When possible, let students leverage assignments. By letting students carry a topic from one assignment to another it gives them a chance to go into greater detail. For example, I have students do an individual presentation critiquing an article, participate in a group presentation, and prepare a research paper (in this order). I encourage them to use the same topic throughout the assignments. This approach usually results in a higher quality paper. Additionally, in the quizzes (two per course) I try and frame at least one of the short answer questions so they can use what they are working on for the other assignments.

10. In all you do, keep in mind to incorporate the principles of andragogy, or adult learning. This includes the ideas that adults:
    · Are Goal Oriented – they know what they want to attain from the educational program they are taking
    · Want Content that is Relevant to their Needs – they want content that is applicable to work and responsibilities
    · Are Practical – they want information useful for solving problems
    · Want an Instructor who is Respectful – they want respect for themselves and the life experiences they bring to class.

11. Last but not least – have fun.
    

References:

How People Learn, Edited by John D. Bransford et’al, National Research Council, National Academy Press Washington DC, 2000.

The Modern Practice of Adult Education. Andragogy versus pedagogy, Malcolm Knowles, Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall/Cambridge. 1970, 1980.

Professors are from Mars, Students are from Snickers, Ronald A. Berk.
Sterling, VA: Stylus, 2003.

Team-Based Learning, Edited By Larry K. Michaelsen et’al, Stylus Publishing LLC, Sterling VA, 2004.