Making it Meaningful

Given a list of twenty short words that you recognize and another list of twenty short "words" composed of random letters, you will naturally learn the first list far better. Your mind processes information best when it can create meaning. Likewise, good teachers enhance learning by connecting content to something students find meaningful.

Of course, all teachers organize material in a way that makes sense to them. What is interesting to the mind of a college professor, however, may be mere abstractions to a young adult -- distant ideas that are disconnected from anything meaningful. These tips suggest some ways where students can help to make your course more meaningful. After all, who knows student needs and interests better? Try one of these ideas to help students find the right connections to meaningful learning.

Peer Voices

Parents are often amazed at how quickly their children accept the same advice from their peers that they ignored when given by an adult. In a similar vein, one of the effective tools for making your course meaningful is to create opportunities for students to hear their peers' voices.

Discussions. When you start a topic, ask students to discuss why the subject matter your are teaching is important. Have small groups list 3 ideas and report them to the others.

Visitors. Ask students who have had your course to visit your current class. Upper class students can talk about their insights. Recent graduates can relate their current experiences. The topic does not have to be why the course is important. Talking about their experiences, they should be able to convey the value of their knowledge.

Readings. Letters by young teachers have inspired many education students. Stephen Daedalus's reflections in Joyce's Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man have encouraged young literati. Read out loud or let your students read works in your field that reveal their peer's voice.

Reflective Experiences

Creating activities that generate students’ reactions are particularly valuable if teachers incorporate effective reflection. The CIRT will be glad to share ideas about how to involve students in reflective activities from Cliff Knapp's recent book, Lasting Lessons. Here are some other tips.

Recall. Introduce a topic by asking students to recall their experiences. What was a memorable experience related to the topic? What was a challenging moment? What was their first memory of it? As you hear responses ask students to draw out patterns. Listen for the values implicit in their comments and share your observations.

Games. Educational games provide valuable common experiences that can be used to engage students in analyzing a topic. Generic activities provide group building and problem-solving opportunities There are 50 activities in Cooperative Adventures; the CIRT will send you some samples.

Drama. Plays, movies, or videos can provide dramatic examples for discussion. The dramatist's ability to connect actions, contexts, and consequences can often convey why ideas matter. Use short segments to highlight your point and eliminate distracting or time-consuming parts.

Real Results

When students can see the impact of knowledge-based action in everyday communities, the reasons for engaging in the learning work become clearer.

Samples. Share samples of work that students have done in prior classes. Putting student work in an archive allows new students to review them and add to a body of scholarship. Keeping a collection of memorable projects allows students to see how their peers made the course meaningful.

Real Audience. When possible, refine your assignments to target an audience beyond your grade book. Class presentations might be designed for other classes, campus social groups, or even off-campus groups. Written assignments might be published and sent to the appropriate audience. Experiment results could be shared with others.

Service Projects. Consider ways to link classroom activities to public service. The CIRT has sample ideas and readings on how you might create interesting connections.

Research. Involve students in research opportunities early and often. Give the lab assignments, have them collect or collate data that contributes to a real project. Even if students only serve as aides or as shadows to researchers, they will be able to observe connections to valued activities.

Final Comments

Stretching beyond our own personal interests in our subject can require a leap of creative empathy with our students, especially since our students have many different ideas about what is interesting. Rather than feel overwhelmed by the prospect of adjusting your course to every student's interest, find ways for them to share the connections that they see. Listening to their peers -- their voices, reflections, and results -- is a powerful way for students to understand the value of their studies.

This Teaching Tip was published by Indiana State University’s, Center for Teaching and Learning.