Role -playing can be used to play out many different scenarios within the aviation field. One place that you could use it is to act an emergency such as an engine fire in flight. To do this, I would take two chairs and place the student in the left and myself in the right as the captain and co-pilot respectively. Then I would give the student a scenario for the engine fire to happen and have the student complete the correct procedures and checklists to solve the problem and/or land the aircraft safely while telling myself (co-pilot) what to do. After completing the scenario I would then debrief the student on the scenario, telling him/her what went smoothly and what may still need improvement.
4 Categories of Instructional Methods
1) Instructor Centered - In this method the instructor is primarily responsible for conveying information to the students. The methods that are instructor centered are the lecture, questioning and demonstration.
2) Interactive method - In this method learning is facilitated by involvement, cooperation, collaboration and the construction of knowledge through dialogue. Within this method there are four methods that are used to teach, class discussion, Discussion Groups, Group Projects and peer teaching.
3) Individualized Learning Methods - This method is based on the thought that each individual learns at different speeds and greatly benefits from immediate feedback. This method consists of modularized instruction, computerized instruction and independent projects.
4) Experiential Learning Methods - In this method it is believed that learning is facilitated by experiencing or doing. These consist of the field or clinical methods, laboratory methods, role-playing, simulations and games and drills.
Discussion Groups - A discussion group can be used in many places, especially when a large group of people is present. However, I believe that the most important time to use this method is when there is a large group of people in which only a few of the people are participating. In this scenario the discussion group will make sure that everyone is participating and learning in the class. To do this I would separate the class into groups of four or five people that all have different strengths and weaknesses ao they can all benefit from each other and have something to contribute to the discussion. I would also make sure to give the students a clear objective with an interesting and meaningful topic to keep the class on task and learning.
Considering Context in Selecting Methods
Group size often comes into play when there are more then 30 students, in this scenario it becomes too hard for everyone to participate and the instructor centered methods are usually the best choices. Physical facilities can also have weight in selecting a method. For example it will be hard to organize group discussion if there are no moveable chairs or tables. Resources can also reduce the methods to use by not having the correct resources at your fingertips. An example of this would be trying to use the lecture method with powerpoint, if powerpoint is not available then you may not be able to use this method. Time of day can also affect the method we choose. For example if you are teaching an early morning session it would be best to use a method in which the students can stay fairly involved to keep them awake and learning. Whether the learning experience is required or voluntary also comes into play when selecting a method. For if the student is willing to be there and has their own motivation you may be able to choose a more individualized approach method. But if it is just a requirement for the student you may want to pick a more interactive method to keep them more involved.
Characteristics of Adult Learners
When dealing with adults, there are three main demographic characteristics that we as CFI's must take into account. The first one being age. Age is a huge demographic because it gives the instructor clues to many of the values, beliefs and different experiences that the student may have. Age can also affect the way that we choose to teach, for an older student may have different physical requirements or learning strategies. Another demographic characteristic is gender. When instructing both men and women, the instructor must be careful to avoid gender stereotypes. Also within the subject of gender, there is evidence that suggests men's and women's developmental paths are different. Language and background is the third demographic characteristic of adults. Language and background can affect the student through a couple different ways. Firstly if the students language or "tongue" differs from that of the instructor this can often creeate a barrier that inhibits learning. If the students background is also different this can create problems by the student holding different values and beliefs that the instructor does not hold or even understand.
Adults tend to learn differently mostly due to the fact that they are there learning the material on their own accord. This means that they expect the material that they are learning to be relevant to what they want to learn or what is going to help them to increase their pay-scale. This also means that many adults will prefer to learn the material quickly so they can continue on with their day to day lives which means that they may not be as willing to take part in activities that they cannot see relating to them. For these adults the best situation is to have a well developed lesson prepared for them that has goals and objectives that obtain to them so they will be more willing to learn the material. Teaching an adult also means that they will have more previous knowledge then other students we encounter, so in this situation we must be more careful to not insult the things that they have previously learned. I also believe that when teaching an adult student I would use more of a self directed approach, so instead of teaching them everything that they need to know face to face, I would try to give more take home assignments for the student to complete on their own so they can relate the material to their own personal experiences.
Excellent recap of the methods and how you would use them. Role play example is well done. Other areas that role play works well with is learning ATC communications.
ReplyDeleteAdult learners definitely bring more experiences to the learning environment. You mention that you might prepare a lesson for a specific adult learner. This will be easy to do when flying because it is done one-on-one. How would you adapt your lessons for groundschool where more than one adult learner is in class?