Why incorporate the real-world into your course?
- improve student motivation- students find real-world activities more pertinent/relevant; they are seen less as busy-work and more as a practical application of concepts
- equip your students for the real world- we want our students to be equipped for the job market when they complete their studies at CU; the more experience they have with authentic scenarios/situations, the better
- because we can- a portion of our coursework is conducted online, which permits us to easily incorporate internet resources into our curriculum
Depending on your course, the look and feel of these resources or activities will vary greatly.
Where do I start?
- think of a lesson that is in need of an activity/example- this could be a topic that students have a hard time with; or a topic that has not gone so well in the class before; or a topic that you personally find particularly relevant/interesting
- conduct a web search to see what is available- as you do so, keep your mind open and bookmark any resources you may be able to use in the future
- consider any support or scaffolding- what will your students need (eg instructions, handouts, a list of useful links, a list of relevant terminology) to be successful
- be creative- students don't always want to summarize information; think of more creative ways for them to use/digest/present/interact with the material
- the magnitude of the activity depends on you- it could be an introduction to a larger concept that you are teaching; it could be a follow-up "put into practice" activity; it could be extra credit
- high tech vs. low-tech- choose technology tools that can help organize/facilitate the process; or go low-tech
- get help- schedule an appointment with me if you have an idea and need help executing it!
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