How Do Students Learn At Robertson College

One of the most important things that you should know before you enroll at a college or university is how students learn.  Of course, what they learn is important, as well, but everyone learns differently so sometimes it can be difficult to learn from an instructor that only has one method of teaching.

One of the things that Robertson College instructors are encouraged to do is to take into consideration the various needs of the many types of students that are in their class.  Some students learn better by watching others do things while other students do best in a lecture environment.

Some of the ways that instructors at Robertson College teach include:

• Lectures (these are usually kept to a minimum though - half an hour to an hour and a half is normal for most classes)
• Group activities - working as teams gives students the ability to learn from each other.
• Video -  watching videos can be helpful when you get to see professionals in their own environment.
• Games - yes, games can be great learning tools. When I was teaching the Administrative Professional and Bookkeeping course, one of my favorite games was "Who Wants To Be a Bookkeeper?" (instead of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?")
• Field trips - some classes get to take trips outside of the school where they can get to know the environment where they might be working.
• Guest speakers - guest speakers from professional fields are brought into the school as often as possible.  This not only gives students the opportunity to ask questions but also, to practice networking skills.
• Hands on experience - this is especially important in classes where students need to have experience.  For example, they might take each others' blood pressure.  There have even been clinics where people can come to the school to get their vitals tested by the students, under the supervision of the instructors.
• Recruitment fairs - students have the opportunity to meet with industry professionals, ask questions, and even get applications for when they graduate!

What other ways do people learn.  Do you have any suggestions for ways that instructors could teach?