In learning, there are many concepts that are understood at a cognitive level but not necessarily at a practical level. There are a number of teaching strategies that can be employed to teach students difficult concepts. Actively engaging students in the learning process, including group discussions, problem solving, case studies, role plays, journal writing, and structured learning groups are just a few. The benefits of using such activities are many. They include better critical thinking skills, increased retention and transfer of new information, increased motivation, and better interpersonal skills. One of the strategies I strive to help students with and find successful is to provide real-world examples that allow concepts to be seen through application.
In Human Resource Management courses, many theories and techniques are taught, but the key is to understand how those theories and techniques are executed to meet the needs of people. For example, when teaching a class on Organizational Behavior, I will provide or share articles that relate to organizational issues occurring today in Fortune 500 companies that students can relate to. The articles would be related to the current weekly discussion and would touch on topics such as confidentiality and legal issues, development, ethical issues, and behavior in general. I ask students to read the articles, give feedback, and ask more questions to help put the concepts into reality. This allows students to think about real life situations and how they would handle something similar, as well as challenges and preconceived notions of what organizational behavior really is.
Another example, in teaching social and cultural diversity, I use relevant films (Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, about the struggle certain Indian tribes went through when they were expelled from their land; The Help, about segregation, racism and bias), and I recently pulled an article from Phoenix magazine about Mesa, AZ, the first African-American doctor. This doctor, despite the limited rights given to blacks in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, was committed to treating people regardless of race. He is being recognized for his service as well as his 1920’s home which is being restored and considered a landmark. By watching these films with students, I have seen them become more aware of their own biases and judgments, as well as their own pain. This allows them to put the concepts into reality while engaging in real life to become more sensitive towards others, challenging those judgments and beginning to see people from different perspectives. This is important because it allows them to understand what it means to be empathetic, what it takes to address an issue, and therefore what a client might be experiencing and need support with.
