Author: Name Joseph Charleman
Joseph Charleman is the Chair of the Surgical Tech and Processing Department at Berkeley College in NJ. His department uses MindTap integrated in Blackboard program-wide including Surgical Tech, Pharmacology, and Microbiology.
Joe has seen a tremendous improvement in their retention – an increase from 20 to 50% over the last few years, and he attributes much of the credit for this improvement to their use of MindTap in engaging their students.
Have Students Complete Assignments Before Class
Students are required to complete their MindTap homework assignments prior to class so that students come with a basic understanding of the learning objectives of the chapter, allowing instructors and students to interact better in class. This results in a better use of class time as they find that students ask better questions, instructors have the time to answer those questions, and they can cover how the key concepts of the chapter relate to the allied health experiences they will face on the job.
Quickly Pinpoint the Students Who Need Help
Students who do not keep up with assignments or whose scores show that they are not understanding a learning objective are easily identified thanks to MindTap’s graphical activity tracking, and faculty double-team with advisement to get these students the help they need before they fail.
Take Advantage of Unique Course Activities
In addition to traditional exercises that test students’ understanding of the textbook content, Joe loves the case studies that open and end chapters; these case studies provide real-world experiences that connect back to the core concepts of the chapters. The opening scenarios get students into the content in an engaging way and provide another means of interaction between students and faculty in class. They also alert instructors to students who are falling behind or struggling with the chapter content.
Deliver Content in New Ways
In addition to using the assignments provided, Joe has found that it is easy to share his annotations in the MindTap reader with his students and has even added podcasts to the pages. He also uses the ConnectYard app to post current events and get student responses which count towards their participation grade.
The Results
Joe has found that both students and faculty have embraced this new, more interactive way to teach, and their improved retention and student satisfaction surveys confirm his finding.