“One effective way to harness student motivation is to have students apply what they are learning to real-world contexts.”

– Carnegie Mellon’s Eberly Center

Make It Relevant

Did You Know?

Students and parents are increasingly focused on how the information and skills they are learning in 21st century college classrooms will help them find a job… In response to these growing concerns, the new economic climate calls for a shift toward global learning. Instructors are adjusting their curriculum accordingly to help students identify how classroom learning can translate to workplace success. This activity calls on students to review employers’ expectations and link these to your course content.

Here’s how…

• Ask them…

Why are you taking this class?
What do you expect to learn?
How will this class help you in your career?

• Distribute Student Activity (available in fillable, pdf form), review directions and complete.
• Have students share their responses giving them these directions:

Turn to the person on your left and discuss responses to questions 1 & 2.

For responses to questions 3 & 4, find a classmate wearing the same color shirt as you, and share your responses with them.

Partner with someone you do not know, to identify workplace skills you practiced in this activity.

• Discuss how students can put the skills and information learned in your class to work for them.

Above and Beyond!

Give your students an opportunity to share how the information and/or skills they’ll learn in this class will help them in their workplace or everyday lives. Also, to encourage your students not to overlook your syllabus, consider this syllabus review activity.