Flexible Teaching Styles in Community Colleges Motivates Students

Mr. Samir Al Baghdadi

In the current times, people looking to get new skills for a particular job, learn a new trade or get an education have many options. Most of them either choose to start their education in university or at a community college or technical school. Community colleges are usually a good starting point for most students seeking to get an associate degree. Most of the programs in these institutions usually takes two years to complete and equips the students with the necessary skills to launch their career or proceed to the university.

Community college teaching styles

Several recent studies show that students in community colleges benefit immensely from the teaching styles that educators use in classroom. Statistics from these studies illustrate that students in community colleges contribute more in classroom discussions and get a higher percentage of one-on-one interaction with the professors compared to those in universities. This enables them to learn faster and gain more practical skills compared to their counterparts in the university.  Indeed, in most community colleges, the student to faculty ratio is very low compared to that in universities or colleges offering four-year programs. The large class size in universities hinders students from interacting or working closely with their lecturers or developing any personal relationship.

It is not uncommon for classes in large public universities to take place in a big auditorium whereby one professor lectures over a hundred students at a time. This is totally different from the community college where the small ratio of student enables the professor to interact directly with the learners. Survey results from several studies show that community college students get direct feedback from their professors compared to those attending universities.  Overall, this interactive learning motivates students and  enhances their critical thinking skills.

Classroom instructions

Most people make jokes on how easy it is to get a good grade in community college compared to the university. In so doing, they are creating the impression that educators in community college water down the course material or teach easy stuff. However, this is not the case because several studies show that community colleges offer courses whose difficult is at par with those in the universities.  Community colleges, unlike universities do not conduct any research so the professors must use teaching methods that emphasize more on instructions through creating a better leaning environment and enhancing the students’ classroom experience. According to most academicians, the quality of classroom instructions in community colleges exceeds the one found in most universities and large institutions offering four-year programs.

Professors in community college concentrate more on teaching compared to their counterparts in the universities who spend a substantial amount of their time in research.  By so doing, they are able to simplify complex course material to make it easier for the students to understand, internalize and apply it in the real world. Most universities  leave lecturing to teaching assistants and graduate students who merely give students the relevant notes to cover the coursework.

Flexibility

In the current global environment characterized by a tight job market and financial challenges, students must work while attending college. Community colleges are the best option for students hoping to keep their regular job and pursue their education. No doubt, most community colleges offer a wide array of night courses with flexible schedule options compared to the universities.  Consequently, professors in community colleges fully understand that they work with students from diverse cultures, ages and academic levels.  Lecturers in these institutions understand that students need to juggle between their career, family and studies.    Therefore, they use flexible teachings and methods to cater for the needs of the students in community colleges without compromising the quality of education.  In universities, educators use rigid teaching methods that mainly comprises of going into a room and reading notes to a group of students.

Conclusion

Universities can learn a lot from the teaching styles that professors use in community college to enhance the learning experience of their students.  Community colleges encourage one-on-one interaction between the students and instructors, which helps in creating an interactive learning environment. Moreover, they simply the course materials and make it more applicable in the real world, enabling the students to gain practical skills.

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