Headlines/Oct. 14, 1992 Teaching seminar offered to CE instructors Effective instruction in adult education was the topic of a seminar presented by Continuing Education on September 2 at the Abbotsford Campus and September 10 in Chilliwack. Ron Coreau, coordinator of career programs for CE, booked Robert Aitken for the workshops which served as an orientation for CE instructors. Aitken teaches in the Instructor Diploma program at Vancouver Community College. Continuing Education has always held an instructor orientation in September, and coordinators and participants agree this has been the best one yet. 60 CE instructors attended the Abbotsford session and 30 attended in Chilliwack. According to the coordinators, feedback from participants was very positive and enthusiastic. “Robert’s presentation was fantastic: — very appropriate for anyone teaching adults,” says Cheryl Isaac-Clark, Abbotsford coordinator. “He has a relaxed storytelling style and uses humour to illustrate his concepts. It was a very enjoyable as well as beneficial experience. I hope we can get him out again sometime and maybe open it up to all the instructors here.” : “Teaching adults is very different from teaching children,” says Rae McCombs, Chilliwack coordinator. “Robert Aitken gave a really good overview of effective adult-teaching techniques and an interesting look at some of the new research on brain plasticity which correlates teaching methods to student success and learning ability.” In his handbook entitled Jnstructional Effectiveness in College Classrooms, Aitken states that effective instructors: e Have an academic focus. ¢ Select and direct the classroom activities. ¢ Generally use group instruction. ¢ Use Active Teaching for basic skills (demonstration, practice, feedback). ¢ Use rewards and praise well. ¢ Give clear presentations. ¢ Have high expectations. ¢ Are enthusiastic. Ineffective instructors fall into three categories: ¢ deadbeats e — those on affective trips (not much into academics) _ — those who are heavily committed to individualizec learning packages (think of themselves as instructional managers rather than instructors). Letters to the Editor Summer hours: A question of perspective Over the years, many staff employees have taken advantage of the opportunity to work summer-hours. This involves banking hours throughout the year in order to take one day off per week in the summer. In some areas this privilege has been taken away by management in order to cover the empty spots caused by summer vacations. We have all worked extra hard this summer to keep up with growth and tighter budgets. I realize it is hard to supply all areas with sufficient staff during the summer, but revoking this tradition is not the way to reward hard work. The impact of this will be devastating on the morale of those of us who value this incentive. Surely there is a better alternative. Craig Toews Grandparents’ gazette Boer Adult Special Education instructor Maryke Boer welcomed her first grandchild, a boy, on Sept. 29. Erik William Boer weighed 6 Ibs. at birth. Congratulations, Maryke, from your ASE colleagues. Associate degrees for two-year programs Students who complete two-year programs in arts and science at B.C. colleges will now be granted associate degrees, as a result of a new amendment to the College and Institute act. The new credentials will be termed Associate of Arts (AA) and Associate of Science (ASc) degrees. To qualify for the degrees students must complete 60 credits of first and second year courses with a minimum C grade point average. ‘“‘A two-year program of academic study addresses the needs of many students in terms of personal development and career preparation,” said Tom Perry, minister of Advanced Education. “An associate degree will allow students to enter the workplace with a recognized province-wide credential.” UCFYV has developed formal diploma programs in Arts and Science over the past few years, and so is prepared for the new degrees. Eric Glyn Jones and John Jenkins rehearse for their roles in The Hostage.