CA Career Briefs: Make It Relevant

Student Success

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

- Carnegie Mellon

Make It Relevant
Did You Know?

Students and parents alike are increasingly focused on how the information and skills students are learning in the college classroom will help them find a job… In response to these growing concerns as well as the new economic and global realities, instructors are adjusting their curriculum to help students identify how classroom lessons 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, 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.

Share with a classmate, wearing the same color shirt or shoes as you, responses to questions 3 & 4.

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!
Encourage your students to review your syllabus. Instruct them to be prepared to share how the information and/or skills they will learn in this class will help them in their workplace or everyday lives.