There are various class programs and placements for students in universities. Since 2020, the education system has integrated more programs to accommodate students’ learning experiences and safety. Not only do classes have the conventional type of learning that is the remedial type of learning, but also student-centered curriculums. On the other hand, placement in the Universities strives to separate students with different abilities for each group to get the required attention and tailored instructions to fit the different ability groups. Nonetheless, it helps students with more minor writing talents to get more focus from their lecturers. Reminiscing on my first year in college, I appreciated having a space for social interaction and teacher-centered teaching where the teacher regularly corrects the student. It was motivating. Nonetheless, as a freshman, I would have preferred the Directed Self Placement, where students have the liberty to enroll in their programs of choice after proper career guidance and mentorship. However, from a teacher’s point of view, students should have an Accelerated Learning Program and multiple measures to determine their University placements.
A College First-Year’s Point of View
As a newly-admitted first-year student in the University, one always yearns when they could finish the degree and go out into the world, which has many opportunities. Ironically, students believe that once they are done with their coursework and graduate, they will be employed in the best of the best institutions relating to their fields. For instance, an aeronautical engineer student would aspire to work at Boeing, while a writer would aspire to work in the world’s best magazine and publishing houses. With such yearning, the students would want to accelerate their learning process, increase social interactions for networking, and create a motivating space. As a first-year student, I considered taking the Traditional Learning Program and the Directed Self Placement.
The traditional learning program was a well-established form of learning before the Coronavirus pandemic as it allowed for proper interactions among students. Because they may engage with the teacher and their peers in a typical classroom setting, most students view it as advantageous for learning. The ability to ask questions and receive rapid responses is particularly crucial for those who learn best via cooperative activities and group work. Some learners want regular confirmation that what they are doing is correct and that they are on the right track, and they require feedback to keep moving forward. As a new student among hundreds of older students, it is riveting trying to fit. Nevertheless, with many other new students physically interacting with them, easing into the school program becomes light.
It is also an organized system that ensures students’ success through fixed schedules and inclusive learning, which increases the success rates for students. Most first-year students lead busy lives as they try to figure their way around the school, adapt to the new way of life, and interact. Nonetheless, there is peer pressure where the students may indulge in various forms of fun in school and forget about classes. Most students would prefer to be “forced” to attend classes or fall victim to various pressures. Traditional learning provides a conducive environment for learners to remain focused and motivated. With constant instructor interaction, traditional learning maintains a sense of being present throughout the learning process. The organization of a fixed timetable and inclusivity of teachers keeps the students at bay with their studies, thus, motivating them to learn.
Other than the class program, the preferred placement I considered was Directed Self Placement. First, the words “directed” and “self” scream freedom. As a freshman, one has a profound sense of freedom, and it is a pleasant taste. Having a program at the University that would add to that new freedom was the way to go. Directed Self Placement describes the distinctions between the offered courses to students and assisting them in making judgments about the course to pursue. DSP questions two major assumptions: that college-level ability can be evaluated successfully outside of the classroom evaluation procedures and that writing skill predicts performance in the college writing classroom. As a student yearning for the opportunity to make informed choices for me, Direct Self Placement is the best placement.
An Education Professional’s Point of View
Tutors want the best for their students as it reflects their ability to impact knowledge on students; thus, choosing the best class program and placement mode for students is crucial. Another priority for the lecturer is to engage students in the best activities and programs that are less time-consuming and equally beneficial to the students’ learning experience. Nonetheless, teachers aspire to have a student-focused education system that enables the student to achieve their desired goals through Accelerated Learning Program. Moreover, when colleges assess students, they should have an array of indicators to averagely determine the student’s capability to enroll in a specific program at that University. A teacher’s desired placement method should be multiple measures to ascertain a student’s entry to the school.
With much time in a freshmen’s life, one can accommodate the Accelerated Learning Program, which requires more work to be put in a short time. In this class model, students have the power to control the pace and mode of instruction (Shanahan, 2020). It requires collaboration to hasten the process of learning. Moreover, students must fully immerse themselves in the learning experience and get hands-on skills. For instance, a writing student should spend most of the time perfecting writing different writing styles rather than learning theoretically and testing the writing skills during exam time. Accelerated learning is not only rushing through coursework but also focusing on implementing practical skills to help the student faster mastery of the content.
One of the reasons for choosing this class program is that it leads to an increased chance of success. According to research, students in accelerated learning programs finished 27 percent more lessons than students in remedial programs (Shanahan, 2020). By filling up deficiencies in prerequisite abilities, accelerated learning prepares students to excel in learning a new subject. Students are better prepared to acquire new material when they have the appropriate past knowledge. Individuals enroll in training and development activities with appropriately challenging assignments, boosting student confidence and promoting a more pleasant experience. As a result, accelerated learning improves student achievement by educating students on new material learning.
Additionally, students spend less time in school and get more skillsets. Accelerated learning aims to integrate prior abilities to present learning, resulting in a considerable increase in the rate of teaching new material (Shanahan, 2020). Accelerated learning emphasizes real-time help, whereas remediation spends much time on the below-grade-level subject before moving on to new ideas. In other words, instructors will spend more time on additional content and less time on corrections. Students are learning prerequisite skills to increase their past knowledge through accelerated learning. Students increase their comprehension by linking prior skills to current topics. This learning enables pupils to retain knowledge and have a profound grasp of the content.
Nonetheless, one of the proper ways to assess a student’s placement is through multiple measures. The use of numerous indicators to assess student learning is known as multiple measures. This information is gathered at various intervals in time and analyzed both inside and across topic areas. Universities use two or more criteria for assessment and placement in this case. One of the ways a school can use it is by looking at SAT and other final-year scores. Students in the K-12 system take SAT examinations to determine their potential to enter college and what programs they can pursue. Students are compelled to work hard because of the tests. Students who do not study hard and have a positive attitude toward education will not receive a decent marks on regular examinations, preventing them from progressing to the next level or following their hobbies. Additionally, transcripts from high school or college, attitude surveys, and interviews are examples of numerous metrics. The use of numerous indicators helps get a large spectrum of the student’s abilities and does not confine the definition of success to one assessment only.
In conclusion, the education system is dynamic, and it suits different priorities. For a first-year student who wants to socialize and have teacher-centered learning, the traditional way of learning suits them best. Nonetheless, because of the newfound freedom, such students are enticed by the Directed Self Placement, where students have the liberty to choose their programs and universities. According to professionals who want to ease their teaching process, having an Accelerated Learning Program will help take less time and quality work for the students to gain the right skillset. Nonetheless, using multiple measures determines a student’s placement in a broad spectrum of the student’s abilities. These class programs and placements fit different priorities but are all beneficial.
Reference
Shanahan, T. M. (2020). Pedagogical Framework for Integrating Developmental Writing and English Composition Through the Accelerated Learning Program Corequisite Model. Journal of Higher Education Theory and Practice, 20(10), 159-172.