PART I
Teaching veterinary medical terminology is no different from teaching other subjects: instructors need to consider the reality that students learn differently. Some students learn by doing (kinesthetic learners); others, by hearing (auditory learners); and still others, by seeing (visual learners). It is important to recognize that most students learn through a combination of these styles, so using varied teaching techniques that address the different learning styles will help your students learn and retain information better. Your goal in lesson planning should be to have students actively participate in class and to fully involve as many senses as possible. This teaching format accommodates different learning styles, aids in holding students’ attention, and makes the class more interesting for students and for you. Generous use of a chalkboards, transparencies, or computer-based presentation programs help students see a medical term while it is being discussed. Pronouncing the term while presenting it visually helps students associate the two. As students progress in their understanding of medical terminology, it is helpful to pronounce the term and have students define it both in written and oral form. Remember that on the job, students will not always see the medical term written down so that they can analyze it. Learning medical terminology is similar to learning a foreign language. Seeing and analyzing foreign words is valuable in the learning stages, but using a foreign language in conversation and communication is the ultimate goal. One would not want a student who took French only to be able to conjugate verbs and not be able to order food at a French restaurant. Medical terminology works the same way. Having students listen to a description of a case history and then asking them what is happening is very valuable. Sometimes, you may need to go through the history very slowly and stop at key words; but this helps students retain medical terms and observe how those terms are used in context, and it improves students’ listening skills. Aids for developing good study skills and habits are also worthwhile to introduce in medical terminology courses. Using multiple colors of chalks or markers helps students group terms together and associate them with each other. For example, cardiovascular terms may be written in red, and urinary terms may be written in yellow. Then when you present the term hematuria, 2
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