QUICK CLICKS:

Higher Ed Home

Table of Contents
June 1999

Advocate Online

They're talking on campus...

On the Road

Action Line

In the Know

From Capital to Campus

NEA Affiliates in Action

Thriving in Academe

Higher Education News

Money Savvy

The Dialogue

Speaking Out

On the Importance of Being Organized

Students learn better when their instructors are well-organized.

The number one indicator of effective teaching, notes Kenneth Feldman in his 1996 article on exemplary teaching, the indicator most highly correlated with student achievement, is the organization of the course.

Organization is not a personality trait or an inborn talent. Rather, it can be learned and applied regardless of the demographics of the course --- large, small, required, elective, major, non-major. These don't matter. All courses can benefit from good organization.

But which type of organization do we mean? There are many ways to talk about organization in the context of learning, too many to discuss effectively in this small space. But three interpretations of organization are particularly important and lend themselves to discussion here.

The three types: organization from a cognitive perspective, organization from a management perspective, and organization from a motivational perspective.

The Cognitive Perspective
Cognitive psychology, the leading model for understanding learning, looks on organization from the standpoint of what is actually happening when we learn. This is the cognitive perspective.

According to cognitive theory, learning involves making connections between new information to be learned and already learned information that is stored in long-term memory. The more organized the information is in long-term memory, the easier it is to make the connections and to retrieve the learned information in the future.

In fact, cognitive theory says that we cannot help ourselves; we are organisms that strive to make sense of the world around us by understanding its underlying organization. Our first impulse upon receiving some new information is to determine where it fits in our overall view of the world.

Not all the information in our long-term memory is well-organized. Some memories resemble the glove compartment of an old car, full of miscellaneous junk, difficult and tedious to sort through while looking for change for the parking meter.

On the other hand, those topics we know best, or are most interested in, will be organized and easy to sort through. In this case, the connections between individual pieces of information will be easy to understand and easier to find later.

A well-organized course provides clear structure for the information being learned. The course helps learners draw connections between what they already know and what they are learning.

The well-organized instructor gives lots of examples and illustrations to clarify the more abstract concepts and, at the same time, keeps the "big picture" before the students. In this way, the students can see where what they are learning fits in.

The trip from here to there is much smoother when students understand how where they are fits with where they've been and where they're going,

The Management Perspective
Learning time is precious and shouldn't be squandered on trivia and paperwork. In this sense, course organization means making maximum use of available time. This is the management perspective on organization for effective teaching.

Students appreciate good organizational management in an instructor and in a course. Most students have very full lives. Ours is not the only course they are taking. In addition, many have families or jobs. Some are active in athletics or civic affairs. The bottom line is that they need to be able to plan ahead in order to balance all these competing demands.

Knowing well in advance when class activities are scheduled, when assignments are due, when the tests will be given --- in general, knowing what will happen when --- gives students more control over their time.

Students are usually willing to give the required time to an instructor's course when they know they can count on the instructor to use their time wisely.

The same is true for in-class time. Organization as management in class means that routine matters are handled efficiently and smoothly, leaving more time for the real business of learning.

This kind of organization requires knowing how to handle the mundane with minimum fuss and confusion. The perception of a smoothly running class period communicates to students the instructor's respect for the value of their time together.

The Motivational Perspective
The well-run class just described has an added benefit, but one much harder to spot at a casual glance. Effective course organization has a motivational effect, too.

Learning is a risky business, and the classroom is full of possibilities for students to fail. Yet, unless students are willing to take those risks and try the harder tasks, they won't learn.

To get students to be risk-takers, we need to convince them that they are safe in our hands. Students need to trust that if they try and things go wrong, we will be there to rescue them. They need to believe that we can make any situation a learning experience, even if it might be painful in the short run.

When students have that level of trust, good things are possible.

A well-organized classroom communicates a sense of trust to students. This well-run classroom says that the instructor has spent time thinking about the students' learning and how to maximize it. This level of organization says that the instructor is a competent teacher who has planned out the learning strategy.

The well-organized classroom sends a simple message: "Relax. This instructor has the course under control and is capable of handling any situation."

This motivational aspect of organization provides a sense of safety for students and encourages them to try.

Making Organization Work For You
There are many other definitions of organization that can apply to the classroom, but these three seem the most relevant to the classroom as a learning environment. What can you as an instructor do to take advantage of organization in these ways?

First, spend a lot of time planning your course and how it all fits together. Be clear on your objectives and how the evaluation strategies and instructional methods you have chosen support these objectives.

Second, communicate your objectives and plans to students. Have a good, clear syllabus, and explain it to your students so they can understand the thinking that went into it.

Third, think about the "big picture" of your content. How does it all fit together, and where does it connect with the rest of the students' lives? As you address each topic, spend some time showing the students how this particular topic fits into the overall structure of the field.

Fourth, be consistent in your organization, even as you are being flexible in its execution. If you have spent time thinking about the whys of all your instructional decisions, you'll be in a better position to stick to or modify them as the situation requires.

Finally, help the students trust you with their precious time. Don't waste their time because you didn't take your own time to plan or prepare. Convince your students that you have course organization under control.

If you do this, students will relax and enjoy the course rather than fret about it. This trust and respect will make for a better learning environment for everyone.

One more thing: Don't change things around drastically in the middle of the course!

Post your comments on our "Thriving in Academe" discussion board.

Back to Thriving in Academe