College Students Hate School Subjects: What to Do About It?

Contents:

• Immediately immerse yourself in the profession
• Motivate students to study school subjects
• Make general education more engaging
• Improve teaching effectiveness through technology

Immediately Immerse Yourself in the Profession

To avoid disappointment for first-year students and prevent the feeling that their studies resemble a school curriculum, it is important to integrate them into the profession as much as possible from the very first days of college. This will allow students to "touch" their specialty and see its practical application. Firstly, this approach will help break associations with school, demonstrating that college offers a more mature and professional approach to education. Secondly, if students are already involved in their profession, they will be able to more easily understand the need to study general education subjects to fully master the specialty. This teaching method promotes better perception of information and increases students' motivation to study.

In the Digital College, we immediately We also begin studying specialized professional disciplines. This allows our students to immerse themselves in the practical aspects of their chosen profession from the very first days of their studies. Our program is aimed at developing the necessary skills and knowledge that will help students successfully integrate into the modern labor market.

Current trends recommended by the Institute for the Development of Professional Education within the Digital College program should be taken into account. It is important to integrate general education subjects into the secondary vocational education system, taking into account professional specifics. This is a methodologically challenging task. For example, in literature classes, design students can complete homework assignments such as creating sketches or comics, inspired by the works of the authors they study. However, it is important to maintain a balance: you should not constantly search literature for elements that will help students become better designers or web developers. Deeper and more philosophical themes should also be openly discussed.

Motivating Students to Study School Subjects

It's important to convey to students the importance of general education. This shouldn't be done simply for show; it should be done using arguments that are understandable and relevant to teenagers. For example, explaining to 16-year-olds that without a basic education they risk being limited in their abilities can resonate more deeply. Instead of talking about lack of culture, it's worth emphasizing that broad knowledge opens the door to a successful career and personal development. Education helps not only in the professional sphere but also in life, allowing you to build deeper relationships and make informed decisions. By approaching this issue with understanding and attention to the interests of young people, you can achieve greater results and inspire them to learn.

It's necessary to focus on how to effectively convey information to a young audience and generate genuine interest. There are many young people eager to engage with culture, as evidenced by the successful Pushkin Map initiative. This project demonstrates the demand for cultural events and educational programs. It is important to develop strategies for engaging with young people so they feel engaged and interested in cultural events. At the level of the secondary vocational education (SVE) system, it is time to rethink the need for individual subjects in various specializations. For example, do web developers really need subjects like chemistry and physics? Perhaps these subjects are retained in the curricula simply out of inertia, without taking into account modern professional skill requirements. It is important to consider what knowledge is truly needed for a successful career in web development and adapt curricula to the realities of the labor market to increase their effectiveness and relevance.

Make general education more engaging

The special education teacher education system needs to focus on making general education more engaging and engaging. I am confident this is possible, as young people enjoy watching videos from popular science bloggers, which indicates their interest. At the same time, in the school and college system, they lose interest and fall asleep on the same topics. This indicates that the problem lies in the way the material is delivered.

At Skillbox Digital College, we actively use pre-recorded lessons, which allows our students to study in a flipped classroom format. This means that students can study theoretical material at a time convenient for them, and in class, focus on discussions and practical tasks. This teaching model can be successfully adapted for offline colleges. Pre-recorded lessons offer several advantages over live lectures. Not every teacher can present material in an engaging and understandable manner, like a popular blogger. Recorded lessons from experienced speakers who are captivating communicators can be more effective than traditional lectures, where information is often presented in a boring and monotonous format. Therefore, using pre-recorded lessons significantly improves the quality of learning and student engagement.

To increase student engagement, we actively use quizzes. Even if a student is in front of a teacher in an offline classroom, this does not guarantee that they fully absorb the information and understand the material. Asking questions during webinars is especially important, as this helps maintain student attention. Conducting short quizzes immediately after the lesson not only helps check the material's comprehension but also gives students the opportunity to identify any gaps in their knowledge, which contributes to a deeper understanding of the topic.

In the general education block, we focused on attracting young and energetic teachers. Our teachers are graduate students with advanced specialized education; for example, our chemistry course is taught by a graduate student from the Chemistry Department of Moscow State University. This approach has obvious advantages: when a teacher demonstrates interest, thoroughly prepares for class, and explains the material in a language accessible to teenagers, the learning process becomes more effective.

We are seeing positive results, and students are showing interest. Recently, at the end of a literature lesson, the teacher invited the students to share their impressions, and they began reciting poems to each other. This is not common practice in secondary vocational educational institutions—in most colleges, such moments are rare. This is an important indicator of our approach. We strive to create an atmosphere that encourages students to take initiative and actively participate in the learning process.

Physical education is an important part of the general education block, and for many students, it evokes unpleasant memories of school. However, a modern approach to physical education can significantly change this situation. At our institution, physical education is taught online: students watch videos and repeat exercises. But physical education classes include more than just physical activity; they also include educational elements such as healthy lifestyle principles, proper nutrition, and beneficial exercise. This knowledge promotes healthy habits, which is especially relevant for future developers and designers who spend much of their time in front of a computer. Taking care of their health and physical activity becomes an integral part of their professional lives, which ultimately has a positive impact on the overall quality of their work and life.

Improving Teaching Effectiveness with Technology

While it can certainly be argued that having qualified and enthusiastic teachers is the ideal, the reality is that it is not always possible to staff such specialists. We all recognize that truly good teachers are rare, and their shortage is a widely recognized problem. Even with a sufficient budget, attracting the necessary number of professionals is difficult.

Neural networks can significantly change the approach to interacting with content, allowing a single teacher to effectively work with a large number of students. Using these technologies, the learning process can be optimized: by preparing materials and assignments in advance using neural networks, a single teacher can teach not 30 or 120 students, but significantly more. This opens up new possibilities for education, making it more accessible and scalable. The use of neural networks in teaching not only improves the quality of the process but also allows teachers to focus on a more individual approach to each student.

There is a serious problem: the education system still treats technology with caution. Particularly when it comes to schoolchildren and adolescents, technology is often perceived negatively. This leads to the fact that potential opportunities for learning and development remain untapped. It is necessary to rethink the approach to integrating technology into the educational process in order to maximize its potential for improving the quality of learning and student engagement.

Why not support talented teachers and help them reach a wider audience? It's unclear why the winners of the "Teacher of the Year" competition aren't awarded grants to create their own educational courses. This could significantly improve the quality of education and make knowledge more accessible to everyone.

The creation of a library of open materials for general education in secondary vocational education (SVE) is expected. This will allow us to share effective resources that are successfully used in asynchronous learning. The creation of such a platform can significantly improve access to high-quality educational materials and simplify the process of exchanging experiences between educational institutions.

At the Skillbox Digital College, we are actively implementing generative neural networks to optimize educational processes. These technologies significantly simplify teacher training, allowing them to quickly and effectively create visual materials and compact slides. Students can also use neural networks to better understand the complexity of educational material, receiving clear and accessible explanations. The implementation of such innovative solutions contributes to the improvement of the quality of education and enhances interaction between teachers and students.

The online learning format significantly increases student engagement in the learning process. The reason for this is simple: students are in a comfortable environment, sitting in comfortable chairs and can take care of their basic needs, such as food and rest. The absence of distractions, such as classmates' backpacks or a cold draft from a window, allows for better focus on the subject, for example, physics. Our experience shows that applicants value the fact that they don't have to waste time commuting to attend classes. This detail, although seemingly insignificant, is of great importance for those who value freedom of choice and want to reduce associations with school life. Thus, online learning not only offers flexibility but also improves the quality of education.