GIVING EFFECTIVE LECTURES.docx

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GIVING EFFECTIVE LECTURES

Realistically, many instructors rely too heavily on lecturing as a technique. Nonetheless, lectures have a

valid place in intro courses. The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey provides 17linksonthis topic.Sadler'sessay outlines some of the specific advantages of lectures in intro philosophy classes.

Advantages of Lectures:

Communicating interest in the subject. A good lecture can make something more exciting thaneven the best written book or most lively video.

Conveying information not easily available in any other source. Structuring information to suit the purposes of the course and the instructor.

Disadvantages of Lectures:

Students (especially less mature students) tend to lose interest after a fairly short period of time.

Lectures can play into the "dualist"mentality of immature students, that learning is aboutgetting accurate information from the instructor and being able to repeat it..

Conversely, lectures are not very effective in teaching critical thinking or higher order skills.

Techniques for Effective Lectures:

Reset students attention every 15 minutes. Students have short attention spans, according tosome observers, 15 or 20 minutes is as long as one can expect. After fifteen minutes, it is usefulto "reset" the attention by interjecting some activity by the students. This could be as simple asasking students to write a single sentence explaining the main point being discussed, or to

explain something that they haven't understood (O'Connor). Barbara Millis has

some interestingtechniquesfor breaking up a lecture, including asking students NOT to takenotes for a short period, then working in groups to reconstruct what they heard. Intersperse group activities. For example, a twenty minute lecture, followed by a ten minute

group discussion, followed by another twenty minute lecture can be much more effective than 50minutes of straight lecture (Bonwell and Eison 13). The group work could be a simple exercisesuch as "think-pair-share"or a more complicated groupactivity.

Make lectures interactive. Find a way to solicit feedback from students during the lecture, forexample, by asking for a show of hands "How many feel that . . . ?" Villanova's John Doody getsfeedback from students faces. During the lecture he scans the room for the student who is leastengaged in the lecture and then does whatever he needs to do to get that student to pay

attention (e.g., speak faster or slower, louder or softer, tell a joke, or somehow change thepattern).

Use what the ed school types call "Classroom Assessment Techniques"(CATS) to break up

lectures. The idea here is to use short, ungraded, anonymous student quizzes. These serve twopurposes, providing you feedback and breaking up the lecture. Some faculty members use the

"One Minute Paper"as a way to get feedback. In large lectures, some instructorsuse"clickers."

Use examples that relate material to everyday experience of students. Try not to rely entirely on

"insider" examples. Students from different cultures and backgrounds may not respond toexamples from sports, or areas of popular culture not familiar to them.

Help students organize their notes. The instructor can help students retain the material by

providing a structure and emphasizing important points and connections.
http://cte.umdnj.edu/traditional_teaching/traditional_lecture.cfmhttp://cte.umdnj.edu/traditional_teaching/traditional_lecture.cfmhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Sadlerhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Sadlerhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Sadlerhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=69#dualismhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=69#dualismhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=69#dualismhttp://www46.homepage.villanova.edu/john.immerwahr/TP101/lects/Millis%20on%20lectures.pdfhttp://www46.homepage.villanova.edu/john.immerwahr/TP101/lects/Millis%20on%20lectures.pdfhttp://www46.homepage.villanova.edu/john.immerwahr/TP101/lects/Millis%20on%20lectures.pdfhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Think-pair-sharehttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Think-pair-sharehttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Think-pair-sharehttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=106http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=106http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=106http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=135http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=135http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=135http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Think-pair-sharehttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Think-pair-sharehttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Think-pair-sharehttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=65#clickershttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=65#clickershttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=65#clickershttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Think-pair-sharehttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=135http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=106http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Think-pair-sharehttp://www46.homepage.villanova.edu/john.immerwahr/TP101/lects/Millis%20on%20lectures.pdfhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=69#dualismhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Sadlerhttp://cte.umdnj.edu/traditional_teaching/traditional_lecture.cfm


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Use visual aids. PowerPoint has its detractors (some people think it makes students passive and

likely to fall asleep in a darkened rooms, but some studies show that it can be effective,especially if it can include graphics as well as bullet points (Clark).

Start with a problem that engages students. It is most effective to start with something thathooks students into the topic.

Use humor. Amazingly, some education researchers (with too much time on their hands) have

studied classroom humor. Students respond best to humor about the course, gentle humorabout students themselves, and good spirited self-depreciating humor about the professor. Theydon't like sarcastic or negative humor (according to an editorial in The Teaching Professor, 20.6(2006) 1.)

Learn to speak effectively. Have yourself videotaped and watch the video tapes with someonewho can help you with public speaking tips. Nancy Goulden gives32 recommendationsforeffective speaking.

Sources:

Bonwell, Charles C. and James A. Eison,Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom ASHE-Eric Higher Education Report No. 1. Wachington, D.C.: The George Washington University, School for

Education and Human Development, 1991.

Cashin, William E., "Improving Lectures," Idea PaperNo. 14, 1985, 19 January

2008.

Clark, Jennifer, "PowerPoint and Pedagogy." College Teaching. 56.1 (2008): 39-45.

"Effective Lectures," University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 19 January 2008.

Goulden, Nancy, "Improving Instructor's Speaking Skills," Idea PaperNo. 24, 1991, 24 January

2008.

Magnam, B, "Teaching Idea: The One Minute Paper"in Teaching Concerns, 1991,University ofVirginia, 1January 2013

O'Connor, Terry (The College of New Jersey), "The Compleat Lecture," presentation at the Lilly EastConference: Learning by Design, University of Delaware, April 2008.

Sadler, Brook J. "How Important Is Student Participation in Teaching Philosophy?" TeachingPhilosophy. 27.3 (2004): 266. Sadler argues that the value of lecturing (compared to class discussion)has been underestimated.

Detailed Material: Back to Top

Think-Pair-Share: Stop the lecture, ask students to talk for a few minutes to one or two of the studentssitting next to them, and generate either a question or a reaction to the material just being discussed.Don't ask for volunteers initially, but call on specific individuals to ask "What did your group come up

with?"

One Minute Paper: Leave time in the end (or middle) of the lecture and ask students to take four or fiveminutes to write a short paper, saying what is the main point that they learned and what questions theystill have. Some students report that knowing that they will be asked to do a one minute paper helps
http://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_24.pdfhttp://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_24.pdfhttp://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_24.pdfhttp://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_14.pdfhttp://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_24.pdfhttp://trc.virginia.edu/teaching-tips/teaching-idea-the-one-minute-paper/http://trc.virginia.edu/teaching-tips/teaching-idea-the-one-minute-paper/http://trc.virginia.edu/teaching-tips/teaching-idea-the-one-minute-paper/http://trc.virginia.edu/teaching-tips/teaching-idea-the-one-minute-paper/http://trc.virginia.edu/teaching-tips/teaching-idea-the-one-minute-paper/http://trc.virginia.edu/teaching-tips/teaching-idea-the-one-minute-paper/http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Tophttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Tophttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99#Tophttp://trc.virginia.edu/teaching-tips/teaching-idea-the-one-minute-paper/http://trc.virginia.edu/teaching-tips/teaching-idea-the-one-minute-paper/http://trc.virginia.edu/teaching-tips/teaching-idea-the-one-minute-paper/http://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_24.pdfhttp://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_14.pdfhttp://www.idea.ksu.edu/papers/Idea_Paper_24.pdf


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them organize their thoughts during the lecture, and the responses give the teacher a sense of what has

been learned. See B. Magnam, "Teaching Idea:The One Minute Paper"in TeachingConcerns, 1991,University of Virginia, 19 January 2008

.

Author: John ImmerwahrUpdate: May 15, 2010

Source :http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99
http://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_1991/TC_Spring_1991_One_Minute_Paper.htmhttp://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_1991/TC_Spring_1991_One_Minute_Paper.htmhttp://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_1991/TC_Spring_1991_One_Minute_Paper.htmhttp://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_1991/TC_Spring_1991_One_Minute_Paper.htmhttp://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_1991/TC_Spring_1991_One_Minute_Paper.htmhttp://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99http://www.teachphilosophy101.org/Default.aspx?tabid=99http://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_1991/TC_Spring_1991_One_Minute_Paper.htmhttp://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_1991/TC_Spring_1991_One_Minute_Paper.htmhttp://trc.virginia.edu/Publications/Teaching_Concerns/Spring_1991/TC_Spring_1991_One_Minute_Paper.htm

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GIVING EFFECTIVE LECTURES.docx