Avoiding the Lethal Lecture

1
Avoiding the Lethal Lecture

• Tips and Tools on Keeping Students Engaged
• Drick Boyd
• September 29, 2007

2
Think-Pair-Share

• Why do you as an instructor feel that you must
  use lectures in your teaching?
• 2. What are the factors that make lectures an
  ineffective means of communicating information?

3
Pitfalls of the Lecture Method

• Teacher-centered rather learning-focused
• Short attention spans of students
• Inefficient information transfer
• Encourages passive learning

4
Small Groups
How do we avoid these pitfalls of lecturing?
5
Becoming Learning Focused

• See lecture as a springboard to learning
• Engage students with learning activities
• Plan lectures as part of an overall learning
  strategy

6
Learning Centered Teaching

• Create confident learners
• Construction of knowledge
• Facilitate learning
• Student responsibility
• Assess learning frequently

7
Addressing Short Attention Spans

• Use a variety of media
• Break your presentation into shorter segments
• Keep it fresh!

8
Organizing the Lecture

• General Points
• Have no more than 3-4 main points
• Know your content
• Gear to students level of
  understanding
• Stay on topic

9
Organizing the Lecture

• Introduction
• Summarize Main points
• Review previous material
• Start with a student activity
• Define key terms

10
Organizing the Lecture

• The Body of the Presentation
• Use relevant examples
• Eye contact
• Stop to ask or answer questions
• Using public speaking techniques
• Only use humor if its natural

11
Organizing the Lecture

• Conclusion
• Tell them what you told them
• Make transition to next point

12
Managing Anxiety

• Get to class early
• Check technology
• Review notes before class
• Develop rapport

13
Questions?
14
Death By PowerPoint

• PowerPoint is a wonderful tool for
• Communicating Information in a visual way.
• Providing students with a basic outline of your
  talk.
• Bringing variety into your presentation.
• But if you are going to put your whole lecture
  on PowerPoint, why not just hand it to the
  students, let them read it and save yourself the
  trouble!
• IN OTHER WORDS DONT HAVE OVERLY WORDY SLIDES
  LIKE THIS ONE!!!!

15
Dricks PowerPoint Rules

• Less is more
• Limit the words
• Use visuals
• Use to engage not entertain

16
Remaining Issues

• To give or not to give handouts?
• What if a students are nodding off?
• Other?

17
Sources

• Davis, B. G. (1993). Tools for teaching
• Knowles, M. (1980). The modern practice of adult
  education (Revised)
• Sullivan, R. McIntosh, N. (1996). Delivering
  Effective Lectures Retrieved 9/21/07 at
  http//www.reproline.jhu.edu
• Weimer, M. (2002). Learner-centered teaching.