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Professors known as outstanding lecturers do two things: They use a simple plan and many examples.
--Wilbert J. McKeachie
1. After the first big grade
How to handle returning a test (or paper/project):
Return tests at the end of a class session on the day you said you would. Once students have their tests in hand, they won’t be interested in other class matters.
Make this a learning moment. Your job is to point out what ideas they need in order to do upcoming work or as a measure of overall learning--as well as to give them kudos for what they have learned.
Use anonymous responses as examples of noteworthy answers. Focus on the positive answers; there are a million ways to come up with an incorrect answer. Plus, students will be thrilled to see their answer, albeit unnamed, selected.
Tell students they can set up a time outside of class to discuss their test concerns. Use the class time to go over issues important to the entire group’s learning.
Wait 24 hours before you meet with an individual to discuss his or her test. This cool-off time is important—it gives hot emotions time to dissipate and allows reason to emerge. Discuss test points and learning, not personal issues. Focus on ways they can use greater clarity next time if they insist "But that’s what I meant."
Now is a good time to change procedures in order to teach for learning. Have you found patterns that indicate an idea didn’t take hold? Mull it over, ask for student input and colleague input, and focus on only one or two changes to make right away.
Do an informal study habit evaluation:
1. Have student use a "One-Minute Response" format.
What’s one thing that helped you to prepare for this test? What’s one thing that you wish you had done? (You can ask what grade they received if you want to crosscheck the learning method with outcome)
How did you prepare for today’s class session? How do you usually prepare?
What’s one thing you think you did particularly well on this project/paper? If you had 24 more hours, what’s one thing you would change?
2. Group their answers and present those at the next class.
By crafting a group chart, students get "safe" feedback—it indirectly asks them to look at their own study habits.
By looking at their preparation methods, you front student responsibility for learning, thus moving the onus of grades from you to them.
2. Lectures
Fourteen tips for effective lecturing
Be Prepared.
1. Note clear objectives for your lecture—"why" this material is important.
2. Develop an outline with three to five main points.
3. Refer to or highlight readings, but don’t reiterate them.
4. Plan for diverse learners through verbal, visual and physical approaches.
5. If you’re nervous, write out the first few minutes. That’s enough to get you started.
Engage Your Audience.
6. Focus attention early on with a relevant quote, anecdote or visual.
7. Share your outline; emphasize main points in the beginning; summarize at the end.
8. Link information to students’ prior knowledge.
9. Integrate visuals, multi-media, discussion, and small group techniques.
10. Model your discipline, and remember your enthusiasm for it.
11. Give students time to think and genuine opportunities to respond.
Get Feedback.
12. Observe students’ non-verbal communication—are they with you? If not, change up.
13. Use the "minute paper" to get a response to lectures—consider using it weekly.
14. Give periodic quizzes on lecture objectives, not on obscure material.
Improving lectures
What do lectures do well?
Communicate intrinsic interest of the subject matter.
Cover material not otherwise available.
Organize material to fit the needs of the audience.
Convey large amounts of information.
Communicate to many listeners at the same time.
Model how professionals in a particular discipline approach an issue.
Weaknesses of lectures:
Feedback on student learning is limited.
Students are passive learners presumed to be at the same level of understanding.
Student attention wanes quickly—in about 10 to 15 minutes.
Not well suited to higher levels of learning: complex, detailed, or abstract material.
Requires an effective speaker.
Emphasize learning by listening only; information tends to be quickly forgotten.
Recommendations to improve lectures:
Preparation and organization:
Fit the lecture to your audience.
Select and limit the topic—don’t try to cover everything.
Outline and organize points, both major and minor.
Select examples, illustrations, etc. to help listeners understand and remember.
Present more than one side of an issue.
Presentation:
Speak clearly and loudly; vary your inflection, positions, pace, and gestures.
Talk, do not read, with humor and enthusiasm.
Stir interest early in the lecture with a question, problem, or controversy.
Provide an introduction, outline, and summary.
Emphasize principles of the course.
Repeat your points in two to three different ways.
Pause.
Use relevant materials and examples.
Use technology, demonstrations, and experiments to enhance your core points.
Introduce some kind of change every 10-15 minutes.
Feedback and interaction:
Look at your listeners.
Solicit questions, perhaps on a regular basis with select members outside of class.
Use discussion techniques.
Adapted from Cashin, William E. "Improving Lectures." Idea Paper No. 14. Manhattan, KS: Center for Faculty Evaluation and Development, September 1985.
Alternatives to traditional lectures
Diana Carlin gives ideas for incorporating discussion into lectures and suggests ways to increase student involvement and responsibility.
Feedback lecture.
Hand out a study guide that includes readings, pre- and post-tests, learning objectives, and an outline of lecture notes. Use class time for two mini-lectures; between the lectures, students work in pairs to respond to discussion questions.
Guided lecture.
Students receive the lecture but don’t take notes. After 25-30 minutes, they are to synthesize what they’ve heard. They work in groups to reconstruct the lecture, consulting the teacher for clarification as needed. Later, students write a paragraph summarizing the major concepts.
Student guided questions.
Strategy # 1: Half the class prepares questions over the day’s readings and the other half answers those questions. The questions are turned in at the beginning of class, and the teacher uses the last 15-20 minutes to ask those questions.
Strategy # 2: Once a week, either begin or end the class with spontaneous student questions. (With either system, try to discuss what in the readings prompted the question.)
Media guided lecture/discussion.
Locate television, radio, newspaper or movie clips that apply to the topic. Use that clip to begin the lecture; have students discuss the concept as it is portrayed.
Adapted from Carlin, Diana. "Alternatives to Traditional Lectures." Classroom
Communication: Making It More Interactive Handout. Lawrence, KS: Center
for Teaching Excellence, February 2001
