Engaging Learners During Lectures Beverly Wood MD, PhD

The power of the first minutes On your index card: Write one question you have related to the topic of this session. Write a fact you know about the topic Form a pair Share your question and fact.

Session Objectives Plan effective lectures Participants will be better able to: Plan effective lectures Use the “pause procedure” to improve learning Use five methods to engage learners

How can you engage learners to enhance their learning?

Attention How well do listeners retain information? of first 10 minutes

Attention How well do listeners retain information? of last 10 minutes Rickard et al, 1988 Teaching of Psychology 15,151-152

Attention Lecturer Level of performance Students 5 min. 50 min. Time effectiveness 5 min. 50 min. Time Adapted from DH Lloyd Visual Education,1968

Students’ Heart Rates in Class Break 90 Beats/minute 80 Student question Lecture Discussion 70 25 50 60 90 Minutes Adapted from DH Lloyd Visual Education,1968

Your brain asks questions about incoming information. Have I heard or seen this before? Where does this information fit? What can I do with it? Is this the same idea I had?

Why your brain needs to be “on” Link what being taught-----------> What already know To save the information----->test, recap, explain, use in activity

The ‘Pause’ Procedure Instructor paused for 2 minutes x 3 during lectures. Intervals of 12-15 minutes between pauses. Students discussed and reworked their notes Students in the ‘pause’ class performed significantly better on free recall and comprehension testing. Ruhl, Hughes, Schloss Using the pause procedure to enhance lecture recall Teacher education and special education 10: 14-18, 1987

Quick activities..ways to improve a lecture Build interest Involve students during lecture Maximize understanding and retention Reinforce the lecture content

Examples,Application & Practice Each 1 Hour of Lecture Connect 1-3 minutes New Information mixed with “pause procedure” ≤30 minutes Examples,Application & Practice Close 5-10 minutes Activity connected to content Mini-lectures of 10-15 minutes each. After each mini-lecture, 2 minute “check for understanding” Activities that encourage application and transfer of learning Check for understanding Ask learners to summarize session

Active learning is more than listening: Apply learning Analyze Synthesize Evaluate Solve problems Read Write Discuss Students

Learning is enhanced when learners “do” something with information…. State the information in their own words Give examples Apply the learning to a new problem Use the learning in a different situation State the opposite or converse State the consequences Teach it

QT ‘Quick Thinks’ Susan Johnston

#1 “Support a statement” QT Flu vaccine should be administered whenever possible to appropriate patients because….. Activity: Support the statement, and/or give 1 example Work in pairs for 2 minutes

Select the best response QT Select the best response #2 What is the best reason to use evidence-based practice guidelines A. Practice is standardized B. There is data to support decisions C. You can measure outcomes with validity D. The research is always strong support Think Audience Response

Compare or contrast (in pairs-trios) QT #3 Compare or contrast (in pairs-trios) Identify 3 parallel elements Focus on similarities Pollock Miro

Compare or contrast (in pairs-trios) QT Compare or contrast (in pairs-trios) Identify 3 differentiating elements Focus on differences

QT Complete a statement The major concern about industry reps or device manufacturers helping design CME is ……..

QT #4 Reorder the steps

QT Reorder the steps Choose a procedure. Mix up the steps; have the students reorder them. Why is this a useful exercise? When might you want to use it? Think procedures

QT Reach a conclusion #5 In a review of published papers related to the outcomes of trials of an antidepressant, 37 with positive results were published, and 3 with negative or questionable results were published. Why might this happen? Turner, Matthews, Linardatos, et al Selective Publication of Antidepressant Trials and its influence on apparent efficacy. NEJM 2008;358:252-60.

Effective Lectures List 3 methods to make lectures more effective List 3 practices that make lectures ineffective.

Effective vs. Ineffective Lectures Characteristics of the “Effective Lecture”: • Lecturer-participant interaction • Active learning • Problem-solving activities • Frequent discussion • Limited note-taking Characteristics of the “Ineffective Lecture”: • Lecturer “tells” participants • Passive listening • Few if any questions • Few if any pauses • Copious note-taking

Summarize the Session We hope you have learned during this session, and that you can state in one sentence the essence of what you have learned. Can you distill the session into <10 words? Try it. Can you distill the session down into <4 words? Try it.

Summary Opening exercise to engage Mini-lectures to provide content with interactive examples Check for understanding

Learner engagement: References Small Group Instruction in Higher Education Cooper, Robinson, Ball 2003 Chapter 14: Active thinking tasks in lecture Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom Bonwell & Eison 1991 The Ten-Minute Trainer—150 Ways to Teach it Quick & Make it Stick Sharon Bowman Pfeiffer, 2005