Pedagogy and Lecturing in a Technical Subject Richard Freishtat, Ph.D. Bernard Sadoulet story

PART I: Planning a lecture for a technical subject Focus (you can’t do it all) Pros/Cons What makes an effective lecture? How to plan an effective lecture?

Pros & Cons Lecture can: be highly efficient draw focus amongst complex ideas be helpful in laying a knowledge foundation But, it can also: be one-sided passive To help determine the most ideal spaces and places within a class to utilize a lecture, think about the value it (and you) can add at any given time. Is the value in laying a knowledge foundation that students can then use to actively build skills and applications? Is the value in explicating and synthesizing insights from outside work?

The What: Lectures can/should... Provide focus and emphasis Clarify difficulties or complexities Provide an overview or “the big picture”, and help connect the dots Encourage structure by explicitly naming, and telling the story (or the narrative arc) of the learning experience. Expose students to experts (you) Provide depth and insight through examples not present in other course materials who can provide unique perspectives and the latest answers to questions that may stimulate interest, and to allow students to see how a practicing (biologist, chemist, economist, literary critic, etc.) approaches the material. Do NOT hide behind equations

The How: Four Ways to Make Lectures More Manageable and Effective Structure: organization, agenda (w/ outcomes), takeaways Cut down on the amount of material you are trying to cover Focus on analyzing issues or problems, rather than on conveying factual information Engage your students through interactive lectures Key points and general themes Especially difficult material Material not covered elsewhere Examples and illustrations Material of high interest/relevance to students

PART II: Delivering an engaging lecture on a technical topic Student complaints about lectures Thought Exercise: What does an engaging lecture look like? Resource: How to make your speaking easier and more effective

Student Complaints About Lectures There are not enough (or any) concrete examples. Quizzes/homework/lectures don't necessarily match the exams. Homework is not related to lecture. The instructor shows little or no enthusiasm for the subject or the class. There is no emphasis on what is more important and less important.

Student Complaints About Lectures - continued The instructor never asks questions, doesn't know what's going on in the class. The material is dry. Lectures add little to the text. The instructor doesn't pause during lecture. (Results are from a non-scientific survey of hundreds of evaluations from Berkeley students.)

What does an engaging lecture look like? Best lecture/lecturer you recall; what aspects made it work to engage you? Worst lecture/lecturer you recall; what aspects made it fail to engage you?

PART III: Interactive Lecturing Definition: A student’s involvement with the material or the content of a lecture so that they are no longer passive in the learning process (Snell, 1999; White, 2011). How to meet students where they are. (1) Start class with a small group discussion that will inform the lecture (2) Use of a response system (like clickers) interspersed throughout the lecture to gather feedback and assess the level of student understanding (ideally at a conceptual level) (3) Position the lecture as a precursor to class debates and reaction panels in which students will need to draw on the content presented.

PART IV: Q&A