Strategies for Effective Lecturing or The Twenty Minute Lecture Lecture Carlyle H. Chan, M.D. Professor and Vice Chair for Education and Informatics Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine Medical College of Wisconsin

Proverb Those that can, do. Those that can’t, teach. Those that can’t teach, teach about teaching. - Anonymous

4 P’s of Lecturing Performance Preparation Presentation Paper Clips

Performance Showtime!!! Medical lecturing as theater Sesame Street effect Dr. Fox effect

Dr. Fox Effect Dr. Fox I: Mathematical Game Theory as Applied to Physician Education Dr. Fox II: Biochemistry of Learning –High Seduction: enthusiasm, humor, friendliness, expressiveness –Low Seduction: monotonous, boring

Six Separate Lectures High contentMedium contentLow content (26 facts)(14 facts)(4 facts) High seductionHigh seductionHigh seduction High contentMedium contentLow content (26 facts)(14 facts)(4 facts) Low seductionLow seductionLow seduction

Performance Cont’d I speak, you listen Where the notes of the lecturer become the notes of the student without passing through the minds of either Lecture versus Speech

Conditions for Speeches Political campaigns If you have a speechwriter Research presentations Disneyland

Preparation

Think! Objectives? Take home points? How can you organize your material to accomplish your objectives? How can you engage your audience? –Active versus Passive listening –Pre-test

Know your audience Match level of material with level of sophistication of audience Photographic vs. Phonographic memory Attention span peaks at minutes

K.I.S.S. Most people recall only 2-3 points Don’t read facts, print them out Simplify or focus on highly technical points

Rule of thumb: 8 hours preparation for 1 hour lecture

How do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, Practice, Practice e.g. athletes, musicians Rehearsal before friends - anticipate questions Audio or videotape Get there early

Presentation Elements of Style

Voice Rate: 150 words/min; 1 slide/min Problems: too fast; too slow Modulation: jocks vs. evangelists vs. infomercials Volume: project; microphone stage presence Direction: address each person in the room, one thought per person

Voice cont’d: Verbal markers Tell them what you’re going to tell them; Tell them; Tell them what you told them. Transition: “My next point...”, “In conclusion...” Emphasis: “Let me highlight this point…” Pauses: for emphasis, to let point sink in Vocal pauses: distracting

Emotions Anxiety: stage fright, epinephrine, arousal –Use the extra energy –Breathing exercises Humor: don’t have to be a comic, but it helps Enthusiam: check your energy level

Style and Delivery Extemporize, don’t memorize Use your whole body Keep the lights on! Don’t read slides; use as cues; face front Orient to slides; walk through graphs and figures

Style and Delivery cont’d Be aware: Slide/text Dissociation Repeat questions: “The question was…” –Turns focus back to you –Gives you a moment to collect your thoughts Don’t apologize Finish on time

Lecture Notes Comprehensive vs. Partial vs. Skeletal The Three Bears Timing of Distribution

Paper Clips & other parts of a Speaker’s Kit Cough drops, hard candy, water Cardboard 80 slot slide tray Extra bulb Paper Clip Pointer

Laser Etiquette

In Conclusion... 4 P’s: Performance, Preparation, Presentation, Paper clips More P’s (Proverbs) –Less is more –Worth saying, bears repeating –A picture is worth a thousand words –Practice makes perfect Yields Final P: Professionalism