Scary Lectures Dr Kate Exley (2009)

Session Outline Introduction Why do we lecture? What are the important features of a lecture? Best and Worst Lectures Part 1. – Your content and material Part 2. – Your students Using variety Considering student interaction Possibilities? And…..Practicalities? Part 3. – You! Handling nerves & discipline worries Final remarks

Why Lecture? History European monasteries and traveling scholars seeking rare information In a scriptorium a monk at a lectern would read out a book Scholars would copy word for word Derived from the Latin – Lectare - to read out loud

Why Lecture today? Consistency Efficiency Community ? Please add 3 other reasons?

Important Features (Noel Entwistle) Map v Coverage Illustration v Detailed information Attention span The Lecture as a communication

Holding attention in Lectures How long can students concentrate? It clearly depends on …… But using 20 minutes is helpful Latest research "Extensive exposure to television and video games may promote development of brain systems that scan and shift attention at the expense of those that focus attention. Peter Jenson

Important Features (Noel Entwistle) Map v Coverage Illustration v Detailed information Attention span The Lecture as a communication

Lecturer Student Giving out Receiving Acting upon

Experience of Lectures Best What made it so good? Worst? What made it so bad?

Part 1.The Lecture Content Deciding what to include Must have? Should have? Could have? Ensuring you meet the Learning outcomes Building in some flexibility Acknowledging your personal bias?

Sequencing material From Simple > Complex Big picture > Detail General > Specific examples Concrete > Abstract /conceptual

Common Lecture Structures George Brown Classical Problem centred Comparative Serialistic or sequential Progressive - story telling

Classical Introduction Section 1 Section 2 Section 3 Conclusion

Problem centred Introduction - description of the problem Strategy / alternative 1 Strategy / alternative 2 Strategy / alternative 3 Conclusion - I am taking approach 3…

Comparative Introduction - comparing A and B Comparison of feature 1 Comparison of feature 2 Comparison of feature 3 Summary

Serialistic Introduction A, then A goes to B B, then B goes to C C, then C goes to D Etc Final remarks

Progressive - story telling Personal connection Setting the scene Unfolding the narrative Concluding the story Emphasising learning points

Part 2. The Students View Comments :- Enthusiasm and Empathy Level and Pace Variety (What your students Hear, See & Do)

Visual Aids What are the features you associate with an effective visual aid? Consider Layout Text Colour Content

Task Work with 3 or 4 colleagues Design and produce a visual aid to communicate your views on the topic… (Why have) interaction in Lectures

Arguments for interaction To keep attention To check understanding Try things out and use skills To compare different views Reinforce learning Different learning styles Feedback to lecturer etc

Involving Students in Lectures - Some suggestions Buzz groups Mini-quizzes Individual tasks Demonstrations Video & other Visuals Interactive handouts etc

Types of Handout Reduced PowerPoint slides Skeleton Notes Gapped Notes Handouts containing tasks

Example 1 Please work with 2 colleagues to List the three most important points from the lecture. Why have you selected these points Please work with three colleagues to List the 3 most important points in the lecture Why have you selected these points?

Example 2 Please work with 2 colleagues to List the three most important points from the lecture. Why have you selected these points Please work with three colleagues to 1.Describe the symptoms of a cat with a kidney infection 2.How might you test for this? 3.What treatment would you prescribe?

Ideas - Handout to Worksheet Applying knowledge or concepts Solving a problem / setting a question Analysing a case study or example Interpreting data / images etc Reviewing an article / abstract / script etc Representing information differently Making judgements on… Estimating…Predicting…Voting…Prioritising…

And now on to.. The practicalities

The practicalities Know why you want students to do it.

The practicalities Know why you want students to do it. How will they work?

The practicalities Know why you want students to do it. How will they work? Alone or in pairs? For how long? When in the lecture will the interaction be? Will everybody do the same thing? Etc What CLEAR instructions will you give to your students

The practicalities Know why you want students to do it. How will they work? Alone or in pairs? For how long? & when in the lecture? What will the end point be?

The practicalities Know why you want students to do it. How will they work? Alone or in pairs? For how long? & when in the lecture? What will the end point be? An answer? A decision? An example? etc

The practicalities Know why you want students to do it. How will they work? Alone or in pairs? For how long? & when in the lecture? What will the end point be? An answer? A decision? An example? etc Do you need to hear back from the students?

The practicalities Know why you want students to do it. How will they work? Alone or in pairs? For how long? & when in the lecture? What will the end point be? An answer? A decision? An example? etc Do you need to hear back from the students? No? (I will show them the answer.)

The practicalities Know why you want students to do it. How will they work? Alone or in pairs? For how long? & when in the lecture? What will the end point be? An answer? A decision? An example? etc Do you need to hear back from the students? No? (I will show them the answer.) But if you do, how will you manage that?

The practicalities Know why you want students to do it. How will they work? Alone or in pairs? For how long? & when in the lecture? What will the end point be? An answer? A decision? An example? etc Do you need to hear back from the students? No? (I will show them the answer.) But if you do, how will you manage that? Voting? Collected views? An OHT acetate?

Part 3. The Lecturers View

Discipline worries What do you worry might happen? How can it be avoided? How can it be dealt with? How likely is it really?

How are you feeling? Handling nerves and anxieties. Hiding and limiting the negative impact Making the adrenaline work for you

Quick re-cap To be clear about Why you Lecturing? What you are trying to achieve? Organise your material carefully Consider how you can get and keep their attention? Plan any interaction carefully Be kind to yourself – start small Have a go, dont expect it to be perfect first time!

To find out more Giving a Lecture : from presenting to teaching (2004) Kate Exley & Reg Dennick Key Guides for Effective Teaching in Higher Education RoutledgeFalmer : London

Additional reading possibilities Making Teaching Work : teaching smarter in post-compulsory education (2007) Phil Race and Ruth Pickford, Sage Lecturing a Practical Guide Sally Brown and Phil Race, Kogan Page Practical Ideas for Enhancing Lectures (2003) P. Davies, SEDA, London