Sue,
I commend you for making your course entertaining, informative and exciting with your different instructional methods. I am sure your students really appreciate your efforts on their behalf to help them learn the essential content while making progress toward their career goals.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Michael,
This is a nice way to blend engagement and focus into the course. This makes for a supportive and comfortable class as well.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
One of my favorite subjects to lecture on is Medical Terminology, A&P. This is a subject that I know quite well and I frequently take classes so that I will become even more knowlegeable. I use Power Point but I have my own notes as well so I can add details (some funny) that catch their attention i.e. "Did you know that the term lymph comes from a Latin word meaning clear spring water?? I also research for photographs that pertain to the subject. At times I do use relatively shocking photos - gasps from the class usually jar awake any one trying to snoze!! I also try to use humor. At points in the lecture I stop and either I tell a story that pertains to the subject or I ask students for their story like "Have any of you had an MRI? Tell us about your experience" One of the best tools I have is a program called InSight which allows me to control the student's computer monitor - all they can see is the presentation I have on my computer at the front of the class - no doing Facebook while I lecture!!! I also use visual aids with lecture - show a spirometer (saved from my hospitalization) when lecturing on respiratory or a model of an organ,bone fragments, etc.
Humor and interaction are the 2 things I find most helpful. A straight lecture with no interaction tends to work like a sleeping pill. When students are involved, they will create interest in themselves. It's very hard for students to doze off if they are laughing. Laughter is much better than caffeine to help keep them awake.
Michael,
I like your formula. The 10-2 model holds the students accountable for the material that has just been covered since they know that in 10 minutes they are going to have to respond.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
ihave found thiese changes too, so, once i find out what kind of students i am teaching, it gives me a chance to deliver in many different ways just to make sure i have reached them
I try to lecture on key points and do it in small time frames. Students shut you off after about 20 minutes. I often do "10 of me,2 of you". I lecture for 10 minutes then ask for your feed back for 2 minutes.
Carl,
Change of pace and variety is so important in the learning process. By being aware of the needs of your students will be able to better target their learning preferences.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
make your lectures more effective by controlling their length. Adults focused time span is 15-18 minutes. So lectures should not drag on and on past that point of time where you lose student's interest. Create mini lectures for larger material.
Use varied delivery methods. The written word ,deliver content by having students read the material, auditory, via the spoken word, and visually where they would see pictures, diagrams and graphic of what is delivered. Use all these interchangeably.
Demonstrate skills and have students perform these skills immediately.
Teaching from prior experiences, life experiences. Putting things you teach into real world lessons is very important. It can't all be about theory. It needs to have that flavor of life attached.
Yes Maria, I agree with you that studying and reseach helps me to apply real experience to my lectures.
I find it usefull to relate the subject matter to real world situations. That makes it easier for the students to understand and apply the information.
Cindy,
You and your students are going to have fun with this game. My students can't wait to get to play it. They get competitive very quickly when we start the game.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Family Feud is a great way. I will have to find reruns to watch to remember exactly how it goes.
You brought an excellent point to have the students work together to answer the questions!
The students need to retain the information I give for their national Boards down the way!
Thank you for this great suggestion.
Cindy,
One I use a lot is Family Feud. My students look forward to Jeopardy and Family Feud as we get toward the end of a unit because they know we are going to play them for review. They get ramped up playing the Feud because they get to work together in coming up with the answers and they like the team approach.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Are there any other games people can suggest??? Jeopardy etc
Cindy,
Thank you for sharing your success story about BINGO with us. I use a lot of games in my courses with great outcomes. Students like play games and be competitive. Games make learning fun. Plus, they appeal to everyone, even those with life challenges.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
Bryan,
I agree. Students like to hear stories and examples from their instructor's experiences. They help to make the content of the course more real to them.
Gary
Dr. Gary Meers
I didn't think about PP being boring day after day! I will have to rethink this. Thanks
I have come up with using the game BINGO and have used it a varity of ways.
Listed characteritics then announce a large category or I have put large categories and given little characteritics. I have use this BINGO for people with special needs and they wanted too continue playing even after someone won! Also, I used pictures on the BINGO card and educated Alhezimers patients at a Nursing home but they wanted their prize right away!!!
A great way to make your lectures more effective for students is story-telling. This engages the student to an event and they can apply the course concepts to the story. This will also help with the retention of the material.
