Keeping Lectures Interesting
The use of different approaches for lectures helps keep the students interested and better focused. The use of youtube, mini demonstrations and short movies intermixed with lectures helps the subject to be better assimilated by the students.
Hi Teresa,
Like your attitude and willingness about trying to find diverse media and technology to support your instructional delivery efforts. This approach will help to keep your students engaged in the learning process.
Gary
Dr. Meyers, thanks for the information. I am a slow techi so I never would have thought of youtube. But all types of media have the potential to become great classroom supplements -- just find your topic to fit the objective an you're good. Essentially, the point is this: Be vigilant for ways to present possible old material.
Youtube also allows short, mini videos that can truly demonstrate what you are lecturing on. It has made teaching a bit easier (as far as keeping it interesting) than ever before.
I agree! I use youtube videos and other multimedia quite a bit in my classroom. This is a great way to bring a little humor into the classroom too, if you are not a very comedic person yourself.
I agree with every thing I've read and something a little funny always helps
I completely agree with you Jennifer, I do mostly dry lecture because that is just the material I have to teach, but as I have always been taught, people respond better to humor than to consequence. I can tell the class that they may not do well if they don't pay attention but that has little or no effect usually. On the other hand if I spice things up with some jokes or even joke with the class, that helps build a rapport with them and show them that not only am I here to teach but I am interested in making the class enjoyable. The hard part is not joking to much but also not joking to little, but it is something I use a lot.
Being a good lecturer, I think one needs to be a comedian and an entertainer.
Hi Gladine,
Your classes sound varied in delivery which is what students need to keep engaged. The selection of the different PP pictures like the gross ones shows the interest level of your students. They like to see realistic procedures to help them to be better prepared. You are doing a great job of keeping your students focused on their education and their future careers.
Gary
Certainly keeping the lecture interesting is one of the most difficult task. You have to be mindful of the time and material that must be covered. I find that my energy in the classroom helps to keep my students engaged. I do this activity, where each student must find an abbrevation in a patients chart during their clinicals(one they have never seen) and bring it to class(or I can always make one up). We try to see who can guess what it is. This is still learning, straying only a little away from the subject matter. We do it a couple times a day!!
Hi Beth,
I am sure you are going to get many helpful responses to your question. YouTube is collecting point for a wide variety of videos. There is a video posted there for just about anything. They are in categories so you can go into a category and select a video that will fit into your course. I would suggest that you go to YouTube and look at what is offered and you start to see how you can use these videos to enhance your presentations.
Gary
I like to incorporate videos from public television in my lectures. They are often much more well made and engaging than traditional 'instructional' videos and enhance the students experience by broadening their perspective. In addition I make a worksheet for them to complete during the video and lecture then have them brek out for small group discussion and present to class. Lectures that are too long tend to create disinterest and make students sleepy.
I also use funny pictures or cartoons related to the content. They are unexpected and often provide a brief chuckle, and then we are back to work. The students start paying more attention because they are not sure what "Will happen next" I also like to use models and sometimes real specimens to interest the students. I demonstrated a surgical procedure via Powerpoint by going to the hospital and taking pictures of the procedure being performed. I also have different lectures with more or less pictures of procedures. I let the students, as a class, decide the type of pictures they want. 100% of the time, they want the most "realistic" and enjoy the "gross" pictures the most. I think that because they chose the lecture type, they are more interested in seeing it.
I also will have a guest lecturer from the hospital come in and present the topic on occassion. Someone with more expertise on the topic, like PA or physician. This really seems to interest them too.
Anything that can change up the way we present materials keeps the students interested and wanting to come to school is most helpful.
I agree with using many different learning tools interjected in the lecture. I am teaching a lecture based class for the first time so I try to use videos, you tube and record album covers and magazines. I don't want to lose them or my train of thought when presenting subject matter.
How do you use utube in the classroom? What is on there that can be used?
I also completely agree with the first response. I just attended a conference in Atlanta, and many of the sessions "spiced up" the lecture material with Youtube videos. Eve when the lecturer only played the first minute or so of the video to make the point, it was entertaining and a fresh approach.
What a great idea to bring in media that students are currently using like Youtube.
Hi Daniel,
Right you are about the introduction of various kinds of media into the lectures and PowerPoint presentations. You are right the students really like them plus it gives them a break in the flow of the class and that helps them to stay focused.
Gary
I totally agree with your statement. One thing I like to do, especially during a PowerPoint presentation is to through in a random image that will break up the lecture while still staying on top. That image is usually something funny. Those couple of moments allow me a brief break and then we are back on target with the lecture.
