Hi Angela,
You are right about the use of mini-lectures and how they are effective as learning tools. Mini-lectures help the students to stay engaged and then lets them back away and do something else like discuss the previously covered points and then move back into more delivery of content. This ebb and flow is important in appealing to student learning preferences.
Gary
We do a variety of activities. For example I would lecture on the skeletal system and then will ask the students to get into groups and practice naming some bones. I would only give them a few bones at a time to learns as too many bones may discourage them. Then we would go to the skills lab and work relevant tasks such as cast removal.
I also agree with the mini lectures. I know how I felt as a college student. In courses where we had lecture combined with gruop activities and hands on activities - our test results were also much higher.
Also mini lectures keep you fresh as an instructure.
Hi Jeffrey,
This is a great strategy. Thanks for sharing it. I know you are having great results with these methods and that your are keeping your students engaged and focused. This will be of help to other instructors as well.
Gary
Hi Celia,
Good strategy for engaging the students. By changing the pace of the class and offering a variety of activities you are able to give the students an opportunity to relax and let their brains rest and then get back into learning.
Gary
I am a new Instructor and I teach CADD. I am quickly learning that although a student can recite back to me a definition or how to use a "command" from the software, that is entirely discrete from the student being able to employ that definition or "command" on a project. I really like the idea of mini lectures. I have begun to break my demonstration into 3 parts per "command" that I am trying to teach. The first is a brief lecture to discuss the new command and examples of how and when it could be used. The second is another brief demonstration of how to actually use the command. And the third part is to have the student use the command on a drawing (CADD File) I have provided them prior to the class. This process actually takes less time in delivering the material and takes about 15-20 minutes per "command". I have found that the students don't get bored and actually retain the information a lot better in this mini lecture/demo/application exercise format for when they have to use the "commands" on an individual project.
I like to direct questions to specific students or if we are having a discussion, I will call on a student who isn't participating and ask him/her what he/she thinks or to give an example or if he/or she had ever had such an experience. If it's possible, I like to walk around the room and talk because sometimes when you get near them while you are lecturing the physical proximity catches their attention. Also, changing activities and getting them up and moving to a different spot in the classroom for the next activity or sending them to the computer lab for a short activity can keep their attention focused on the subject.
Students will remain in engaged in learning by paper/pencil exercises , role plays, interactive quizzes, audio and visual materials.
I think your individual style of presentation has a lot to do with it. I like to write a lot on the board snd incorporate a lot of verbal questions back to the students during a class thus maintaining a dialog throughout. Also I find it useful to move around the room while lecturing forcing the students to keep their eyes and ears on you. If you stay in one place in the front of the room, it gives the students a chance to wander off the subject matter.
Hi Cecilia,
Pacing is the key to student engagement and you address the importance of it in your comments. With pacing and variety the students will be able to retain a much higher level of content.
Gary
I think that mini lectures as discussed in this course are perfect...If students are provided with short amounts of information and then have time to discuss and ask questions, they are more likely to retain this information. (And essentially learn the material provided) Although lecturing in the classroom may turn out to be a major portion of how the course content is delivered, it is up to the instructor how the material is delivered. The instructor should be able to give examples, tell stories of their own experience and relate the information being taught to essentially captivate the audience or students to not only engage them, but allow them to learn what is being taught.
