Hi Kim,
Thanks for these great suggestions on how to improve our instructional delivery skills.
Gary
Hi John,
I had that professor when I was in college. It was the longest 10 years of my life and then I realized the class only ran for 15 weeks. I admire you for sticking with such an awful experience you must have been very goal oriented and was not going to let the person spoil your dream.
These types of professors have made all of us better instructors because we know for sure we don't want to be like them.
Great job in providing variety and activities to keep your students engaged.
Gary
I remember a class I had in college where the professor announced on the first day of class that his method of teaching was lecture, and that meant to read, and that meant that he would read to us throughout the class sessions, we would take notes and be unable to ask questions, and that's the way he'd done it for 30 years, so that's the way it was going to be.
And I hated every minute of it.
I try very hard to avoid reading directly out of the text book to my classes. I might read a quote or some very important paragraph once in a great while, but I always try to move around the room and engage my students while presenting the information to them. I think focusing on the students and their understanding should be the goal.
I also try to separate the content into fairly short sections with demonstrations or discussions between each section to reinforce what we've just discussed or are getting ready to discuss next.
My best suggestion for improving lectures is to take an improvisation or basic acting class. These classes teach you to look up from notes, project your voice, vary your tone, and adopt a "persona" to make delivery more interesting.
The old trick of "practice in the mirror" is still just as effective as it ever was also. Getting comfortable with how you present information and how others may see you is a big step in more effective speaking.
Toast Masters International is also a terrific way to learn skills and gain confidence in public speaking - which is really what a lecture is. They also teach techniques for organizing materials effectively and opening with an interesting and attention-getting move.
I try to use the mini-lecture approach as discussed in this module. I will generally speak for 15-20 minutes about a topic and then switch into a group or individual activity that allows the student to apply the concept I just covered. For example, if I'm covering APA guidelines for completing a reference list, I will highlight the steps to be taken to complete the reference citations and then have the students actually applying the rules to their own reference list.
I also try to be aware of the student reaction while I'm lecturing. If I sense that I'm losing them, I will modify my approach. It might be as simple as calling on students to answer questions related to the lecture, or it might include switching to a small group activity earlier than I had planned.
Hi Marcus,
Case studies are very effective in getting student participation. They get involved in the cases and want to share their opinions on how to resolve the situation. You will have a lot of success with them.
Gary
I think the use of Case studies will make the lectures more effective. In addition, more class participation. I will need to find some appropriate material for the class.
As a Respiatory Therapist, taking to hopitals to see how what they learn are done and why make the relevance of course contents and presentation more important. This make student involvement with lectures very important.
Hi Jimly,
With low enrollment classes you might want to try the panel approach to teaching and assign each student a topic to make a mini-presentation on. This approach can lead to more discussion between the students because each one is perceived as being a bit of an expert on the topic they have researched. Then you can add to the information they have shared to make sure the students have the entire content needed for that area.
Gary
True. I could incorporate this more in my lecture. My class has 3 students, which can be challenging to get them to talk about themselves at times. They are pretty quiet.
I can use different methods such as power point presentation, demonstration, lab, 15 minutes reading, brainstorm,...
I agree, but at the same time, most students like to show ther teacher they do have some knowledge about the supject. So by using there example make them feel good and confenent.
This is true. Lectures, for instance, should not go for over 20-30 minutes. I usually have breaks included in a Power Point presentation in the form of a picture or a short clip, which could be or not be related to the topic. Other interruption in a PP presentation could be a more detailed explanation on the whiteboard (lights on)after which the PP presentation can continue.
Alex
Prepare powerpoints that are engaging, coupled with handouts so they can track content and write notes. Ask lots of questions to keep their interest, it also helps you understand how much of the content they are retaining. Provide periods of open discussion about the topics, and opportunity to ask questions. I've found this approach to be successful when trying to delve into lots of content in a short period of time. The students also comment that studying for the test is easier--because their notes are organized.
Guest Speakers are a great way to give diversity to the delivery of content to the students. Guest speakers may bring a different perspective and point of views, and for sure, a different style in presenting the information to the class. this enriches and enhances the dynamics of the course as a whole. What I usually do with guest speakers is, besides specifying the topic or subject for them, I give them an outline of objectives to follow during the presentation (4-5 subtopics). In this way I don't get suprises when a guest goes away from what I want the students to learn. I can also be prepared with directed questions to guide the discussion in a way that it serves the objectives of course.
Alex
Hi Karrie,
What a great way to support guest speakers. As you know students really like hearing from guest speakers. Sometimes though guest speakers run out of things to say or students don't ask enough questions. By having a prepared list just in case you can be assured that the speakers will fill the time they have with the needed content and won't feel like they need to stretch their comments just to fill time. This s always a great relief to them.
Gary
Vary methods and timing of delivering content. This addresses various learning styles and addresses student attention spans.
I like to bring in experts from the field and have a question and answer time for the students. I have a list of questions prepared so that the course material is covered in case the students do not ask all the questions.
I like to bring in experts from the field and have a question and answer time for the students. I have a list of questions prepared so that the course material is covered in case the students do not ask all the questions.
