How far should you go to keep you audiences attention?
How far should a presenter go to keep their audiences attention? Especially if they are doing a presentation in the evening hours when their audience has worked all day and has the potential of falling asleep?
Tu,
yes, the key is to keep our presentations fresh & exciting; for the audience as well as for ourselves.
Ryan Meers, Ph.D.
I find using other techniques, especially technology can enhance student engagement. For example, instead of using MS PowerPoint, we can use Prezi, a cloud-based presentation software that opens up a new world between whiteboards and slides. Prezi are designed to include automation and you can add visual aids.
Aaron,
I too like to walk around; I find it really helps with the energy & excitement.
Dr. Ryan Meers
I couldn't agree with this comment more. I walk around when I instruct. I find that this added element also helps me deliver a better presentation versus standing in one place the entire time.
Krishna,
Great application to the online learning environment. Whenever we are working with nontraditional students or in the nontraditional environment (online) we have to acknowledge that there are many distractions competing for the students' attention. Let's address these & effectively deal with them.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Teaching online presents this challenge. Most of my students have other jobs or responsibilities and then my chats are in the evening. I try to get in the chat early to just have small talk with them to get them engaged. I also think that just being honest and saying that it is understandable that they are at the end of the day and tired. I usually find the more I interact with the students on a personal level, the more interactive they are.
George,
This is a great idea. Along the same lines, I like to ask: what did it take for you to be here today? This helps them clear their mind of distractions & also acknowledges that for many of them, they had to make special arrangements or it took effort for them to be there.
Dr. Ryan Meers
Depending on the size of your audience, you could start the presentation by engaging them by simply asking how their day has been going... This allows their focus to be rooted within themselves and makes them feel part of the presentation...
David,
Two good points made here. We do want to make sure we are catching those folks who are trying to go unnoticed. While at the same time not overlooking those who are eager to learn.
Ryan
I people tend to sit in the back when they want to go unnoticed in class. I make a point the first meeting of a new class to point out that my sight line is set up so I am directing my to the middle && back of the class. Many instructors/presenters will focus on the middle to back of the audience and due to this and literally miss what/who is under their nose. Moving around help to shake things up a bit.
This is a great idea. I too have found that generally any type of movement helps audience/learners to reengage. I know when I'm feeling sleepy I'll go take a walk & generally do better, the same applies to our audience/students.
Ryan
I find this helpful also. I like to get the class up out of their chairs and walk them over to a training aid for some hands on, or a quick demo during a lecture. When they get back to the chairs they are alert again and better able to learn.
Mark,
I think you make a great point here. Often we become so concerned with engaging those who seem disinterested that we overlook those anxious & eager learners.
Yes we want to make sure that we are doing all within our power to engage as many as possible, but some folks just don't want what we are offering. If that's the case, make sure they don't distract, then focus on those who are ready & eager to hear what we have to say.
Ryan
Many have tried to please everyone, but in the result the ones who found need in what being said are the ones recieving the info in the end. Personally I tend to move around the room to help students to stay ingaged. It gets to the point the ones who just don't see the need way they need the info should be just be played into damage control. The in result should favor the students who are into what is said, not being held back with ones who lack to find meaning.
I have spent years teaching powerpoint classes and one of the ways that I use to keep my audiences attention is to get them to stand up and do a little activity. That way if they are tired, at least it will wake them up for th rest of the presentation.
Terry
Great idea & this helps keep them on their toes. Helps them come into class wondering, "what are we going to do today?"
Ryan
Sometimes I will just do the unexpected and change the days agenda by taking the class out for a lab project or a take a stroll the the parking lot to look at and or identify the subject that we are studying in class i.e., tire wear, suspension sag or alignment issues.
These are all great ideas & you are right, any real world examples that you can bring in to make a seemingly abstract concept concrete is a great idea.
Ryan
I agree to the attention span. I have heard that most people have a 30 minute attention span because we grew up watching 30 minute TV programs. I don't remember where I heard this however the logic seems reasonable.
I teach Math classes and I found that during lecture some students will be doodling on their paper or looking out the window. I believe this is due to the way they receive information. I was trained to change up the instruction with audible and visual media. So, when I teach students about discounts on products and percentages I bring in pictures of items they might see in a store for sale. For women, I will show clothing and personal items. For men, I will show computers, oil, and cell phones. The mix of items seems to be enough to keep the interest and when we talk about ordering truck loads of supplies for office buildings the discounts really add up. After showing the visual aids I transition back to the lecture and white board.
