Presenting

Lectures (presentations by the course instructor with little student interaction) are a traditional teaching technique at most institutions of higher education. Lectures can be an effective method for providing students with basic information and facts they need to know, and for introducing complex topics, explaining models and activities, and providing the instructor's viewpoint on a topic. However, educational research is clear that the traditional teacher-centered lecture format alone is not highly effective as a means to help students accomplish student learning outcomes. People learn best in interactive, student-centered environments that are not based solely on a model of the instructor as a transmitter of knowledge.

A summary of some relevant research literature
Studies indictate that student concentration rises sharply in the first ten to fifteen minutes of a lecture but then falls off sharply for the rest of the hour.  In addition, retention of content in students in a lecture-based courses a few months after the course ended was shown to be only slightly higher than that of a control group that had never taken the course. Finally, an extensive review of research literature on learning in the college classroom found that in studies measuring information retention after a course, transfer of knowledge in new situations, problem solving, thinking, attitude change and motivation, discussion was always more effective than lecture as a teaching technique.


Best approaches suggested by the literature
Break lectures into short 10-15 minute segments punctuated with varied, alternate activities that help the instructor gauge the students’ progress and require students to actively engage with the content, each other and/or the instructor. This approach also fits well with Kolb’s experiential learning model, which recommends providing opportunities for reflection, connection with existing knowledge and experimentation, in addition to content presentation.

Alternatively, lecture presentations can be recorded (using podcasts, DukeCapture, or screen recording) and assigned for viewing outside of class time, and the entire class time could be used for interactive learning activities or group work. If you decide to record your presentations for viewing outside of class, keep in mind the drawbacks about lectures described above. Viewer attention span during live lectures is fairly short (15 min.); viewer attention to recorded presentations, especially those with little visual interest, is probably even shorter. Make your recordings clear, concise and to-the-point; focus on the two or three key points you are trying to convey and use visuals wherever possible to help; and record several short presentations in lieu of one longer one.

Suggestions for effective live presentations
When faculty choose to lecture, often a visual presentation tool such as PowerPoint is used to accompany the talk. PowerPoint is valuable for illustrating topics, providing an outline for the presentation, and helping save time by providing pre-prepared visuals. It's easy to mis-use PowerPoint and other presentation tools, though, by loading the slides with text and reading from it during the talk. In this way, PowerPoint can become a crutch and a powerful inducer of drowiness on the part of students. When using PowerPoint, be sure your slides are outlines only, use lots of visuals, and are designed cleanly.

As mentioned above, ideally 15 min. of lecture will be followed by a (relevant!) class activity. Choose activities which will align with your student learning outcomes for the class session, and/or will provide you with feedback on the class and student learning.

1. Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
One of our tasks as instructors is to be aware of student learning and adjust our instruction accordingly. “Are students learning?” is a different question from “Am I covering the material?” Keep these questions separate! Classroom assessment techniques (CATs) are short in-class activities that not only that can provide students with an activity to reinforce (and break up) a lecture, but also provide you with a snapshot of student progress

Think – Pair – Share
The instructor states an open-ended question. Individual students spent a minute or two to writing a response, then turn to a partner to discuss their responses, and the instructor reconvenes the class after a few minutes and calls on individual students to share the pair’s responses. This process allows students to develop a response that is first thought-out and then tested on a few peers before being presented to the rest of the class and instructor, which can greatly facilitate participation, especially for risk-averse students. Additionally, calling on individual students in the final step of this activity models that all students are individually accountable, even in large classes.
One minute papers/Muddiest point
At the end of class or just before a break,  the instructor poses one of these questions: What are the two most important points from today’s session? What was the muddiest point from today’s session? What would make the material clearer for you?
Students are given 1-2 minutes to write brief responses which are turned in anonymously as they leave. The instructor addresses student responses either during the next class or online.
Student generated test questions
Ask students to create a question based on materials presented in class today/this week. Optionally, include one or two of these questions on the next test.
Sketch
Ask students to quickly sketch and label a flow chart or provide the next step in a procedure
Instructor mistake
Present a drawing or statement and ask, “What is wrong with what I just wrote?”
Pro-con grid
Ask students to make a quick list of pros and cons on a  particular topic.

Last modified June 2, 2009 10:25:53 AM EDT