Lecture 11: Teaching and the Art of Lecturing

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November 1, 2006

Guest Lecturer

Dr. Richard Fell. Professor

Department of Entomology

 

Introduction:

The inspiring lecture-- quotation from The Theory and Practice of Lectures, H. Dubrow and J. Wilkinson, 1984. In: The Art and Craft of Teaching, M. M. Morganroth, Ed., Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. 130pp.......

"To hear a good lecture is an inspiring experience. We leave with our imagination broadened and our interest piqued; we find ourselves entertained, prodded , and illuminated in turn. What evokes our response is an intricate blend of qualities. The lecture must have sufficient intellectual content to challenge us, and enough clarity of exposition that we are not left disoriented and confused. Like a dramatic monologue, it engages our emotions and keeps them in play, thanks to frequent shiftes in mood and intensity. It mixes humor and erudition, and gives us a sense of the personal involvement of the lecturer in his or her topic. It reassures us as well by providing a small island of coherence in an often chaotic world. These elements, taken together, create a series of inner tensions that give life to the lecture. The result may be difficult to define, but is instantly recognizable."

Few lectures attain the ideal; causes include a lack of preparation, poor organization, poor delivery, or a combination of these factors.

 

The Lecture: Points to Consider..

• Lecture is not the only way to present information &endash; other methods include discussion sessions, programmed learning, computer assisted instruction
• Important to recognize that individuals have different learning styles, auditory learners, visual learners, tactile (kinesthetic) learners, and lectures are not always the best method for teaching
• Lecture can be an effective method for communication, especially where there is variability in student backgrounds, ability, or interest. Reason: can get feedback from the students
• Drawback to lecture: not learner controlled, therefore important to build in redundancy
• Other points to consider:
  • 1. Role is to educate and not throw material at students
  • 2. "Teach like an educator; think like a student"
  • 3. Take advantage of your own experience: incorporate good methods and techniques from good instructors
  • 4. Develop your own style of presentation

Planning and Preparation:

• The more effort put into preparation, the better the presentation
• Good lectures take time to prepare, plan on a minimum of 8; 12 hours, or more if you are not familiar with the topic. Increase time by 50% if developing visual aids.
• Select several good, up-to-date references (texts, review articles) and use as a basis for building an outline. Fill in with information from other sources (journal articles, personal experience, etc.) Do not rely too heavily on one source, especially if it is the text used for the course.
• Preparing the actual lecture is the hard part; you not only need to organize the material but fashion it way that is easy to follow. Be cautious of trying to present too much information.
• Lecture notes: many references caution against writing out a lecture and to speak from an outline. My recommendation: prepare your notes in detail. Reasons:
  • 1. forces you to carefully organize your thoughts and what you want to say before you get into class, making for a smoother delivery (remember you don't have to read them)
  • 2. notes written in detail make it easier to prepare for lecture the next time
• Lecture organization: suggest a short introduction in which you present the main topics you will discuss (set the stage), the body of the lecture with some periodic summaries (remember redundancy!), and a short conclusion in which you summarize key points and give the students an idea of what topics will be covered in the next class.

Presenting the lecture:

• The key to a good lecture is delivery. It should be lively, engaging, and enthusiastic.
• If you are not interested and excited about the topic, why should the students be??
• Techniques that can help generate and maintain interest and enthusiasm;
• Vocal variety, movement, humor, instructional aids (visuals can be more than slides or power point presentations). Involve the students.
• An important aspect of delivery is "feedback": monitor your audience and know that you can change tactics.
• If you use visuals such as overheads, computer graphics, or slides, use them when appropriate and not as crutches. A lousy lecturer with fancy technology is still a lousy lecturer. Also take time to prepare quality visual aids and consider using them as handouts.

Final Comment:

Being a good teacher and lecturer takes time and it requires practice, experience and dedication.