EFFECTIVE LECTURES INFORMATION SHEET
adapted from:
http://www.algonquincollege.com/lts/profres/teaching/effective_lecturesinfosheets.htm
Classroom Teaching Behaviours that Correlate with Student Ratings and Student Learning
(My comments are in red, but were written in response to SOMEONE else’s lecture – Vicki)
Presentation
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speaks with expressiveness and variety in tone of voice
lectures spontaneously with minimal reference to notes
maintains eye contact with students
moves about the room while lecturing (try more of this)
shows facial expressions
gestures with hands, arms and body to support message
uses humorous anecdotes, stories or examples
stresses main points by pausing, raising voice etc.
uses a variety of teaching methods (including having students answer questions in small groups
or try programming code snippets at their seats)
Pacing
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asks students if they understand before proceeding
summarized periodically
repeats difficult ideas
pauses after stating an important idea
Clarity
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explains concepts in concrete, everyday terms
gives several examples of each main concept
points out practical applications of concepts and principles
uses graphs, diagrams and other visuals
explains how each topic fits into the course as a whole
provides overview of lecture
signals transition from one topic to next
avoid “look aheads” where you mention topics only to say “we’ll cover that later”. Decide an
order of presentation which is logical. Many Perl books are notorious for dumping everything
on you at once without motivation or proper explanation. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking
you can explain items in any order. Students need to learn line upon line.
Participation
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asks questions of individual students
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asks questions of class as whole
encourages students to question and contribute – get class involved
calls students by name – this is really important in establishing rapport
recognizes student contributions and incorporates them into lecture
use questions both to help students learn and to assess what you need to say to make the
learning clearer
talks with students before and after class
Collected from research completed at the University of Western Ontario.
Key Phrases Worth Noting
1. "My objective is...."
2. "The major point I want to make is..."
3. "I stress this point..."
4. "When you say.... what do you mean?"
5. "Let me clarify that...."
6. "I’m glad you asked that question...."
7. "Perhaps I didn’t get my point across..."
8. "Let me rephrase that..."
9. "Did I answer the right question?"
10. "Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple..."
11. "In summary, what we have here is...."
12. "Thanks for sharing...."
13. "Your point is well taken.. Let’s take this one step further "
14. "What can you add to....."
15. "How can you see this applied to...."
16. "Why do you think that is so?" or "How would you explain that to someone who feels quite the
opposite?"