UNC Stuff
Effective
Lecturing
Techniques
Edward Kernick and Todd Zakrajsek
Edward Kernick DPM
Assistant Professor Cell Biology and Physiology
Todd Zakrajsek PhD
Associate Professor Family Medicine and AOE
Objectives…
• Why do we lecture?
• Is lecture dead?
• Practical steps for
leading effective large
group sessions
• Techniques for
interactive large groups
• Bottom Line
Why do we lecture?
•
Let me begin by saying that I am huge fan of
the “traditional lecture”
•
Don’t get me wrong…also truly enjoy small
interactive learning sessions (labs & TBLs)
•
Appropriate topic in lieu of our planned
curriculum revision (need for streamlining)
•
Its interesting…lectures have long been
criticized
•
More than 200 years ago Samuel Johnson
reportedly told a colleague “lectures were
once useful…but know when we can all read,
and books are so numerous…lectures are
unnecessary”
•
More recently (2007) Heppner similarly
concluded “a lecture is a lousy way of
transmitting facts to people…reading or web
activity is much more efficient”
Why do we lecture?
•
I agree, students can indeed learn from selfdirected instructional media (i.e. websites, Khan
Academy, and e-learning modules)
Entertainment
But is it better?
•
Or is “live” instruction pedagogically superior
to these other instructional methods?
•
I believe that well-crafted lectures that are
constructed thoughtfully and delivered
purposefully can surpass other instructional
methods… yet still promote critical thinking,
problem solving, and concept/factual
information transmission
•
The key is…how do we construct lectures that
promote critical thinking, problem solving, and
convey important information
•
Answer is motivation, inspiration, & entertainment
Problem
Solving
Promote
Critical
Thinking
Concepts
and
Facts
Is lecture dead?
•
Lecture format is remarkably durable
•
“Despite centuries of technological innovations
that might make lecture obsolete…lecture
remains to most frequent used instructional
method in higher education” (Zakrajsek, 2008)
•
A recent survey of 15,000 university students and
2,500 faculty in Quebec indicates that students
prefer traditional lectures vs. “bells and whistles”
technology in the classroom
•
“Students are old school – they want lectures.
They want to listen to a professor who’s
engaging, who’s intellectually stimulating and
who delivers the content to them”
(says Vivek Venkatesh, associate dean of academic programs
at Concordia University)
•
…“analysis showed that engaging and
stimulating lectures, regardless of how
technologies are used, are what really predict
students’ appreciation of a given university
course.”
Is lecture dead?
•
Interesting article recently in
the Atlantic outlining the power of
“traditional lectures” and how they can
impact our emotions and often create
lifelong memories
•
“education isn’t just about conveying
information as efficiently as possible. A
lecture, done right, gets to the heart of
why a lesson is worth learning”
•
In other words, live instruction does a
better job at conveying “why”
information is important to learn
•
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/is-the-lecture-dead/272578/
Is lecture dead?
•
Corroborating lecture data from Dr. Lynn
Fordham (a UNC Radiologist)…
•
Dr Fordham studied student preferences
for didactic encounters in the 1st and 2nd
years of medical school utilizing the UNC
Graduate Finish Line Survey
(approximately 120 students responded to lecture
questions)
•
Approximately 7% of students thought
some lectures could be replaced by
podcasts while 75% of students ranked
live lecture as somewhat or very
important
•
Bottom line…I don’t think students dislike
lectures…I think students today dislike
unproductive lecture time
Steps for leading effective large group activities…
Template
Enthusiasm
A ttention Grabbers
Communication skills
Humor
Engage
Recognize and review
“Good teachers do not merely deliver content to
students, but wake them up, throw them on their
feet, and pull the chair away” (Brown 2010)
TEACHER
Start with a Template…
TEACHER
1.
Tell’em what you are going
to tell’em…
2.
Tell it to them…
3.
Then tell’em what you told
them
•
Introduction
or
Overview
Body
Conclusion
Successful teaching is 80%
planning
Preview the
Learning Objectives
Presentation
of
Content
Bottom line
or
summary
Enthusiasum…
TEACHER
•
If you are not enthusiastic about
your own material…students
won’t be either (Social Contagion)
•
It helpful to consider the passion
you felt when you were first
learning your particular area of
expertise…that's the message
and feeling that you need to
convey
•
Remember…presentations that
simply convey information are
less well received
If you consider your role as a lecturer is to simply
convey content…students may not embrace your
presentation
Enthusiasum…
TEACHER
•
If you are not enthusiastic about
your own material…students
won’t be either
•
It helpful to consider the passion
you felt when you were first
learning your particular area of
expertise…that's the message
and feeling that you need to
convey
•
Remember…presentations that
simply convey information are
less well received
•
Successful teachers in a large
group setting typically convey
motivation and inspiration to the
audience
These folks all have something in
common when the present
material…they tell a story…
Attention Grabbers…
TEACHER
•
Its imperative to create curiosity
•
Start the presentation with a clinical case
or scenario that pertains to the topic
Case
•
Lends relevance to the topic…helps frame
the discussion
•
Encourages students to maintain focus
throughout the discussion (i.e. as they try
to solve the case or answer the questions)
•
Here is one I use during the anatomy…
•
Glucose metabolism lecture could start
with images of diabetic neuropathic
ulcers/abscesses
Attention Grabbers…
TEACHER
•
Its helpful to create curiosity
•
Start the presentation with a clinical case
or scenario that pertains to the topic
Case
•
Lends relevance to the topic…helps frame
the discussion
•
Encourages students to maintain focus
throughout the discussion (i.e. as they try
to solve the case or answer the question)
•
Here is one I use during the anatomy…
•
Glucose metabolism lecture could start
with images of diabetic neuropathic
ulcers/abscesses
Attention Grabbers…
TEACHER
• Attention grabbers don’t have to
be placed at the beginning of a
lecture…
• Use animations/images/movies
that illustrate important concepts
and ideas
• Allow students to catch-up (breakup the lecture content delivery)
• Allows students to re-focus away
from you… and onto something
else
• Lends relevance
• Visually appealing and helpful
Attention Grabbers…
TEACHER
• Recognize that learning is a
social/emotional process as well as a
cognitive process
• Instruction that incorporates personal
and/or social interactions somehow
seems to heighten attention and arousal
in learners
• Convey PERSONAL stories and
anecdotes
Communication…
TEACHER
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Effectiveness of any presentation
depends on the ability of the
presenter to communicate with the
audience
Smile and acknowledge the class
Communication creates a safe
learning environment…students
need to feel safe, valued, as well as
challenged
Voice clarity/tone/inflection…a sure
recipe for losing an audience is to
speak in a monotone voice
Posture…body language is
important and emphasizes that you
are comfortable and relaxed
Movement (don’t stand behind the
podium…) our brains are
accustomed to re-orienting our view
Rehearse your presentation (don't
memorize it…but be very familiar
with the order of slides etc)
Speed of presentation…(average
student comprehends about 150
words per min. We speak at 300 per
min)
Communication…
TEACHER
•
•
•
•
•
Communication creates a safe learning environment
Effective speakers make eye contact with the audience…don’t dwell on one
person- gaze around the room (also helps gage the audiences reaction to
the material)
Effective gestures (face and body)…they are natural extensions of oneself
End on time (or early)…running over can imply poor planning or trying to
deliver too much information
Dress for success
Humor…
TEACHER
•
Not a requirement…but it
can help in many ways
•
Creates a safe learning
environment
•
Allows refocus
•
Makes lectures more
memorable
•
Don’t try to be a
comedian…but we all have
anecdotes that are
amusing and students
really like to hear them
Engage large groups…
TEACHER
Recognize and Review…
TEACHER
•
Average attention span of
students in a lecture hall is about
20 minutes
•
Change pace, style or
instructional method every 15-20
minutes or else…
•
Use multiple examples/metaphors
•
Re-emphasis important concepts
and points periodically throughout
the lecture
•
I like to “sign-post” critical
concepts: “if I am a medical
student, I am going to be sure to
understand the following…”
Recognize and Review…
TEACHER
•
It never hurts to let students stand and “take a stretch break”
•
Gets the blood moving and rejuvenates attention
•
Lets the students know that you understand their feelings and needs
Successful Lecturing
•
There has been studies that validate these core
features of effective lectures
•
A Prospective Study to Validate Attributes of the
Effective Medical Lecture (Copeland, Liesel)
•
In the study 143 participants rated lecture
quality of 69 speakers at the 9th Cleveland
Clinic Intensive Review of Internal Medicine
Symposia
•
Analysis was performed to determine which
features would predict the overall lecture quality
•
The features that most highly correlated with
ratings of overall lecture quality were the
speaker's abilities to…
identify key points
be engaging
lecture clarity
format
•
•
•
•
Bottom Line…
•Consider the mnemonic TEACHER when constructing your presentations
•Start with a case or personal story
•Play to your strengths….incorporate a joke or two. But stick to your comfort zone
•Be passionate about your topic and stay dynamic and engaging throughout the lecture
•Try to break up the lecture into 15- or 20-minute chunks, maximum
•Rehearsed enough that you can speak to each slide while addressing the audience
•Remember…students don’t dislike lectures…they dislike unproductive lecture time
Thank You