Professional Documents
Culture Documents
for Enhancing
Lecturing
By Ray Heitzmann
50 www.eddigest.com
Enhancing Lecturing
tion or dialogue and asking them questions as they come into class.
to provide a caption or dialogue Students prepare answers and
with a justification of their posi- turn them in at the end of class for
tion. This is critical thinking at its grading. This works particularly
finest! A number of websites offer well with students in the habit of
cartoons on current happenings napping during a film.
and a number of books provide Case methodology can enhance
classic selections. teacher-student and student-stu-
Starting class with a "grabber" dent interactions. Introducing a
satisfies the demands of students case focused on dilemmas (e.g.,
who would like classes to be stimu- approving the Treaty of Versailles
lating, entertaining, and interac- or dropping the atomic bomb
tive. The "bell ringer" cartoon on Japan) can energize the class
strategy is a powerful instructional and result in excited interactions,
and behavioral strategy encourag- motivation, and learning. Case
ing students to stop talking with methodology has a history of suc-
friends, close their laptops, focus cess in college, but it must be used-
on the visual, and think. with care to maximize its success.
2. Lectures must be interactive. Creating a positive classroom
Interactivity is a component of ev- atmosphere remains key to pro-
eryday students' life, ranging from viding a climate for learning, and
iPhones and email to Twitter and . interactive lessons can contribute
the Web. How can a lecturer tap to this.
into this world for the instruction- 3. Lectures must not rehearse
al benefit of students? Pop quizzes, the textbook. To encourage stu-
asking discussion-prompting ques- dents to use their textbooks, in-
tions, and providing problems for structors should make fréquent
students to solve in class can help references to texts. Most impor-
avoid nonparticipation, but much tantly, they should select portions
more can be done. of the text to use as springboards
Visual aids, particularly film, to an in-depth explanation of an
provide opportunities for interac- event.
tion with students. For example, After instructors introduce the
when showing a video, stop peri- interpretations, students can be
odically and ask questions rather given opportunities to develop
than waiting until the end of the their own interpretations or to vali-
film. The instructor might write a date a specific interpretation.
series of questions on the board This strategy liberates students
or email them to students prior from the passive behavior so com-
to class. Some teachers provide mon in traditional lecture-plus-text-
students with a handout with book-based pedagogy. Instructors
May 2010 51
THE EDUCATION DIGEST
52 www.eddigest.com
Enhancing Lecturing
May 2010 53
THE EDUCATION DIGEST
54 www.eddigest.com
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