UNC Stuff

Effective Effective Lecturing Lecturing

TechniquesTechniques

Edward Kernick and Todd Zakrajsek

Edward Kernick DPMAssistant Professor Cell Biology and Physiology

Todd Zakrajsek PhDAssociate Professor Family Medicine and AOE

Objectives…

• Why do we lecture? Why do we lecture?

• Is lecture dead?Is lecture dead?

• Practical steps for leading Practical steps for leading effective large group effective large group sessions sessions

• Techniques for interactive Techniques for interactive large groupslarge groups

• Bottom LineBottom 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 self-directed instructional media (i.e. websites, Khan Academy, and e-learning modules)

• 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

But is it better?

ProblemSolving

PromoteCritical

Thinking

Concepts and

Facts

Mot

ivat

ionInspiration

Entertainment

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?

• http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/is-the-lecture-dead/272578/

• 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

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… Steps for leading effective large group activities…

emplate

nthusiasm

ttention Grabbers

ommunication skills

umor

ngage

ecognize and review

T

E

A

C

H

E

R

TEACHER

“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)

Start with a Template…

1. Tell’em what you are going to tell’em…

2. Tell it to them…

3. Then tell’em what you told them

• Successful teaching is 80% planning

IntroductionIntroduction ororOverviewOverview

Preview the Preview the Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

BodyPresentationPresentation

of of ContentContent

ConclusionConclusionBottom lineBottom line

ororsummarysummary

TEACHER

EEnthusiasum…nthusiasum…

• 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

TEACHER

If you consider your role as a lecturer is to simplyconvey content…students may not embrace your

presentation

EEnthusiasum…nthusiasum…TEACHER

These folks all have something in common when the present material…

they tell a story…

• 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

Attention Grabbers…

• Its imperative to create curiosity

• Start the presentation with a clinical case or scenario that pertains to the topic

• 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

CaseCase

TEACHER

Attention Grabbers…

CaseCase

TEACHER

• Its helpful to create curiosity

• Start the presentation with a clinical case or scenario that pertains to the topic

• 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 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 (break-up 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

Attention Grabbers…TEACHER

TEACHER

Communication…

• 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)

TEACHER

Communication…

• 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…

• 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

TEACHER

EEngage large groups…ngage large groups…TEACHER

Recognize and Review…

• 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…”

TEACHER

Recognize and Review…

• 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

TEACHER

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 YouThank You