eNewsletter

Do you want to get some free ideas on how to improve your teaching and make learning more engaging and fun for your students? Well, we have many that we are willing to share with you regularly through our occasional e-newsletter, The Science of Learning and The Art of Teaching (?). Following is a sample taken from our eNewsletter on The Interactive Lecture.

The Interactive Lecture—When Less Is More (Excerpt)

Introduction
The lecture is considered to be “a tried and true” method of instruction. In many regards it is. Defined as the delivery of information by a subject-matter expert to those less well-informed, it serves many purposes in many instructional settings. When done well, it is an efficient method of presentation when a lot of material needs to be covered in a limited amount of time. It is also can establish an instructor’s authority and, thus, the confidence of their students. It is also makes it relatively easy to manage a classroom session since the instructor is largely in control of the entire event.

Still, though it is “tried”, it is not necessarily “true”. Too many instructors rely on lectures as their primary, if not only, method of instruction.  Just think back on your own education. How many mind-numbing classes did you take that were almost - and possibly entirely- lecture-based?  Even a short time after a class session ended, you probably remembered little of what you heard. To this day, you likely can’t even remember who your instructors were, their presentations more an effective non-prescription sleep aid rather than a quality learning experience.

Adding a Little Pizzazz 
Though lectures can be problematic, it is not being suggested you abandon the traditional “stand and deliver” lecture. Rather, you just need to “dress them up” a bit and give them some life. You can do this with relative ease with an interactive lecture. …

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