Lecturing : A Practical Guide

Lecturing can be a terror, a chore or an exhilarating experience. For most lecturers, at one time or another, it is all of these things. For many in HE & FE it remains the staple form of teaching and, as student groups get ever larger, good lecturing becomes ever more important. This is an accessible, friendly and confidence-boosting book for inexperienced and experienced lecturers alike. Written in a lively and straightforward style, it guides readers through the art of good lecturing. This is a book to use both to gain confidence, and to work with as the your lecturing becomes more assured. The authors show how to improve lecturing, and how lecturing is a flexible and essential tool for enhancing learning and understanding. Illustrated throughout with fascinating case studies and scenarios and with helpful hints and tips, key issues covered include: \* the place and types of lecture\* voice and body language\* causing learning in lectures\* making lectures more effective\* lecturing tools and processes\* engaging groups\* ensuring and developing quality\* tips for day-to-day use. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 2 Copyright......Page 3 Contents......Page 4 Foreword......Page 7 Acknowledgements......Page 9 1 Introductions......Page 11 2 What is ‘lecturing’?......Page 23 Lecturing is.........Page 24 What does this tell us?......Page 30 3 Histories, philosophies and architecture......Page 31 Architectures.........Page 35 The lecture theatre: a place for learning?......Page 36 Visibility factors......Page 38 Comfort factors......Page 39 Making the most of difficult spaces......Page 40 Addressing acoustical factors......Page 41 Addressing visibility problems......Page 48 Addressing comfort and timing problems......Page 49 When all else fails......Page 50 Conclusion......Page 51 4 Why have lectures?......Page 52 What really is the use of lectures?......Page 54 Rationales for lectures......Page 59 1. So that we can enthuse our students......Page 60 3. To cover the syllabus......Page 62 4. To help students to gain a sense of identity......Page 63 5. Because it’s a cost-effective means of curriculum delivery......Page 64 6. As a means of accounting for class contact time—to quantify it......Page 65 8. Because we like giving lectures!......Page 66 9. To help students to map the curriculum......Page 67 10. So that students can estimate how they are doing......Page 68 11. So we can estimate how our students are doing......Page 69 13. To help students learn how to turn information into knowledge......Page 70 14. To help students to learn how to learn......Page 71 15. To help students to tune in to our assessment culture......Page 72 Reasons enough for lectures?......Page 73 Lecturers’ views......Page 74 Actions speak louder than words?......Page 76 Building your confidence......Page 77 Starting the lecture......Page 78 Being heard!......Page 79 Getting through the syllabus......Page 81 Losing the plot......Page 82 Making our words work......Page 84 Explaining things to students......Page 87 Towards a teaching taxonomy?......Page 88 But what about the students?......Page 90 6 Lecturing tools......Page 91 So what tools have we to master now?......Page 95 From blackboards to whiteboards?......Page 97 Visibility and illumination......Page 99 ‘Keystoning’......Page 101 Using overhead projectors......Page 102 Data projectors, computers and laptops......Page 106 Use of colour......Page 108 Live links......Page 109 Using ‘Action Buttons’ to give ourselves room for manoeuvre......Page 110 Don’t panic......Page 113 Conclusion......Page 115 What do lecturers expect?......Page 117 What do students do (or expect to do) in lectures?......Page 118 Analysing what students do in lectures......Page 120 Keeping attention engaged......Page 123 Writing......Page 124 Asking questions......Page 128 Answering questions......Page 129 Explaining things to each other......Page 131 Handouts for learning, not just for information......Page 132 What else can lecturers do in lectures to help keep students focused and attentive?......Page 133 Conclusion......Page 134 What do lecturers do before their lectures?......Page 135 So what could we do before our lectures?......Page 137 What about after a lecture?......Page 138 Encouraging post-lecture reflection......Page 139 Annotate the artefacts......Page 140 Files, not piles (a counsel of perfection)!......Page 141 Reflection......Page 142 From time to time.........Page 143 What do lecturers want students to do before and after lectures?......Page 144 So what can students do—and how can we help them to do it?......Page 147 9 Linking lectures to other teaching/learning activities......Page 149 So where do lectures fit into the bigger picture of teaching and learning?......Page 152 Linking lectures to tutorials......Page 155 Towards joined-up tutorial learning?......Page 157 Linking lectures to seminars......Page 159 Seminars: freeing students up, or tying them down?......Page 161 Minding all those other gaps!......Page 164 10 Inclusive lecturing: encompassing diverse students......Page 167 Hearing impairments......Page 169 Dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties......Page 171 Mobility impairments......Page 172 A diverse crowd......Page 173 What about the workers?......Page 174 11 How do I know how I’m doing?......Page 175 Feedback or evaluation?......Page 176 Methods for obtaining student feedback on lecturing......Page 177 Questionnaires......Page 178 Informal chats......Page 180 Structured or semi-structured individual or group interviews......Page 181 Post-its, post cards or notes......Page 182 Show of hands methods......Page 184 Methods for gaining feedback from peers......Page 185 Peer observation schemes......Page 186 Mentoring......Page 187 Evaluating your own lecturing......Page 188 Appendix: More definitions of ‘lecturing’......Page 192 Reviews of Lecturing: A Practical Guide......Page 201 References and further reading......Page 202 Index......Page 205

illustrated Throughout With Fascinating Case Studies And Scenarios, Some Of The Key Issues Covered Include: The Place And Types Of Lecture; Voice And Body Language; Causing Learning In Lectures; Making Lectures More Effective; Lecturing Tools And Processes; Engaging Groups; Ensuring And Developing Quality; And Tips For Day-to-day Use.

In this text, the authors show how to improve lecturing, and how it is a flexible and essential tool for improving learning and understanding