how to give a good lecture

7/28/2019 How to Give a Good Lecture

1/4

How to Give a Good Lecture

By an eHow Contributor

Just the word "lecture" is enough to elicit groans from most people. Nonetheless, there isno reason a lecture needs to be dry and boring or hard to follow. With a few tips,

techniques and some practice, just about anyone can give a good lecture on just about any

topic.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Lecture topic

Lecture notes

Media (if applicable)

Technological aids (if applicable)

Planning the Lecture

1. Identify your audience: young students, college students, parents,business

entrepreneurs, etc.2. Identify your lecture topic.

3. Determine your time allotment. Consider how long the lecture will last and howmuch time will you leave for questions or announcements.

4. Outline your lecture material. Clearly state the main point of the lecture first.

Next, lay out the supporting points and relative details, including the approximate

amount of time you plan to spend on each topic. Finally, wrap up with a clear

conclusion that restates the main point of the lecture.5. Go through your lecture outline and highlight places where you can stop lecturing

and reinforce your point in a different way. Engage your audience by asking

questions. Make a point of using pop culture references. Turn to media for visualor audio aids.

6. Write out a detailed final lecture outline. Include complete topic sentences, quotes

and references you wish to note, and questions you will pose to the audience.Highlight places where you will turn to media or incorporate other teaching

methods.

7. Practice, practice, practice. Rehearse your lecture. Write in cues such as "Pause,"

"Breath," or "Scan Audience for Questions" and practice these motions as well.Make sure your language, tone and examples are appropriate for your audience.
http://www.ehow.com/education/http://www.ehow.com/business/http://www.ehow.com/cultures/http://www.ehow.com/education/http://www.ehow.com/business/http://www.ehow.com/cultures/


2/4

8. Arrive at your lecture location early. Make sure any technology you plan to use

works properly. Have someone sit at the back of the venue to evaluate your

volume and enunciation.

Giving the Lecture

9. Grab your audience's attention. Open with a catchy quote, surprising fact or

anecdote that the audience members can relate to.

10. Introduce yourself and briefly state what you have to offer your audience--whatqualifies you to be here speaking.

11. Progress through your lecture smoothly, beginning with your introduction and

flowing through your notes to the conclusion. Connect all ideas and examples.12. Maintain eye-contact with your audience members. Scan the audience slowly, so

that each audience member feels as if you are addressing him individually.

13. Speak clearly. Enunciate your words. Use good grammar. Project to reach the

back of the venue, or use a microphone.

14. Ask your audience for any questions or comments following your lecture.15. Thank your audience for coming to hear you speak.

Tips & Warnings

Play to your strengths. For example, if you are a comedian, incorporate a joke or

two. But stick to what is comfortable for you.

Be passionate about your topic, and act as though you really enjoy being there

lecturing. This will help you stay dynamic and engaging throughout the lecture.

Try to break up the lecture into 15- or 20-minute chunks, maximum. This is the

average attention span of most audience members. You may need to adjust based

on your audience. Help your audience follow you by posting an overhead outline of your lecture or

handing out photocopies of the outline prior to beginning your lecture.

Videotape yourself while lecturing. Use this to evaluate and improve your

delivery.

Don't try to address every detail pertaining to your topic. Stick to the basics, and

try to make it relevant to your audience.

Avoid reading directly from PowerPoint slides or your notes. You should have

rehearsed enough that you can speak to each slide or point while addressing theaudience.

Make sure all media and technology work prior to the lecture, if possible. If you

do experience technical difficulties, stay positive and move on.

A publication about a good lecture from the University of Virginia

On February 3, 1998, we met with a group of undergraduates from all levels to hear theiropinions about effective lecturing at the university. We wanted to know which methods

most engaged students, what qualities they found most appealing in a lecturer, and what

aspects of lecture style, format, and environment were conducive to learning andretention. Students responded with many experiences and opinions, but they consistently


3/4

praised those professors who introduced variety, interaction, structure, and intensity into

their lectures.

Every lecturer worries about his or her style. Should one strive for a casual, off-the-cuff delivery,or a highly orchestrated barrage of handouts and transparencies? Our group noted that they finda variety of styles effective; some professors achieved success with animated performances and

jokes while others impressed them with posted outlines, targeted questions, and well-pacedthoroughness. The style, they said, was not as important as the professor's ability to "break thetrance" with demonstrations, examples, and changes in tone. They also appreciated lecturerswho incorporated responses from students, either by soliciting questions at certain stages,making themselves available afterwards, or using the Web to garner feedback outside of class.The panel appreciated professors' attempts to connect with them and noted that such interactiveadvances were well worth the initial awkwardness they felt when jolted out of their passive"audience" role. Professors who expected responses and incorporated student feedback intosuccessive lectures not only promoted better preparation, they also earned the most respect andenthusiasm.

When asked to define the most important aspect of a lecturer's "performance," the entire panelsaid organization and outlines were essential. They agreed that animation and enthusiasm

helped to engage their attention, but they stressed that lecturers who posted outlines and pacedtheir delivery to fit the speed of the note-taking audience conveyed information most effectively.Lecturers who sped through dense material, on the other hand, created tension and anxiety.Students find that certain techniques aid them in retaining the material and taking useful,thorough notes: outlines, lists, pauses for clarification, repetition of key points, and a final recap ofthe main points of the lecture. Some said it helped if the professor incorporated material from thereading, others claimed a brief review of the previous lecture or strategically-placed references tooverarching themes or course units sufficed for assimilation of new material. Students alsopraised the use of short intermissions to review material in groups, write down questions, connectcurrent events to the material, or note personal reactions. They welcomed any active measuresthat broke up a 50- or 75-minute lecture, especially those that permitted greater reflection andretention during the class period. Students were not, however, enthusiastic about professors whopursued tangents, arguments, and anecdotes at the expense of central points.

Students also understood the value of a lecture's "performance" aspects and its physicality aswell. Lectures provide a regularized encounter with the material. Attending lecture prompted themto think about the subject in a focused way, and writing notes helped them to process thematerial. The panel agreed that there was a correlation between the number of lectures theyattended and their final grade; just by showing up they could learn. They also noted that aprofessor's ability to communicate large amounts of information in a concentrated form made thesubject matter more comprehensible, especially for novices. The professor provided an activeexample of learning and processing information that, in turn, helped students digest the materialon their own. Students especially appreciated professors who displayed organization, includedinteractive techniques, and conveyed excitement about their subject. Lectures that combinedthose qualities prompted them to learn more even if they were not initially interested. Althoughstudents reported such conviviality was easier to attain in small lectures, they agreed that large

lectures could be effective if the professor encouraged interaction and volunteered his/her ownreactions and opinions. In short, the panel said that professors need to take advantage of their"captive audience" in as many ways as possible by soliciting responses and reactions from thestudents, by providing aids for note-taking and comprehension, and by daring to model learning inaction, not learning as passive acquisition.

"What Makes a Discussion Section Productive?"

What makes a section memorable and effective? On March 31, 1998, a panel of nine studentsreported that the TA's leadership and guidance makes all the difference. Students want to talk


4/4

and to listen; they want the TA's perspective, but they also need structure. If the TA doesn't knowhow to direct a conversation, section can seem pointless. In general, the students informed usthat a variety of approaches can contribute to a section's success, but the key element is a TAwho is willing to assume leadership in conjunction with a friendly, flexible, and relaxed approachto class participation.

Students offered examples of successful sections with stories of TAs who generated fruitful,exciting sections by learning students' names early, monitoring the class's work and progress,facilitating discussion, and supplementing the lecture with relevant exercises and reviews.Several panelists said they appreciated their teachers' efforts to make the material relevant tostudents' lives. Handouts, outlines, and other prepared material also helped them to focus.Several recognized the value of graded quizzes, even pop quizzes, although some disliked thestress they produced. Participants generally agreed that ungraded and scheduled quizzes aidedpreparation and retention. Students also noted that, if designed properly, such exercises provideda good exam review. Required preparation and participation, if relevant and administered withinreason, made students feel committed to the class and helped them learn.

The entire panel said that good TAs possess "leadership skills." In order to succeed, TAs mustask stimulating questions, keep the conversation on track, and ensure students have done the

work, play devil's advocate, and organize exercises that simultaneously provide structure andflexibility. Some students had enjoyed sections where the TA used small groups to cover morecontent. (The TA assigned sub-topics to each group and asked group leaders to report back tothe class.) Some TAs asked for written questions from students at the beginning of each section;even though the class members had to do all the reading in order to produce the questions, theyappreciated the extra attention paid to their views. Students also reported that breaking up intogroups with each group responsible for leading part of the discussion stimulated learning.Regardless of class format, students all agreed that they needed a clear sense of expectations,goals, standards, and grading guidelines from the start. Flexible discussions enabled them toform and develop ideas, but they still wanted to enter the exam with a sense of the right andwrong approaches to the material.

In a good section, they said, about 80% of the class participated in conversation. Students did not

receive forced participation rules well, especially when students were "just talking for credit."Students feel more responsive when TAs encourage free conversation instead of passiveanswers to their own questions. TAs who prompted written means of participation as well asspoken responses helped students learn more.

The general topic of technology use in sections engendered varied reactions. Some people feelless inhibited using e-mail, while others didn't like reading lengthy posts. A few panel membersfelt that e-mail discussions were forced, redundant, and irrelevant, others found newsgroups withrestricted submissions (for example, three responses per week) helpful. Some panelists thoughte-mails were most useful when the TA read them first and selected a few for discussion.Students report that voluntary newsgroups for questions posted and answered often work well,especially for quick feedback. The Web, they said, was best for posting news and notes.

Some students said they would like to know the criteria by which TAs are chosen to teachclasses. They have noticed that experienced TAs are generally better section leaders andsuggest that TA training should be required by all departments. Several have had badexperiences with poorly trained TAs and some complained of language difficulties withinternational TAs (although they admitted that patience on both sides was necessary in the lattercase). They favored measures to train international TAs, as well as TA mentorship and trainingprograms. In general, they reported more good sections than bad at U.Va. but they would like tosee more emphasis on making discussion sections active, structured, and relevant to the lecture.

how to give a good lecture

Documents