Lecturing: A Practical Guide

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