Making Lectures Interesting
by Numair A. Choudhury

Engage Students Within 90 Seconds. When starting class, it's important that every student is actively engaged almost immediately. This can be done through humor, questions for the group, or an activity. This does several things simultaneously. It conveys that the classroom is a community of learners. It uses time well for learning or relationship building—both of which are important to increased motivation and learning. It boosts energy.

Specific ideas include:

Four Corner Questions

During an extended block schedule period, students get a little restless and need a quick activity. Rather than give them a written quiz, ask them a multiple choice question on the current readings and assign each corner of the room a possible answer and letter. To avoid the problem of everyone following the smart kids to the correct corner, have them write the letter of the answer on a paper before going to the corner of choice. The kids love it because it involves everyone, it's a quick and easy way to check for understanding and after doing this a couple of times, they're ready to return to their seats for more learning!

Partner Reports

Use partner reports to learn about a topic. Each student learns 3 facts about a topic. Pair students. At the sound of a bell they tell each other about the topic they have chosen. At the sound of the two bells students find a new partner. When a single bell rings they share the facts of their topic. This continues for a set period of time. The final three bells indicate everyone returns to their desk. At this time FACTS I LEARNED are shared orally. Then finally students are asked to write 5 FACTS I LEARNED. This activity is repeated over several days so every student shares with each classmate.

Involve the student in planning. Just presenting information to the student does not ensure learning. For learning to occur, you will need to get the student involved in identifying his/her learning needs and outcomes. Help him/her to develop attainable objectives. As the teaching process continues, you can further engage him or her by selecting teaching strategies and materials that require the student's direct involvement, such as role playing and return demonstration. Regardless of the teaching strategy you choose, giving the student the chance to test his or her ideas, to take risks, and to be creative will promote learning.

Begin with what the student knows. You will find that learning moves faster when it builds on what the student already knows. Teaching that begins by comparing the old, known information or process and the new, unknown one allows the student to grasp new information more quickly. A helpful way to go about this is to ask everybody to introduce themselves the first day of class, and tell everybody what their major and interests are. Another way to learn about your students are, of course, from their Observations in the LRO.

Move from simple to complex. The student will find learning more rewarding if she has the opportunity to master simple concepts first and then apply these concepts to more complex ones. Remember, however, that what one student finds simple, another may find complex. A careful assessment takes these differences into account and helps you plan the teaching starting point.

Accommodate the student's preferred learning style. How quickly and well a student learns depends not only on his or her intelligence and prior education, but also on the student's learning style preference. Visual learners gain knowledge best by seeing or reading what you are trying to teach; auditory learners, by listening; and tactile or psychomotor learners, by doing.

You can improve your chances for teaching success if you assess your student's preferred learning style, then plan teaching activities and use teaching tools appropriate to that style. To assess a student's learning style, observe the student, administer a learning style inventory test,learning style inventory test, or simply ask the student how he or she learns best.

You can also experiment with different teaching tools, such as printed material, illustrations, videotapes, and actual equipment, to assess learning style. Never assume, though, that your student can read well—or even read at all. It is always a good idea to vary the format in which you present information, e-mail the Audio/Visual equipment office and get them to set things up for you, students will appreciate it when you show that documentary!

Sort goals by learning domain. You can combine your knowledge of the student's preferred learning style with your knowledge of learning domains.Categorizing what the students need to learn into proper domains helps identify and evaluate the behaviors you expect them to show.

Learning behaviors fall in three domains: cognitive, psychomotor, and affective. The cognitive domain deals with intellectual abilities. The psychomotor domain includes physical or motor skills. The affective domain involves expression of feeling about attitudes, interests, and values. Most learning involves all three domains.

Make material meaningful. Another way to facilitate learning is to relate material to the student's lifestyle—and to recognize incompatibilities. The more meaningful material is to a student, the quicker and easier it will be learned. As before, read their Observations, you'll be surprised how much students are willing to share.

Allow immediate application of knowledge. Giving the student the opportunity to apply his or her new knowledge and skills reinforces learning and builds confidence. This immediate application translates learning to the "real world" and provides an opportunity for problem solving, feedback, and emotional support. One way I often do this is at the end of an essay, I ask them to specify whom exactly I should call if I were the President of the United States and they've managed to persuade me to do something. Make the work they do feel immediate and worthwhile, they will respond better if they realize that they can have an effect in the real world.

Plan for periodic rests. While you may want the students to push ahead until they have learned everything on the teaching plan, remember that periodic plateaus occur normally in learning. When your instructions are especially complex or lengthy, your students may feel overwhelmed and appear unreceptive to your teaching. Be sure to recognize these signs of mental fatigue and let the students relax. (You too can use these periods—to review your teaching plan and make any necessary adjustments.) In a 50 minute session there is hardly any time for a break, but in longer sessions, you need to decide when a break is necessary. If you still do not have enough time, vary the kinds of exercises they are doing, this will keeps things interesting and fresh.

Tell your students how they are progressing. Learning is made easier when the students are aware of their progress. Positive feedback can motivate them to greater effort because it makes their goal seem attainable. Also, ask your students how they feel they are doing. They probably want to take part in assessing their own progress toward learning goals, and their input can guide your feedback. You will find their reactions are usually based on what "feels right." Students respond very positively if they see that their learning amounts to something worthwhile, or that there is a plan for their progressing.

Reward desired learning with praise. Praising desired learning outcomes or behavior improves the chances that the students will retain the material or repeat the behavior. Praising your students' successes associates the desired learning goal with a sense of growing and accepted competence. Reassuring them that they have learned the desired material or technique can help them retain and refine it.

Provided by:
Numair A. Choudhury, who is studying for a Ph. D, in Aesthetic Studies at The University of Texas at Dallas. He was born in Bangladesh. Prior to UTD he studied and loved creative writing at Oberlin College, Ohio, and then at the University of East Anglia, Norwich.