Lecture Basics

India Lane
Educational Enhancement, UTCVM
 You be the reviewer…
• What makes a good • What makes a
lecture? weak lecture?
 What do others say
Medical Students
Effective Ineffective
• Enthusiastic • Excess research
• Models, Demos commentary
• Interactive • Reading from
slides

Nichols et al, IAMSE, 2006

 What do others say
Graduate Students
Effective Ineffective
• Pitched to general • No general
audience introduction or link to
• Linked to big picture big picture
• Conducive to • Too much jargon,
questions; time for usually undefined
questions • Expert level only
• Within appropriate
time frame

Courneya, IAMSE, 2006

 Fundamentals of the
Lecture
• When are Lectures Useful?
• Types of Lecture Formats
• Planning the Lecture
• How to make a point… and maintain
attention
• Beginnings and Endings
When are lectures
useful?
 When are lectures
useful?
• The purpose is to teach information
• The presenter is effective, comfortable
and the “expert”
• The learners are able to assimilate from
lectures
• Group size is moderate to large
• Facilities are adequate
 When are lectures
useful?
• The purpose is to teach information
– Not readily available
– Diverse, scattered
– Current
– Limited time available
– Explain difficult concepts or analysis of
issues
– Demonstrate relationships between
information
 Fundamentals of the
Lecture
• When are Lectures Useful?
• Types of Lecture Formats
• Planning the Lecture
• How to make a point… and maintain
attention
• Beginnings and Endings
 Lecture Types
• Hierarchic
• Problem - centered
• Chaining
• Comparison
– Paired
classifications
• Logical dichotomy
• Network
 Hierarchical
• Level 1 point A
– Level 2 point a
– Level 2 point b
• Level 2 point B
– Level 2 point a
– Level 2 point b
• Level 3…
 Common Organizing
Principles
• Cause to effect
• Historical time sequence
• Phenomenon or examples theory
• Pro versus con or compare/contrast
• Familiar unfamiliar
• Concept application
Problem Centered
 Compare/Contrast

Criterion Upper limb Lower limb

Dog Cat
ARF CRF
Chaining
Networks

Core
Concept
 Fundamentals of the
Lecture
• When are Lectures Useful?
• Types of Lecture Formats
• Planning the Lecture
• How to make a point… and maintain
attention
• Beginnings and Endings
 Planning Lecture
Organization

• What are the goals of the lecture,

course, program, institution?
• What is the logical structure of the
subject matter?
• What is the cognitive structure of
students’ minds (currently)?
 Planning
• What are the most difficult concepts?
• What are the most diverse or scattered
concepts?
• What relationships within the material are
more subtle than others?
• What framework is needed for future
learning?
 Planning
• What do I really want students to
remember from this lecture…next
week.. next year?

• What in my lecture could be better

learned by another method?
 Example

Source: Rethinking Teaching in Higher

Education
 Planning
• What are the 4 – 5 major points?
• How do they fit together?
• How do they link to other material?
 Planning -Logistics
• What room will it be in?
• What will I need? Is the technology ready?
• Will I need to buy/digitize/request/setup
anything?
• Can I get the reading, notes, examples, etc to
the students ahead of time?
• What notes do I need?
 Questions?
• Lecture as teaching method
• Lecture types
• Planning
 Lecture Structure
• Introduction
• Body
• Periodic Summaries
• Conclusion
 Introduction
• Capture attention
• Point out a gap in students’
knowledge
• Raise a question
• Offer a challenge
• Pre-questions
• Example, case, application
The “Anticipatory Set” or
The Dead Body Approach

- “Anticipatory Set” credited to

Madeline Hunter
Anticipatory Set
Example

Photo courtesy of Dr. Tammy Anderson

 Introduction
• Capture attention
• Point out a gap in students’
knowledge
• Raise a question Who Cares??
• Offer a challenge
• Prequestions
• Example, case, application
Who Cares – Big Picture?
• Link backward and forward
– Review from last lecture
– How does it fit within section, course,
curriculum, etc
– How does it link to concurrent courses
 Body
• Highlight a few major ideas or
sequences/chunks
• Appropriate use of audiovisual
support
• Keep highlighting the overall
structure
• Use examples where possible
 Some “guidelines” about
length
• What you say should be no more than
about 5 pages single-spaced text
(Joanne Chesley, slideshare.net)
• 1 minute per slide
• 4 to 5 major points or segments

And Remember…..
•LESS IS
MORE!!!
 Teach Less Better
• Write out everything you want to say
to the students and cut out half of
it! (Dennis and Exley, 2009)
 Fundamentals of the
Lecture
• When are Lectures Useful?
• Types of Lecture Formats
• Planning the Lecture
• How to make a point… and maintain
attention
• Beginnings and Endings
Making a point
effectively

• Rule

• E.g…..

• Rule
 Making a point
effectively
• Concisely state the rule
– Simple language using 7-8 words
– One key word
– Less than 5 seconds (Remember
trace decay is quick!!)
 Example
• PRErenal Azotemia is caused by
hypoperfusion of the kidneys, so that even
if the kidneys are working fine, GFR drops
and they don’t have a chance to filter the
urea and creatinine load.
– For example, a vomiting dog might get quite
dehydrated…
• So, like in this example, PRErenal Azotemia
is most often caused by dehydration and
decreased renal perfusion.
Making a point effectively…
what’s the e.g….?
• Display
– Word, statement on screen
• Reexpress
– Say it another way
• Elaborate
– Illustrate
– Explain
– Detail
– Analogies
– Relate
– Example
 Making a point
effectively… rule!
• State simply
• Give example
• Restate (Use the same statement you
started with)

And…
 Making a point
effectively… rule!
• Rule or Concept
– State simply
– Give example
– Recapitulate
– Restate (Use the same statement you started
with)

And…
 What happens?
Linking and Seeing
Hearing Storing
Concepts

Visual
Auditory
Analysis
Analysis Linking
words/images
to Concepts

Speaking Writing
• Found at http://greatbritishmag.co.uk/lifestyle/the-rise-of-university-memes
Making a More Difficult
Point
• E.g.

• Rule

• Rule

• E.g
Making a More Difficult
Point
• E.g.
» Example(s)
» Reasoned interpretations
» Observation*

• Rule
» Concise statement/display

• Rule
» Rexpression

• E.g
» New example
» Recapitulate, restate
 Example
• How can protein get in the urine…
– Proteinuria can come from preglomerular,
glomerular and postglomerular sources and we
always rule out postglomerular causes before
pursuing primary glomerular disease.
– In other words, if a dog with persistent
proteinuria doesn’t have evidence of urinary
tract hemorrhage or inflammation, then we
start worrying about glomerular leakage of
proteins from a few potential pathologies.
• For example, this is some data from a dog
with heartworm disease…
Maintaining Attention
 Body Time

FOCUS

People
Environment/
World

Pollio et al, UT
Students’ Heart Rate Data
– Uninterrupted Lecture

Heart rate
(bpm)

Time in Minutes
From Falcon Products as viewed at
http://elearninginfographics.com/active-learning-and-student-
performance-infographic/
Lecture Attention
Shall I tap dance?
 Gaining attention
• Variation
– Intensity
– Pace
– Expression
– Surprises
Gaining attention
• Visual cues
– Gestures
– Movement
– Eye contact/facial expression
• Demonstrations, cases,
activities, questions
• Stories
• Use a lot of examples
• PAUSES!
 Isn’t this just
entertainment?
• The brain tends to remember
surprises!
• We are wired to react and problem
solve in novel and unexpected
situations to survive
 Videos and Drawings
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K
WHasxDRf54http://www.youtube.co
m/watch?v=KWHasxDRf54
 Periodic Summaries
• Offers a chance to catch up
• Offers a chance to check
perceptions/misperceptions
• Makes transitions clearer
 For example…
• Lecture as a teaching method
• Types of Lectures
• Lecture planning
• Lecture structure
– Introduction
– Attention spans
– Periodic summaries
 More on Transitions
• Explain the “jump”
• Show a “map”
• Ask for Questions, Pose a clicker
question
• Relevant Photo or Visual Cue
• Follow the organization of the notes
 Common Micturition
Disorders

Urine Urinary
Retention Incontinence

Neurogenic
Disorders
(Both)
Urethral
Urinary
Incompetence
Obstruction
Bladder
overactivity/
Fxn Fxn Urethral other
Bladder obstruction
atony
Repetition is Good… but
Don’t overdo it!
“And
then I
said…”
Concluding the lecture
• Recapitulate major points
• Encourage students to formulate
questions
• Review organization of the lecture
• Ask a student(s) to summarize the
lecture
• Propose unanswered questions for next
time or for independent work
 Go back to your “hook”
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii
YUzYozsAQ
 Getting feedback
• Watch the students
• Ask questions
• Use classroom
assessments
 Getting feedback
• Watch the students Pick me,
pick me!!
– Not necessarily the top
students
• Ask questions
– Not necessarily to the
ones who answer every
time
 Getting feedback
• Audience Evaluations
• Peer evaluation
• Videotape Review
• Voice or Speech
Training
• Focus on a few goals
 Fundamentals of the Lecture
Summary
• Use lecture format when appropriate
• Plan what to cover and the best
structure/format
• Use an Introduction, Body, Periodic
Summaries, Conclusion
• Convey the structure to be used
• Keep refreshing the structure as you
introduce new points/make links or make
transitions
• Use lots of examples and pauses!
 References
• Bligh, D. A. 2000. What’s the Use of Lectures? San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
• Exley K and Dennick R. Giving a Lecture, 2nd ed. 2009 (elibrary)
• Brown S. Lecturing: A Practical Guide, 2002
• Russell. I.J., Hendricson, W.D., & Herbert, R.J. (November,
1984). Effects of lecture information density on medical
student achievement. Journal of Medical Education, 59, 881-
889.
• Ruhl, K. L., Hughes, C. A., & Schloss, P. J. (1987, Winter). Using
the pause procedure to enhance lecture recall. Teacher
Education and Special Education, 10, 14-18.
• Woodring, B. and Woodring, R. 2007. “Lecture Is Not a Four-
letter Word.” In M. Bradshaw and A. Lowenstein, eds.,
Innovative Teaching Strategies in Nursing and Health Related
Professions. Sudbury, MA: Jones & Bartlett.
 Does it work?
• Comparison of
short lectures
given to Nurse
Practitioners on
anticholinesterase
inhibitors

Gwee et al, IAMSE, 2006

 Does it work?
Lecture X Lecture Y

• Traditional factual • Statement of

delivery objectives
• Dramatic episode
• Review
• Interactive Questions
• Humor
• Sequenced, organized
• Focused on application
 Does it work?
Final Ratings
Lecture X Lecture Y
• Traditional factual • Statement of
delivery objectives
• Dramatic episode
1.7 – 3.1 • Review
• Interactive Questions
• Humor
• Sequenced, organized
• Focused on application
3.9 – 4.5
Good Luck!
• http://elearninginfographics.com/active-learning-and-
student-performance-infographic/