Volume 1: Effective Lectures
Lecture is an effective method of teaching for a body of knowledge that can be organized and systematically presented (Good & Brophy, 1995). The following research findings indicate that clarity, organization, and pacing are three key features of effective lectures.
I. Clarity
McCaleb and White (1980) found that a four-part structure aided student understanding: 1) the purpose of the lecture is clearly stated at the beginning; 2) main ideas are presented and then reviewed; 3) transitions are provided between sections; and 4) the lecture is succinctly summarized at its conclusion. Smith and Land (1981) found that reducing vagueness was a critical factor in achieving clarity in lectures. Vague terms include those that are ambiguous (somehow, somewhere), approximate (almost, kind of), and indeterminate (some, several, a few). Try previewing your next lecture for clarity of language and organization.
II. Organization
Primacy and recency effects (Mayer, 1982) show that what is said at the beginning of lecture as well as what is said at the end will be remembered best. Paying attention to openings and endings, when attention is more focused, makes lectures more effective (Murray & Murray, 1992). The beginning of the lecture is a critical time when students’ attention is won. Try asking a question that the lecture will answer, posing a dilemma, giving an interesting statistic, telling a relevant story or anecdote, or placing the lecture in a historical setting as a way to gain students’ attention. Similarly, wise use of the last few minutes of lecture may delay the rustling of backpacks. Try summarizing key concepts with an overhead that students will want to have in their notes, or asking a question that the next lecture will answer in order to get students in the habit of expecting something important and relevant at the end.
III. Pacing
Pacing is a critical element in good communication. A brisk pace may be used with familiar content for which students have considerable prior knowledge. But with unfamiliar content, for which relatively few cognitive structures exist, a slower pace is required. Within a 50-minute lecture, some variation in pacing is needed to maintain student interest. Beard and Hartley (1984) found that without variation, periods of non-attention increased. Try changing pace every 10 to 20 minutes by stopping for questions, moving to a different part of the room, or engaging students in a one-minute writing exercise such as summarizing on a note card the previous 15-minute block of lecture material.
References
Beard, R.M., and Hartley, J. (1984). Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (4th ed.). London: Paul Chapman.
Good, T.L., and Brophy, J. (1995). Contemporary Educational Psychology. New York: Longman.
Mayer, R. (1982). Learning. In H. Mitzel (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Research (5th ed., Vol. 2). New York: The Free Press.
McCaleb, J., and White, J. (1980). Critical Dimensions in Evaluating Teacher Clarity. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 15, 27-30.
Murray, J., and Murray, J. (1992). How Do I Lecture Thee? College Teaching, Vol. 40 (3), pp. 109-113.
Smith, L., and Land, M. (1981). Low-inference Verbal Behaviors Related to Teacher Clarity. Journal of Classroom Interaction, 17, 37-42.
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