How can I give my lectures and presentations more impact?
- Watch Susan Glaser's video on "Effective Lecturing." It is available through
TEP, and you can arrange to check it out via
email.
- Use visual images to describe your point -- a striking demonstration concerning
physics or a visual analogy to describe a poem.
- Use language that appeals to the senses: "This smells to me like the Pythagorean
Theorem!"
- Use many examples; they make lectures come alive. A vivid example
has far more impact than accumulated data.
For example: no matter what Consumer Reports tells you, if your uncle owns a lemon of a Volvo, you will be wary of Volvos for a long time.
- Figure out ways to make lectures interactive. Get students bumping into
each other to simulate particle diffusion, or have half of the class argue
for an issue and the other half argue against it.
- If there are a few points in the lecture that are crucial to understanding
the big picture, figure out how you are going to phrase the key concepts of
an entire lecture. It might not be necessary to memorize the words you will
use, but get familiar with the approach you will take.
- Begin with a simple story related to the topic of the day.
- Have outlines of your lecture available for your students either online or on reserve in the library. These do not need to be extensive, but should give students the structure of what you are going to present.
Address questions or comments about TEP or this site to:
Georgeanne Cooper, Program Director, 64 PLC
Phone: 541-346-2177 Fax: 541-346-2184
Teaching Effectiveness Program, Teaching and Learning Center, University of Oregon.
Last Modified:
01/26/10