Are we having fun yet? Developing interactive lectures and presentations. Jackson

Editor's Notes

• #6: Despite the advent of the VLE, there are still people doing face-to-face teaching! The pressure on F2F teaching is now greater than ever – eLearning has raised the bar We need to recognise the expectations of students that they be entertained as they are educated (whether we like this idea or not) There isn’t much in the Library press on the subject of lecturing Bit more in the general educational press Most of us in educational institutions have to do one at some point, so it seems an area overdue for discussion
• #8: These are ideas or examples drawn from experience to illustrate the idea of lecture-theatre interaction Not an exhaustive list – you may have your own tips or ideas which work for you
• #9: May be that you are going to do some lecturing Save yourself the hassle of developing purely didactic lectures If your contribution to Library induction is only in tours or visits, you could still bring interactive elements in Map drawing exercise Library bingo works with induction tours too!
• #10: Induction lectures usually take place early on – ‘in the ghetto’ Competing with other lectures and presentations, often with greater perceived importance or immediacy Early on in a course means student hasn’t had time to assimilate what they need to know and what they can come back to Only get one chance to make a first impression! (CLICK) Have to ensure that we don’t ruin any subsequent opportunities to lecture to students
• #13: Use of music, colour and images Use of appropriate humour or informality Degree of randomness, so questions must be designed to stand alone Degree of risk as it requires engagement from both sides
• #15: Student focused Based on genuine interaction rather than a didactic approach Sense of participation Revitalises the ‘information giving’ type of presentation which can be boring Relates the content of the information to the context in which it might be useful (‘Miguel’ question)
• #18: This is a technique based on a simple conceit – that of bingo or lotto – which is understood by most Use it to make audience think about their impressions of Libraries and what services/resources they expect from it Students asked to write down five things which they expect a Library to provide (give an example – ‘books’) A small prize is offered for the winner to hold the attention Ostensibly at random (but in an order you decide upon!) you put up slides for services/resources you offer (Photocopiers/Journals collection/Web access) Ensure the less-guessable services/resources come up first, to increase the tension! Make something common (e.g. journals/magazines) the last one Give brief explanations of each slide in turn When ‘house’ is called (and the fights over the prize die down), you can ask students to flag up things on their lists which haven’t been mentioned Gives you a chance to say ‘yes we do that’ … …or to explain why the Library doesn’t provide the service or resource!
• #21: I was sceptical about how this could work until I saw it done at eLit a few years ago Simple breakaways to discuss Return and share with the rest of the audience Can be fact-based (referencing) or opinion/anecdotal (Impressions of libraries) Must be clear tasks, prefaced by an explanation of why we are doing it and used to move the lecture on Examples – working in pairs for 2 minutes When did you last use a Library? What was the reason for your visit? What were your impressions of it?
• #23: Just like ‘Ask The Audience’ – a familiar format which shouldn’t require explaining Many systems - Turning Point, Powervote etc Can be used to engage audiences, particularly in structured discussions or to check understanding Summative exercise? Referencing techniques? Instant response and therefore feedback Use for in-class evaluations? Guaranteed 100% response!
• #26: Key concepts to consider:- Interested student Seeking meaning Formation of ideas/opinions Our role in using interactive techniques is primarily to create an environment where learning can take place Interaction is the key to engagement…you expect something of the audience – they are required to engage! Motivation to understand – work with academics to make Library/Info Lit skills a measurable component dangle carrots, e.g. better marks, promise them 10%!
• #28: Biggs states ‘expository lecture is endemic in large classes…not because it is the most appropriate way…but because many will see it as the only way’ Webb & Powis ‘learners will be happy to coast through a lecture as it is a familiar and non-threatening experience for most of them. Try to challenge them and the format’ Various theories of interaction in education support the idea that students will gain more through participation in the process rather than as simple recipients
• #29: Silence – students may be used to a more passive style of learning, or they may be self-conscious Loss of focus – the medium is NOT the message…content is still king Interaction is a device under your control, not to ingratiate yourself with students Loss of control – you must manage the interactions…settling the audience after group segments is crucial Requires particular skills – you have to be confident in dealing with interactions being in the spotlight Handling unexpected interactions – you have empowered the students to participate!
• #30: A line from The Office ‘I’m a friend first and a boss second. Probably an entertainer third’ – ugh! We are not there primarily to entertain, but to educate. We use humour or cultural references only to focus or enhance the educational content If you’re not comfortable with this, don’t even attempt it
• #32: Not a lot of research on the Cephalonian Method Morgan & Davies Tracy Marshall (Loughborough) On general techniques MMU (Jones, Peters & Shields) Webb & Powis (the bible!) Unfamiliarity with Cephalonian style – first time used not even observed others using it! Only one chance of doing it with the ‘control group’ – couldn’t afford to make a mess of it Not a comparison with a traditional ‘vanilla flavoured’ lecture as the ‘other’ lecture was also a little innovative in nature