Here is a link to a recent article entitled "Is the Lecture Dead?" which provides what I consider to be one of the best statements about how lectures and and should be used effectively in the classroom. (I got the link from Jeff Lee's website and you MSCIers should be familiar with him, right?).
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/is-the-lecture-dead/272578/#.UQgzhpI63P8.facebook
Here are some of my favorite sections of this article-
To begin with, we lecturers must ask ourselves a basic question: why am I lecturing? What will I be able to get across to learners through a lecture that they could not get just as well and with less inconvenience by reading a book or working through an online learning module? The answer, in part, must be that the physical presence of the lecturer and the unfolding of the lecture in real time will make a difference for learners. Great lecturers not only inform learners, they also engage their imaginations and inspire them.
The core purpose of a great lecturer is not primarily to transmit information. To this end, other techniques, such as assigning a reading in a textbook or distributing an electronic copy of the notes, can be equally effective. The real purpose of a lecture is to show the mind and heart of the lecturer at work, and to engage the minds and hearts of learners. Is the lecturer enthusiastic about the topic? Why? Could I get enthused about this, too?
This leads to the issues that I am facing when teaching via distance. I think that I can provided the information that I would like you to know (if we can ever get all of you able to see the online textbook), but I think that distance course inherently lack "the magic" that can occur when motivated teachers and students meet face to face. As one of the commentors on the "Is the Lecture Dead? article stated, "a good lecture is like a dance between the teacher and students, but it is difficult to dance online (Don't worry- I promise you will never have to see me "dance" either in person or online!!!).
So here are some of the things that I try to get across to my students when I lecture about ecology.l
1. Ecology is cool!!! I am a self-admitted nature and science nerd. I can't think of a better way to have spent my life than to have been able to learn and tell other people cool things about nature and science. I worry that kids today do not have the experience playing around with nature that I had growing up as kids. Thus, I try to get them interested in learning more about nature, both in their own neighborhood and around the world.
2. An understanding of Ecology should help them in their real lives. Ecology is the science that will help us to understand the environmental issues facing us. I worry that we have not been very good stewards of our planet and that things will continue to get worse until we have the will and the knowledge to try to change things for the better.
Thus, where possible I will try to related things we are talking about to real life problems. Ideally, I would like to provide you with the information that you need to introduce these ideas to your students. I know that you are the experts in interacting with your students so I want to try to provide you with the best info possible so that you can translate that to your kids in the way that you think is most effective.
Please let me know how I can help you be better prepared to teach your students!!
Thanks for posting this article. I really enjoyed reading it.
ReplyDeleteFrom a students perspective I do believe that lectures are an important part of learning. The problem is whether or not you have a good or bad lecturer. Having an instructor who is enthusiastic about the material and educating their students makes all the difference. The reason I am pursuing a career in ecology has a lot to do with my undergrad Ecology instructor. The professor was excited about the subject matter and engaged her students during the lecture.
As a TA I can see how it is hard to keep your students engaged during the lectures. I believe that good lecturing is an art form, and just like most other aspects of life needs to be practiced in order to be great!
Thanks for your comments Lauren. Over time I have tried to use lectures to help engage, organize, and excite students. When the only purpose of the lecture is to pass on a lot of information then there are probably better ways to do things.
ReplyDeleteThe great think about teaching is that you are in the classroom every day so you get lots of chances to try out new approaches. The funny part is, every time that I think I have it all figured out I have a class that is a complete failure so I am back to the drawing board!
Five years ago, I was a online teacher for a capacity building course. My co-lecturers and I would have our own forum where we could share tips and best practices so we could use those in our virtual classroom. I think one of the challenges I faced was whenever I would pose a question after a comment placed by a student on a hyperlink, and they would misinterpret that question as being "too curt" when in fact I was simply asking a question. So after that incident, I decided to add some smileys or emoticons to convey what my emotions were. I think it's easy for people to misinterpret those questions and so they became a little too guarded. After using those emoticons, I think the class eased up a bit. I think I look back and that was a real eye opener. But don't worry Prof. McGinley, I think you're doing fine. As student, I also learn to ask the right questions that way I get my desired answer. (",)
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