Professor David Lines

Centre for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching

Objectives

• A rethinking of lecturing as a teaching form;

• Offer some ideas about making learning ‘active’;

• Re-consider the use of increasingly precious teaching time.

Do you understand what the term ‘constructivism’ means?

Point personal responder at the screen and

• Vote 1 for Yes;• 2 for No;• Add your level of confidence (machine is set

to medium)

Constructivism

• Essentially (but not uncontroversially) learner has to make his or her own sense of the information supplied.

• Teacher supplies ‘scaffold’ for learningi.e. provides support on which learning rests, rather than the learning itself (which the student has to construct internally).

Scaffolding

• Teacher has to build in Gardner’s notion of multiple intelligences, Ebbinghaus’ ‘curve of forgetting’, Tony Buzan’s mind maps, Shon etc in building the scaffold, hence:

• Case studies, role-plays, memory games and so on.

• Thus, learning (and the learner) becomes ‘active’.

What makes an ‘effective’ tutor or demonstrator?

Question:

In your experience, how can a tutor or demonstrator be most effective in helping you to learn?

In your experience, how can a tutor or demonstrator be most effective in helping you to learn?

1. Answers questions and explains work2. Relates lectures to the subject material3. Involves students and encourages

discussion4. Approachable, takes an interest in

students

5. Ensures understanding, uses good examples

Factors % (n=146)

4. Approachable, takes an interest in students 22.6

5. Ensures understanding, uses good examples 19.9

1. Answers questions and explains work 16.0

3. Involves students and encourages discussion12.3

2. Relates lectures to the subject material 7.5

Other 4.8Not answered 16.8

Total 100.0

Lecturing is:

“Someone talking and a lot of people listening.”

(A pre-university learner)

“A form of posturing in front of people anxious to maintain the illusion they are

still awake.”(A young lecturer)

“A talk by someone barely awake to others profoundly asleep.”

(Lecturer in surgery)

Lecturing is:

“Actions done by overpaid, out-of reach, arrogant, middle-class people living in a

world where only education exists.”

(A student who dropped out of higher education)

Lecturing is:

“An anachronistic form of teaching in which the teacher takes all the responsibility for deciding what the students are to learn, for preparing the content and for ‘delivering’ it – too frequently, badly. A magnificent learning experience for the lecturer (assuming he or she carefully thinks through what is to be taught and digests and organises it well) and at best of doubtful value to the learner in most respects – and in many instances an insult to the intelligence of students in higher education.”

(A professor from New Zealand)

What makes an ‘effective’ lecturer?

Question:

What is the most important factor that distinguishes an effective lecturer from an ineffective lecturer?

What is the most important factor that distinguishes an effective lecturer from an ineffective lecturer?

1. Clarity, organisation, focus, aids comprehension

2. Effective use of teaching technologies, notes and aids

3. Interesting content and presentation, maintains attention

4. Interested in and responds to students, enthusiasm

Factors % (n=146)

3. Interesting content and presentation, maintains attention 32.9

1. Clarity, organisation, focus, aids comprehension 21.2

4. Interested in and responds to students, enthusiasm 16.4

2. Effective use of teaching technologies, notes and aids 6.8

Other 2.1 Not answered 20.7

Total 100.00

What are the most important factors in effective learning?

Question:

Thinking of the subject in which you feel you are learning most, which of the following have been important or very important in allowing you to learn effectively?

Thinking of the subject in which you feel you are learning most, which of the following have been important or very important in allowing

you to learn effectively?

1. Teachings skills of the teacher(s) 2. Clearly explained subject objectives and

expectations3. Adequate guidance in how to carry out

assessment or practical tasks 4. Clear criteria for assessment or practical

tasks5. Easily accessible teachers 6. Enthusiasm of the teacher(s)

Factors % important % very (n=160) (n=160)

2. Clearly explained subject objectives and expectations 58.1 8.14. Clear criteria for assessment or practical tasks 55.0 6.33. Adequate guidance in how to carry out assessment or practical tasks 48.1 10.06. Enthusiasm of the teacher(s) 56.3 18.11. Teachings skills of the teacher(s) 61.3 18.15. Easily accessible teachers able and willing to help 46.3 8.1

Other 12.5 5.0

• On a post-it, put the subject/module title at the top and your school.

• Write down a subject topic that first year students find especially hard to understand.

• On another post-it, write down any generic skill that first year students have trouble with.

The challenges of an ‘active approach’ to lectures

• Re-thinking the structure and form of the lecture

• Non-linear• Transitions• Loss of ‘control’• Loss of time – implications

for topics that are difficult• Use of space• Use of technology

Minute Paper

Please answer each question in no more than one sentence:

1. What was the most useful or meaningful thing you learned in this session?

2. What question remains uppermost in your mind as we end this session?