presentation method of teaching lecture

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Lecturing with style.

"Lectures can not carry the major responsibility for conveying information; readings should do that."

• When Should I use the Lecture Method?
• Building a Lecture that Really Works
• Presentation Tips

When to use lecture vs. other strategies

There are three main reasons to use the lecture format:.

• to transmit information,
• to create interest (and to motivate students),
• to promote understanding (affect).

Lectures are preferred when:

• the background information is not available or accessible to the students
• the facts or problems are conflicting or confusing in nature
• the experience of speaker will contribute to clarification of the issues
• time is of the essence
• a change of pace is needed
• the best way to understand a topic is through oral presentation

To determine if you need to lecture vs. another instructional strategy, consider:

What are you trying to do.

• Expedient transmission of facts? The lecture format is good, but delays feedback.
• Discussion allows feedback and the checking of knowledge, but the rate of transmission is slow.
• Lecture/demonstration is superior in tests of specific information.
• Discussion is superior on measures of problem-solving and scientific methods.
• Mini-lectures (5-15 minutes) can be used to establish context or a setting for role playing.

The Best Lectures:

• impart new information,
• explain, clarify, and organize difficult concepts,
• model a creative mind at work or the problem-solving process,
• analyze and show relationships among seemingly dissimilar ideas,
• inspire a reverence for learning,
• challenge beliefs and habits of thinking,
• breed enthusiasm and motivation for further study.

Disadvantages of the lecture method:

• In its purest form , it is a passive method of learning.
• Usually doesn't allow the opportunity for students to ask questions.
• Attempts to transfer the same content at the same pace. How can students distinguish what is most important?
• Provides one teacher's interpretation of the subject matter.

Advantages of the lecture method:

• It's good to introduce a new subject or focus on a content area
• Can be used to put the subject into its context
• Can present material that is not yet available in print or books
• Is efficient (in transmission, not necessarily learning)

Back            

Building a lecture that really works

• Focus on a single topic--know what your objectives for the lecture are. What three to five things do you want your students to come away from the lecture with?
• Synchronize slides (and images) to go with your verbal presentation. Select graphics that represent the ideas, concepts or words.
• Know your lecture style and what you're comfortable with.

Different ways to organize lectures

• Classical-typical outline format (works well when you want to transmit information)
• Problem-centered-problem posed (offer solutions with advantages and disadvantages) (works best to create an interest in the content)
• Sequential-extended argument or chain of reasoning that leads to a conclusion (works well to promote understanding of a subject)
• Comparative-comparison
• Thesis-argument or assertion made and justified

Back         

Teaching Lecture Tips

• Put a brief outline of the lecture on the blackboard or overhead transparency before you begin.
• Use examples to allow students to think about other examples that may be relevant to their experience.
• Look at the class.
• Speak loud enough for the entire class to hear.
• Vary your tone of voice.
• Be enthusiastic!
• Start with a problem and interweave evidence and examples to lead to a conclusion.
• Be organized!
• Speak loudly and clearly, change tone, use pauses. Don't be afraid of a few seconds of silence.
• Explain, recap, repeat and summarize main points and relate main points to current examples and applications.
• Invite questions and ask questions. Encourage participation, involve the group.
• Don't try to cover everything or give too much factual information.
• Keep track of the time and pace your material
• Don't talk when you're writing or facing away from your audience.
• Don't read your notes.
• Stress key words and pause for emphasis.
• Notice your non-verbal behavior as well.

The Nuts and Bolts

• Outline a clear purpose and objectives for the lecture: Write them down and mention them!
• Attract attention relay an anecdote, pose a dilemma, ask a question, relate a humorous experience, refer to a context-related quote, introduce contradictory facts or opinions.
• Establish any ground rules: are questions in the middle okay, or should students wait until the end?
• Include a structure. Cover 3-5 concepts or ideas, provide advance organizers (relay what is coming and why it might be important), provide students with an agenda. Structure the lecture so that it flows from one point to another (opening, body [content], closing).
• Summarize and highlight the main points.
• Conclude with the key points and relate to the future--what should students do with the information from today?

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Teaching Resources

Teaching with Lectures

Resource overview.

Detailed strategies for creating engaging lectures.

The lecture can be an immensely effective tool in the classroom, allowing an instructor to provide an overarching theme that organizes the material in an illuminating and interesting way. The instructor must take care, however, to shape the lecture for the specific audience of students who will hear it and to encourage those students to take an active and immediate part in learning the material. It is essential to see lectures as a means of helping students learn to think about the key concepts of a particular subject, rather than primarily as a means of transferring knowledge from instructor to student.

Create a comfortable, non-threatening environment.  Introduce yourself and explain your interests in the topic on the first day. Encourage questions from the outset. For example, require each student to submit a question about the course during the first day or week. Students can submit these questions via an online discussion forum; this assignment can also serve as a way for you to ensure that they have each figured out how to log on to a discussion forum that you are using throughout the course.

Incorporate visuals.  The human brain has independent processing streams for visual and verbal information (Baddely, 1992). Research has shown that dual-channel processing is better than single channel, or that learning can be improved when instruction includes both visual and verbal information (Mayer, 2005). Incorporating visuals into your lecture can help your students learn. However, make sure that each visual has a clear purpose, and design your visuals carefully. For example, reduce or eliminate extraneous information, highlight key phrases or ideas, and place keywords in close proximity to the graphics they describe. Each of these strategies can enhance learning when using visuals (Mayer, 2008).

Reset the “attention clock”: Include opportunities for active learning.  Most university classes last 50-90 minutes, much longer than the attention span of a typical student. Sustained attention varies widely, and the quality of attention depends on several factors, including time of day (DeYoung et al., 2007; May et al., 1993), motivation and enjoyment (Freitas and Higgins, 2002), and emotion (Reisberg and Heurer, 2004). However, active-learning activities may “reset” your students’ “attention clocks.” A recent study of student attention (Bunce et al. 2010) found that students reported fewer attention lapses when instructors were using active-learning methods (a demonstration or a question) compared to those reported during lecture segments. The researchers also found that there were fewer reported lapses in attention during lecture segments in the period immediately following active-learning methods, when compared to lecture segments that preceded these methods. This finding hints at the possibility that active learning may have dual benefits: engaging student attention during the segments when faculty use these methods and “refreshing” attention immediately afterward. (For more information about this study, see our review article on student attention.)

Organize the lecture like a good speech, with a clear structure and “signposts” marking key points and transitions.  As Barbara Gross Davis suggests, you should “prepare your lecture for the ear, not the eye” (104). Use short, straightforward sentences and informal diction. Include transitions and “signposts” that will help your students follow the sequence of your lecture. Plan to summarize and ask questions at several points throughout the lecture to help ensure that students have grasped key concepts. The lecture should have a clear structure, with a beginning, middle, and end. It should relate back to the previous lecture. The lecture should have an overarching theme or objective that fits the course as a whole.

Prepare notes that will serve as a “road map” rather than a script to be read verbatim.  Notes that are too comprehensive will take your attention away from the students. Instead, write down key concepts and examples, including any essential details such as formulas, dates, or other information. Use color and other cues to mark those points that are most important and to signal when you will use the board or other aids. Experiment with different formats until you find one that works for you. Include notes of moments when you will pause for questions or ask students to solve a problem applying the concept you have just presented.

If you are a professor who is working with course assistants, communicate with the assistants to instructors frequently to ensure coherence between lectures and course assistant-facilitated sessions such as discussion sessions, recitations, and office hours.  It is essential that assistants to instructors understand your expectations of their roles in assisting with the teaching of the course. Consider defining clear objectives for the time that they spend with students in discussions, recitations, and office hours. Speak with them often about how to use this time to help students learn the material and about any problems that develop. Ask assistants to instructors to share their impressions of where students are getting lost or otherwise struggling with the material; students may be more likely to ask an assistant to the instructor for help if they are hesitant about approaching a faculty member.

Review and practice the lecture before class begins.  After writing the lecture, leave at least 30 minutes before your class to organize your thoughts and gather any material you need. Practicing the lecture will help you identify points where you will want to slow the pace, pause, or offer a summary or a question. If you plan to use audiovisual aids or instructional technology, do so with care and preparation.

Use audiovisual aids and instructional technology only when doing so contributes to student learning. Seek out any training you need to master the use of equipment and technology. Seek out advice from The Center for Teaching and Learning and your colleagues on why and how you might integrate technology with more traditional tools to improve student learning. Practice using these tools so that you can integrate their use smoothly into the lecture. If you are using PowerPoint, be careful to limit the amount of information you include on each slide so that your lecture, rather than the PowerPoint, is the focus. If you are teaching in a University-managed classroom, you may call us at 935-6810 to schedule a multimedia training session.

During the Lecture

Interact with your students.  Arrive to class early, especially on the first day, and greet students who are already in the room. Students will feel more comfortable asking you questions and will feel more engaged in the topic of the course if they have an opportunity to interact with you in this way. If time does not permit for students to approach you for questions before or after the lecture, encourage them to see you during office hours. The more an instructor interacts with the students during a lecture, the more active the learning will be. The judicious use of questions throughout a class session can move the lecture forward, engage the students, increase the use of higher-order thinking processes, and make the lecture more interesting.

Provide students a clear sense of the day’s topics and their relation to the course as a whole.  Write an outline on the board before class begins. This strategy will help students organize the material you are presenting. An outline can also help students when they are studying to identify ideas and connections that they did not grasp during the lecture itself. Take time at the beginning of class to connect the day’s ideas, concepts, or problems to material that you presented in the previous class and to the overarching themes of the course.

Show passion for the subject.  Tell students what you find fascinating about what you are teaching. If you are teaching a course that you have taught many times, recall what is interesting about the subject to someone learning about it for the first time. Find new applications and examples that will enable you to communicate why the topic should be studied and understood.

Focus on communicating with your audience: speak clearly, so that all students can hear you.  Project your voice. When lecturing in a large room, use a microphone. Ask students to tell you if they cannot hear you; some may feel too intimidated to speak up unless you ask. Speak with an animated tone, but more slowly than you would in an informal conversation. (See  Improving Presentation Style ).

Use gestures, eye contact and movement around the room to engage student attention. Make eye contact with students in all areas of the room, not just with those students who routinely answer your questions or otherwise appear engaged.

When asking questions, do not be afraid of silence.  Give students 5-10 seconds to think and formulate a response. If 10-15 seconds pass without anyone volunteering an answer and the students are giving you puzzled looks, rephrase your question. Do not give in to the temptation to answer your own questions, which will condition students to hesitate before answering to see if you will supply “the answer.” Patience is key; do not be afraid of silence. The longer you wait for students to respond, the more thoughtful and complex their responses are likely to be.

Demonstrate respect for, and interest in, student ideas and questions.  Make it clear that you are interested in what and how students are thinking about the material. Show that you value their questions and insights by referring back to these responses later in the lecture or on a subsequent day. This strategy is especially important in a large group. It is common for students to be very sensitive to an instructor’s reaction.

After the Lecture

Rethink, retool, revise.  Each time you deliver a lecture, you learn something about how best to present the material. Jot down brief notes on how each lecture went and use these as the basis for improving your presentation skills, rethinking the material included, rewriting the lecture, or developing ideas for future teaching and research projects. Include these notes with your lecture notes so that they are readily accessible the next time you teach the course.

Speak with your colleagues about their approaches and ideas. Stay abreast of new scholarship on teaching and teaching with technology. Arrange to have one of your classes observed or videotaped so that an observer can help you evaluate what went well and what you can do to improve student learning. To schedule a class observation or videotaping, contact us at 935-6810.

Lectures are the major teaching method employed in many academic departments and schools. As you reflect on how best to prepare and deliver lectures, keep in mind that a primary goal should be to foster critical thinking and active learning.

Baddeley, A. (1992). Working memory. Science, 255, 556-559.

Bonwell, Charles C. and Eison, James A. “Active Learning: Creating Excitement in the Classroom.” National Teaching and Learning Forum. ERIC Clearinghouse on Higher Education.  https://www.asec.purdue.edu/lct/HBCU/documents/Active_Learning_Creating_Excitement_in_the_Classroom.pdf

Bunce, D. M., Flens, E A., & Neiles, K. Y. (2010). How long can students pay attention in class? A study of student attention decline using clickers. Journal of Chemical Education, 87, 1438-1443.

Davis, Barbara Gross. “Preparing to Teach the Large Lecture Course.” Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 1993.

Davis, Barbara Gross. “Delivering a Lecture.” Tools for Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 1993.

DeYoung, C. G., Hasher, L., Djikic, M., Criger, B., & Peterson, J. B. (2007). Morning people are stable people: Circadian rhythm and the higher-order factors of the Big Five. Personality and Individual Differences, 43(2), 267-276.

Freitas, A. L., & Higgins, E. T. (2002). Enjoying Goal-Directed Action: The Role of Regulatory Fit. Psychological Science, 13(1), 1-6.

May, C. P., Hasher, L., & Stoltzfus, E. R. (1993). Optimal Time of Day and the Magnitude of Age Differences in Memory. Psychological Science, 4(5), 326-330.

Mayer, R. E. (2005). Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning. In R. E. Mayer, & R. E. Mayer (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of multimedia learning. (pp. 31-48). New York, NY US: Cambridge University Press.

Mayer, R. E. (2008). Applying the science of learning: Evidence-based principles for the design of multimedia instruction. American Psychologist, 63(8), 760-769.

McKeachie, Wilbert, et al. McKeachie’s Teaching Tips: Strategies, Research, and Theory for College and University Teachers. 12th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2005.

Reisberg, D., & Heuer, F. (2004). Memory for Emotional Events. In D. Reisberg, & P. Hertel (Eds.), Memory and emotion. (pp. 3-41). New York, NY US: Oxford University Press.

Have suggestions?

If you have suggestions of resources we might add to these pages, please contact us:

[email protected] (314) 935-6810 Mon - Fri, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

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Center for Teaching and Learning

• Teaching Strategies

Making Lectures More Active

The lecture is a long-standing method of instruction that, while appropriate to some learning situations, is not ideal in others. On this page you will find information about the strengths and weaknesses of lecturing, as well as active learning techniques that you can easily use to engage students during a lecture. For more detailed information on active learning strategies, models, and research, consult our companion bibliography Resources on Active Learning .

Lectures are good for:

• Lecturing is a great way to fill the gap between current research and what’s already published.
• A summary lecture is not an attempt to water-down course content. Instead, the goal should be to provide a lens through which students can understand the greater whole.
• A good lecture should indicate how course content fits, here and now, with the background and interests of your particular group of students.
• This approach helps learners identify what matters and what is less important. These sorts of lectures can be short and simply review the key points to give form and context to a student discussion or activity.
• If (and only if) a speaker or teacher is highly passionate about a topic that is relatively new to an audience, then a lecture can be a great way to spark the interest of and motivate that audience. For example, think about a good keynote or introductory presentation you’ve seen at a conference.

Lectures are not good for:

• Simulating higher-order thinking
• Engaging learners
• Developing learners’ skills
• Exploring student attitudes or values

Tips for Making Your Lectures More Active :

Ask Students What They Know or Think about Class Content

• Background Knowledge Probe. Administer a short, simple questionnaire at the beginning of a course, at the start of a new unit or lesson, or prior to introducing an important new topic. For students, it highlights key information to be studied, offering a preview of material to come and/or a review of prior knowledge. For instructors, it helps determine the best starting point and the most appropriate level for a lesson.
• Classroom Opinion Poll . Use clickers or signs to have students give their opinions on an issue or question.
• Focused listing . This activity helps determine what learners recall about a specific topic, including concepts they associate with a central point. It can be used before, during or after a lesson. Students write key word at the top of a page. For 2 – 3 minutes, they jot down related terms important to the understanding of that topic. They then pair up with peer, sharing lists and explanations of why concepts were included. This will build their knowledge base and clarify their understanding of the topic.

Learn about Your Students

• Interest/Knowledge/Skills Checklists. Create checklists of topics covered in your course and skills strengthened by or required for succeeding in those courses. Students rate their interest in the various topics, and assess their levels of skill or knowledge in those topics, by indicating the appropriate responses on the checklist.
• Goal Ranking and Matching. Ask students to list a few learning goals they hope to achieve through the course and to rank the relative importance of those goals. If time and interest allow, students can also estimate the relative difficulty of achieving their learning goals. The instructor then collects student lists and matches them against his or her own course goals.
• Course Related Self-Confidence Survey. Individuals who are generally self-confident may lack confidence in their abilities or skills in a specific context – for example, in their quantitative skills or their ability to speak in public. Use a survey to get a rough measure of students’ self-confidence in relation to a specific skill or ability.
• Self-Assessment of Ways They Learn. Ask students to describe their general approaches to learning by comparing themselves with several different profiles and choosing those that most closely resemble them. Because there are a number of ways to describe ways of learning, faculty choose their own sets of profiles to use in assessing students.

Prompt Students to Talk About Course Content with Other Students

• Think-Pair-Share. Pose a question, allow students to jot their responses. Then students pair up and share what they wrote. A whole group discussion can follow.
• Active Knowledge Sharing. Provide a list of questions pertaining to the subject matter you will be teaching. Ask students to answer the questions as well as they can. Then invite them to mill around the room, finding others who can answer questions they do not know how to answer. Encourage students to help each other.

Provide Organizational Prompts

• Empty Outline. Provide students with an empty or partially completed outline of an in-class presentation or homework assignment and give them a limited amount of time to fill in the blank spaces.
• P-M-I . Prepare a table with three columns, with the headings “Plusses,” “Minuses,” and “Interesting Points.” Students use the table to critique a particular topic, concept, or idea.
• Categorizing Grid . Students are presented with a grid containing two or three important categories, superordinate concepts they have been studying, along with a scrambled list of subordinate terms, images, equations, or other items that belong in one or another of those categories. Learners are then given a very limited time to sort the subordinate terms into the correct categories on the grid.
• Memory Matrix . This is a two-dimensional diagram, a rectangle divided into rows and columns used to organize information and illustrate relationships. In a Memory Matrix, the row and column headings are given, but the cells are left empty. When students fill in the blank cells of the Memory Matrix, they provide feedback that can be quickly scanned and easily analyzed.
• Pro and Con Grid . Ask students to jot down quick lists of pros and cons related to a topic.
• Defining Features Matrix . This requires students to categorize concepts according to the presence (+) or absence (-) of important defining features, thereby providing data on their analytic reading and thinking skills.

Have Students Apply or Restate Content

• Applications Cards. After students have read or heard about an important principle, generalization, theory, or procedure, hand out an index card and ask students to write down at least one possible, real-world application for what they have just learned.
• Directed Paraphrasing. Ask students to paraphrase part of a lesson for a specific audience and purpose, using their own words.
• One Sentence Summaries. At the end of the discussion, have students summarize the overall concepts in a one-sentence format: Who did what to/for whom, when, where, how, and why?

Find out What Students are Learning

• Minute Paper. The most common format asks students to recall and self-assess their understanding. Ask a question like “What was the most important thing you learned today?”
• Muddiest Point. A variation of the minute paper, asking for feedback about where students are still confused. Ask a question such as “What questions remain uppermost in your mind as we conclude this class session?”

The Top Ten Guidelines for Lecturing

• Remember that lecturing is not well suited for higher levels of learning.
• Decide what you want the students to know and be able to do as a result of the lecture.
• Outline your lecture and share that outline with students. 
• Choose relevant, concrete examples.
• Find out about the students, their backgrounds, and their goals.
• Permit students to stop you to ask questions, make comments, or ask for review.
• Intersperse periodic summaries.
• Start with a question, problem, or current event.
• Watch the students. If you think they don’t understand you, stop and ask them questions.
• Use active learning techniques.

Angelo, T.A . & Cross, P.K. (1993). Classroom assessment techniques: A handbook for college teachers. (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.

Bligh, D.A. (2000). What's the use of lectures? San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Clark, D. (2010). Bloom’s taxonomy of learning domains.

Cashin, W.E. (2010). Effective lecturing. Idea Paper #46

Davis, B. G. (2009). Tools for teaching. 2nd. Ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Dubbin, R. & Taveggia, T.C. (1968). The teaching - learning paradox: a comparative analysis of college teaching methods . Center for the Advanced Study of Educational Administration.

Heppner, F.H. (2007). Teaching the large college class: A guidebook for instructors with multitudes. San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass.

MacGregor, J. (2000). Strategies for energizing large classes: From small groups to learning communities. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

McKeachie, W.J., et al. (1987). Teaching and learning in the college classroom. A review of the research literature.   Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan.

Schonwetter, D. J. (1993). Attributes of effective lecturing in the college classroom. Canadian Journal of Higher Education , 23 (2), 1-18.

Silberman, M. L. (1996). Active learning: 101 strategies to teach any subject. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Smith, K., et al. (2005). Pedagogies of engagement: Classroom-based practices. Journal of Engineering Education, 94 (1), 87-101.

Revised by James Gregory (January, 2016) Revised by Terri Tarr (October, 2011) Authored by Peg Weissinger (February, 2003)

Helpful Links

• Active Learning Articles from  Faculty Focus
• Active Learning in Higher Education (Journal)
• Building Student Engagement: 15 Strategies for the College Classroom from  Faculty Focus
• Why Magic Bullets Don't Work

Related Guides

• Classroom Assessment Techniques (CATs)
• First Day of Class
• Guiding Successful Group Learning
• Handling Disruptive Student Behavior
• Resources on Active Learning
• Using Clickers in the Classroom
• Using Ice Breakers

Recommended Books

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Effective PowerPoint

PowerPoint is common in college classrooms, yet slide technology is not more effective for student learning than other styles of lecture (Levasseur & Sawyer, 2006). While research indicates which practices support learning and clarifies students’ attitudes toward PowerPoint, effective PowerPoint is not an exact science; few rules can be applied universally. Instructors should consider their audience and their pedagogical goals.

What Students Think

Although students do not necessarily learn more when PowerPoint is used, students prefer slide technology and think they learn better from it (Suskind, 2005). Students also rate instructors who use PowerPoint more highly. One study found about a six percent bump in student ratings of instructors who use PowerPoint over those who don’t (Apperson et al., 2006). Students indicate that what they like most about PowerPoint is that it organizes information, keeps them interested, and helps “visual learners” (Hill et al., 2012). They also, however, critique PowerPoint when slides have too many words, irrelevant clip art, unnecessary movement or animations, and too many colors (Vanderbilt University).

Research-Supported Methods

Like all teaching methods, the use of PowerPoint requires that teachers consider and make use of students’ need for variety. If used as one tool among many, lecturing with PowerPoint adds variety to a course, possibly minimizing student distractions (Bunce et al, 2010).

Minimal Text

In the interest of variety, PowerPoint lectures should not be excessively long, but the number of slides used in lectures has no direct impact on teaching effectiveness. However, the amount of text  per slide  is consequential. One study found that slides containing  three or fewer bullet points  and  twenty or fewer words  were more effective than slides with higher density (Brock, et al., 2011). Less text on each slide also reduces the amount of simultaneous delivery of material in text and speech, that is, presenters reading out loud the text on the slide, which is an additional barrier to comprehension. Studies show that audiences comprehend less when the same material is simultaneously delivered by text and speech and that for many settings, audio-only delivery of text is more effective.

This process is explained by the  cognitive load theory , which states that since working memory is limited and each form of presentation of new material (written text, audio instruction, visual diagram, etc.) requires its own allotment of working memory to process, the amount of working memory available for learning is hindered by unnecessary redundancies in presentation. These effects are more pronounced when multiple presentations of information are processed in the same cognitive domain—such as audio instructions and visual text, both processed in the language domain, known as the “phonological loop” (Kalyuga et al., 2004).

Assertion-Evidence Method

The traditional use of PowerPoint, determined mostly by software programming defaults, involves crafting slides with a topic, question, or theme in the upper banner, followed by text bullet points in the body of the slide. A more effective way to present material is with the  Assertion-Evidence   Method  (see graphic), in which the top banner makes an assertion, written in sentence form (think of crafting the assertion in the style of a newspaper headline). The body of the slide then contains visual evidence of the assertion—if possible, in the form of a simple chart, but pictures and brief text can also serve as evidence. This method has been linked with better understanding and long-term retention (Garner & Alley, 2013).

Traditional Topic and Bullet-Point Method

Practical Tips

The research above—as well as research about learning in general—encourages certain practices when using PowerPoint:

• For variety, use the hyperlink or embed features of PowerPoint to incorporate audio or video media.
• To reduce cognitive load, blank out the projector when answering a question or dealing with an issue not directly related to the slide.
• Also to reduce cognitive load, don’t talk while students are writing. If you have minimal text, the instructor should be able—without much disruption in the flow of oration—to display the text and let students silently read before proceeding to elaborate.
• To encourage  interactive learning , incorporate questions into PowerPoint presentations. These can be used for discussion, pause-and-ponder, brief writing exercises, etc.

Apperson, J., Laws, E., & Scepansky, J. (2006). The impact of presentation graphics on students’ experience in the classroom.  Computers & Education 47 , 116-126.

Brock, S. Joglekar, Y., & Cohen, E. (2011). Empowering PowerPoint: Slides and teaching effectiveness.  Interdisciplinary Journal of Information, Knowledge & Management, 6 , 85-94.

Bunce, D. M., Flens, E. A., & Neiles, K. Y. (2010). How long can students pay attention in class? A study of student attention using clickers.  Journal of Chemical Education ,  87 (12, 1438-1443.

Garner, J. K., & Alley, M. P (2013). How the design of presentation slides affects audience comprehension: A case for the assertion-evidence approach.  International Journal of Engineering Education, 29 (6), 1564-1579.

Hill, A., Arford, T., Lubitow, A., & Smollin, L. M. (2012). “I’m ambivalent about it”: The dilemmas of PowerPoint.  Teaching Sociology, 40 (3), 242-256.

Kalyuga, S., Chandler, P., & Sweller, J. (2004). When redundant on-screen text in multimedia technical instruction can interfere with learning.  Human Factors, 46 (3), 567-581.

Levasseur, D. G., & Sawyer, J. K. (2006). Pedagogy meets PowerPoint: A research review of the effects of computer-generated slides in the classroom.  The Review of Communication, 6 (1/2), 101-123.

Making better PowerPoint presentations (n.d.). Vanderbilt University, Center for Teaching (webpage). Retrieved from  https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/making-better-powerpoint-presentations/ .

Suskind, J. E. (2005). PowerPoint’s power in the classroom: Enhancing students’ self-efficacy and attitudes.  Computers & Education, 45 (2), 203-215.

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The Ultimate Guide to Effective Teacher Presentations: Strategies & Tips

Dianne Adlawan

Teachers, by nature, are considered professional presenters. Their main responsibility is to talk in front of their students to relay educational knowledge, sharpen their minds and skills, and even serve as a second guide alongside their parents. They also speak in front of parents, co-teachers, and school administrators. This just means that preparing for a presentation is already not new to them.

Still, teachers can become so comfortable with their presentation routine that their techniques turn into autopilot. The result of a repetitive task can become tiring and not challenging anymore which may result in students losing interest or attention span in the process.

The tips featured in this article are dedicated to these hard-working professionals. This will help them prepare and perform a better presentation in front of any type of audience.

Why You Should Prepare for a Presentation

• Preparation helps you build to structure your thoughts to create a well-organized presentation. By taking the time to prepare, you can decide what information is most important, plan the flow of the presentation, and make sure that everything is connected and easy to follow.
• Second, it allows you to think ahead of the questions that your audience might ask. Especially if you’re giving a presentation to a group of various audiences, who are curious about the topic at hand. By preparing in advance, you’ll be able to answer any questions they may have, which will not only increase their understanding but also boost your credibility as a teacher.
• Lastly, preparation helps you make the most of your time. Advanced preparation ahead of the presentation can ensure that you’re not wasting time trying to organize your thoughts at the last minute.

Effects of an Organized and Well-Planned Presentation

An audience engages with a speaker who knows their words and poses a confident attitude. While the projector may display clear and concise slides, the presenter is the main ingredient to every presentation.

For teachers, a well-planned lesson presentation helps the teacher maintain the attention and interest of their students, which is crucial for effective learning. Additionally, being organized and prepared will help teachers convey their ideas more effectively and it will help the teacher to feel more confident, which also impacts their teaching and in turn can help to build trust and rapport with their students.

Possible Outcomes of An Unprepared Presentation

Let’s suppose you haven’t allocated enough time to plan and prepare for an important presentation. What could be the potential outcomes?

• Increased Stress and Anxiety: Lack of preparation can lead to increased anxiety and stress, which can not only hinder your ability to deliver a convincing presentation but also hurt your mental health and work balance. It can cause a “mental block,” causing you to lose focus and concentration during your delivery.
• Poor Presentation Delivery: Without proper preparation, your presentation can appear scattered and disjointed. This can lead to an incoherent message that fails to convince your audience.
• Diminished credibility: Delivering an unprepared presentation can harm your reputation as a professional. It can portray you as disorganized and unreliable which could lead your colleagues or students to question your competence and reliability.

Effective Visual and Content Organization Tips

Consider this as the first stage towards an effective teacher presentation. Before moving on to improving your verbal communication cues, let’s enhance first your presentation visuals and content.

Visual Tips

1. add powerpoint animations and different media.

Establishing an attractive slideshow is one of the keys to a successful presentation. This will put a good impression on your audience that you’re prepared just by seeing how well-designed your presentation is. Of course, images add to slideshow attraction, but consider adding another forms of media such as GIFs and videos, as well as animations! Microsoft PowerPoint has a lot of fun & captivating features that you may not be aware of. Check out this example of an easy yet appealing Slide Zoom trick in PowerPoint that you can add to your presentation to wow your audience.

@classpoint.io Did someone say FREE??? Yes, we did. Here are free websites to help you upgrade your next PowerPoint presentation! 😎 #powerpoint #presentation #design #studytok #edutok #tutorial #tipsandtricks #ai ♬ original sound – r & m <33

Read Next: Make Your Presentations POP With This PowerPoint Animation Template

2. Use Readable Font Styles

Make sure to use the best font style that makes your presentation look sleek, readable, and won’t strain your audience’s eyes while reading. We all want to use a fancy font, trust me, I get it. But most of the time, simplicity is beauty, especially if you’re presenting a professional-looking slideshow. Font styles such as Poppins, Tahoma, Verdana, Montserrat, and Helvetica are great examples of font styles that screams simple yet professional to look at.

On the other hand, font styles such as Bradley Hand, Comic Sans, and Chiller are not ideal choices as they are not meant to captivate your audience’s eyes. And another tip is to stick to two or three fonts only!

3. Use Relevant Graphics

Selecting graphics for designing your presentation depends on your audience and the goals you aim to achieve with the presentation. For example, if you are presenting in front of students and your goal is to keep them engaged, motivated, and actively participating, then you might consider incorporating charts, tables, and relevant shapes into your design.

It’s important to remember that your presentation design should align with the theme of your topic.

Free Websites to Upgrade your Presentation Graphics:

• Craiyon. com
• The Noun Project

4. Use Audience Engagement tools to Activate Learning

Want the quickest solution to an engaged audience? Well, it’s audience interactive activities! Adding interactive activities to your presentation can help keep your audience engaged and interested. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use ClassPoint, an audience engagement tool added right into PowerPoint presentations.

With ClassPoint, you no longer need to worry about strategies to keep your students engaged, as this tool transforms PowerPoint into a teacher presentation tool with a teacher toolbelt and student quizzes , polls, and games that make presentations more fun & engaging.

By combining ClassPoint with your presentation techniques, you can focus solely on setting up your lesson content in PowerPoint and allow ClassPoint to handle the rest for achieving a learning-activated presentation lesson .

🔍 Learn more about ClassPoint, the teacher add-in for better lessons & student engagement 👍

5. Use a Laser Pointer

Help focus your audience attention by using a laser pointer!

With the help of a laser pointer device, teachers are able to attract the attention of their audiences and concentrate on essential points in their presentations. Highlighting these main ideas and terms assists the speaker in organizing their speech, preventing distraction, and increasing retention of the information presented.

You can use a physical laser pointer & clicker, or with the addition of ClassPoint into PowerPoint, presenters can easily turn their cursor into a laser or a spotlight . This can make it even easier for students to follow along and is a convenient tool for creating a more captivating teacher presentation.

Secret tip: if you write on your slide with the laser, it will leave disappearing ink! 🪄

Content Tips

1. research and fact-check your presentation.

As educators, it is crucial to equip ourselves with reliable and accurate information before presenting to our students. We have a responsibility to not only educate them but to also mold them into critical thinkers who are equipped with factual knowledge. Without thorough fact-checking, we risk disseminating misinformation and hindering their intellectual growth.

To avoid such situations, we must prioritize research and fact-checking before presenting any information. Conducting research helps us not only in finding accurate information but also in ensuring that the sources we use are reliable and credible. Moreover, taking the time to fact-check demonstrates our commitment to providing students with high-quality education and the desire to create a safe and accurate learning environment.

2. Be Prepared to Anticipate Questions during the Presentation

It is important to be well-prepared for a presentation especially anticipating and addressing questions. This applies particularly to a teacher presentation, as educators face varied expectations and questions. Adequate preparation allows you to organize ideas and justifications, and it can deepen understanding, boost confidence, and improve adaptability. Addressing questions, makes your audiences feel heard and appreciated. This will result in comprehensive presentations, enhanced confidence, improved information flow, and an atmosphere of respect and understanding.

A great & visual way you can elaborate, or explain your material in new ways, is by using ClassPoint’s whiteboard tools added to PowerPoint. ClassPoint’s added toolbar presents teachers with unlimited whiteboard slides they can open whenever they need, and user-friendly yet comprehensive pen tools with available shapes, and text boxes. Plus you can also use ClassPoint’s quick poll or other question types to assess students’ understanding with hard data & insights.

Addressing questions well makes your audience or students feel heard & appreciated leading to improved learning, enhanced confidence, and a respectful, safe learning environment.

3. Provide an Outline Structure of your Content

When you are preparing your presentation, it is best to first create an effective outline structure that will guide your presentation flow and help you focus on the main learning objective. But what you may not be doing, is offering that outline structure to your students, but you should!

Providing students with a clear understanding of what this lesson is about, the structure of the lesson, and what they will be able to take away from it is important. By doing so, you can help students stay focused and follow along with the material. Additionally, you are setting expectations and ensuring that everyone is on the same page, which can help promote student autonomy. So, include an outline at the start of your presentation lesson.

Step-by-Step Strategies for a Successful Presentation

Before presentation, know your audience, your students, or observers.

Once you have completed your deck, you may want to add a guide script and any additional notes with important points you don’t want to forget or you want to highlight in your presentation to impress your students .

Practice your presentation delivery/lesson

Practice delivering your presentation give you a chance to fine-tune your content and get your facts down. This will help you become more comfortable with the material and identify areas that need improvement. You can practice in front of a mirror, record yourself and watch it back, or even rehearse with a colleague or friend. When practicing, pay attention to your posture, tone of voice, and pacing. By doing so, you’ll be able to deliver a confident and engaging presentation that will captivate your audience.

Use a friendly tone of voice and pace

Adjust your tone to match your message, and avoid speaking too quickly so that your audience will get the chance to absorb the information you’re sharing. By being mindful of these aspects, you will capture your audience’s attention and leave them feeling informed and inspired.

Use engaging body language

Body language is essential for engaging your audience during a presentation. Stand up straight, make eye contact, and use hand gestures to emphasize important points. You can also move around the classroom to keep your students’ attention. By using engaging body language, you’ll be able to convey your message more effectively and keep your students interested throughout the presentation. You’ve got this!

During Presentation

Create an icebreaker.

Having an icebreaker is a warm-up for your students’ brains, allowing you to focus and engage with the material being presented. It also helps break down any barriers or tension between the presenter and the audience, making for a more relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. Additionally, an icebreaker provides an opportunity for the presenter to showcase their creativity and personality, adding an extra level of excitement and engagement to the presentation.

Good thing that ClassPoint has numerous features to help you perform an entertaining and unforgettable icebreaker. Here are some examples that you can use during an icebreaker.

• Quick Poll : Quick Poll allows you to create interactive polls right inside your presentation. When used as an icebreaker, it can engage the audience, initiate discussions, and provide valuable insights that help tailor the content to participants’ preferences.
• Word Cloud: Presenters can ask thought-provoking questions related to the topic or general interest. Using Word Cloud, the audiences can answer through their mobile which can be instantly seen as collective responses, with the most frequently mentioned words appearing larger.
• Short Answer : In short answer, you can challenge your audiences’ thought process in a short-form writing activity with no options to get from to test their ability to understand.
• Image Upload : Using single image, audiences can interpret what they feel like, or their mood using only the photos in their gallery or surroundings. A creative yet fun way for an icebreaker!

Speak clearly

Effective communication is crucial when presenting important information to students. Speaking clearly helps ensure that students understand the concepts being taught and follow instructions effectively. As a teacher, it’s important to focus on clear speech to promote effective communication and help your students comprehend the material being presented.

Pay attention to your audience’s attention

Since distractions are aplenty, attention spans are dwindling, it’s important for presenters to captivate their audience’s attention right from the beginning. For teachers, when speaking in front of your class, you should not only focus on the content of your presentation but also on your students’ attention.

To ensure that your students won’t start drifting away or zoning out, start with a compelling opening that immediately grabs their attention. Use vivid storytelling, examples, or demonstrations to engage your students and drive home your message. Don’t forget the power of humor, and never be afraid to be yourself – authentic, passionate, and confident.

Add Personality: share short relatable stories

“A great personality makes everyone feel energized; just like a flower’s fragrance that freshens ups the complete surrounding.” 29 Personality Quotes to Achieve Greatness

As to what is stated in the quote, having a positive and vibrant personality affects the overall mood of your surrounding, it can capture the audience’s attention and maintain their interest throughout the presentation. While the ultimate goal is to deliver a presentation rich with new learnings and knowledge, adding humor can do no harm to lift up the mood in the room. You might want to start by segueing a short story that your students can relate to and make interactions by encouraging them to share a story too or ask questions.

Post-Presentation Reflection

Take the comments by heart.

Receiving feedback from your students is a great way for evaluating the efficacy of a teacher presentation. This can help you identify areas where you can improve and tailor your teaching tactics to better suit the needs of your students. Listening to your students’ feedback can also promote a feeling of cooperation and enable them to become more actively involved in the learning experience. So, don’t be afraid to ask for feedback and take it to heart in order to continually improve your presentations.

Experienced educators understand that they are perpetually crafting their skills, and feedback from their audience brings an opportunity for professional advancement. In addition, accepting audience feedback illustrates esteem and worth for the students’ views. It promotes a feeling of cooperation and enables students to become more actively involved in the learning experience.

Preparing for a presentation is essential for teachers to deliver engaging and impactful content to their students. By structuring thoughts, anticipating questions, and preparing ahead, teachers can achieve a well-organized presentation that will enhance the students’ understanding and leave them feeling confident.

By following our strategies and tips teachers can achieve successful lessons using PowerPoint presentations. And, with the help of an advanced educational technology tool like ClassPoint, teachers can create dynamic and memorable presentations that their students will enjoy and actively participate in.

Try out ClassPoint today and experience a whole teacher presentation in PowerPoint! ✨

About Dianne Adlawan

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Center for Teaching

Effective Visuals

Interactive lectures.

“Lecturing is not simply a matter of standing in front of a class and reciting what you know. The classroom lecture is a special form of communication in which voice, gesture, movement, facial expression, and eye contact can either complement or detract from the content. No matter what your topic, your delivery and manner of speaking immeasurably influence your students’ attentiveness and learning.”

The above quote is from “Delivering a Lecture,” a chapter in Barbara Gross Davis’ classic text Tools for Teaching . That chapter is an excellent resource for learning how to lecture well. See also Davis’ chapter, “Preparing to Teach the Large Lecture Course.”

When planning a lecture, keep in mind that you have control or influence over several elements of your classroom:

• Visual Message – The slides and other visual aids you use can either complement or confuse your verbal message, depending on how you design them. Consider how photos and other images might function as metaphors that make your points more memorable. (For an example, see the “Lecturing Basics” slideshow above.)
• Physical Presence – While some instructors are naturally gifted public speakers, we can all be more aware of and leverage our physical presence to better communicate to our audiences. (Watch “ The Act of Teaching: Theater Techniques for Classrooms and Presentations ” for great advice from Harvard University’s Nancy Houfek on improving your physical presence in the classroom.)
• Verbal Message – Whether you prepare typed lecture notes or just improvise in the classroom, the words you say are an integral part of your lecture.
• Students’ Notes – Students can often spend more mental energy taking notes during class than thinking about your content. Consider ways you can make it easier for your students to take notes so they can focus more on engaging with your material.
• What Students Think – As Angelo and Cross say in their classic book Classroom Assessment Techniques, “teaching without learning is just talking.” How can you help your students mentally grapple with your material during class?
• What Students Say & Do – Keep in mind that even in a so-called lecture class, you don’t have to lecture the whole time. Consider small-group and whole-class activities that might enhance your students learning.

Garr Reynolds’ book Presentation Zen is a great introduction to effective use of slides in presentations.  Garr also maintains a great blog on presentations . Some key points from Presentation Zen :

• Limit bullet points and text. Keep in mind that your slides probably shouldn’t function as your own personal teleprompter. Your slides are for your students’ benefit. If your slides say just about everything that you say, then your students won’t know where to pay attention–to you or to your slides.
• Use high-quality graphics. The clip art that comes with PowerPoint is certainly convenient (and more visually appealing than it used to be), but there are online sources of free, high-resolution images that can have much greater visual impact. For instance, millions of photos are available for free, educational use on the photo-sharing site Flickr under the Creative Commons license .
• Use appropriate charts. As analytical designer Edward Tufte likes to point out, PowerPoint is not a great tool at sharing complicated infographics. If you have a complicated chart or graphic to share with your students, it’s often helpful to provide it to them as a handout. Simpler, more elegant charts often work better in PowerPoint. Think carefully about which kind of chart (pie, vertical bar, horizontal bar, line, etc.) will best communicate the idea you want to share with your students.
• Choose your fonts well. Sans-serif fonts are often easier to read on slides than serif fonts . Too many different fonts in a slide or a presentation can be distracted, so try to limit yourself to one or two. Font size matters, too. Be sure that your fonts are large enough to be read at the back of the room. And if you’re keeping your slides simple and limiting your use of text, you can usually use very large fonts.
• Spend time in the slide sorter. This is the PowerPoint view that shows you up to 20 or 30 of your slides at once. As you start to design your presentation, this view is more useful than the default one-slide-at-a-time view for structuring and organizing your content.

For more thoughts on these and other suggestions by Garr Reynolds, along with example PowerPoint slides, see his Top Ten Slide Tips .

For an alternative to PowerPoint and Keynote , try Prezi , “the zooming presentation tool.” Below you’ll find a Prezi used during a spring 2010 CFT workshop titled “Engaging Students in Large Lecture Courses” that references many of the ideas shared here.

Engaging Students in Large Lecture Classes on Prezi

For some sound advice on using Prezi in the classroom, explore this Prezi from Paul Hill:

Thoughts on using Prezi as a teaching tool on Prezi

And for a little humor , view Peter Norvig’s PowerPoint version of the Gettysburg Address (included below) to see how to ruin a great presentation with PowerPoint.

“Given that students have an attention span of around 15 to 20 minutes and that university classes are scheduled for around 50 or 75 minutes, instructors must do something to control their students’ attention. We recommend building a ‘change–up’ into your class to restart the attention clock.”

The above quote is from “ The ‘Change-Up’ in Lectures ,” an article by Joan Middendorf and Alan Kalish. The article describes more than 20 practical strategies for breaking up lectures with activities that help keep students engaged and foster active learning. Here are just a few:

• Write a Question – Instead of just saying, “Are there any questions?”, ask all of your students to spend a minute or two reflecting on the lecture thus far and writing down one or two questions on paper.
• Think-Pair-Share – After posing a sufficiently difficult question, instead of asking for volunteers to answer the question, have students think about the question silently for a minute. Then have them pair up and discuss the question with their partners. Then ask for students to share their perspectives with the whole class.
• Finding Illustrative Quotations – Ask students to reread the text for the day to find quotations that support particular arguments. You might have all students address the same argument or different students look at different arguments.
• Brainstorming – As a segue to a new topic, have students share any thought, idea, story, etc. that occurs to them in relation to the new topic. Record these ideas at the board without analyzing them. After the ideas have been surfaced, then move on to more critical discussion.
• Practice Homework Problems – After lecturing on a particular type of problem, give students a problem to work at their seats that resembles the kinds of problems they’ll see on their homework. After giving students a few minutes to try to work through the problem, discuss the problem with the class.

Here are a few other ideas for more interactive lectures:

• Classroom Response Systems (“Clickers”) – These are instructional technologies that allow instructors to collect and analyze student responses to multiple-choice (and sometimes free-response) questions during class.Typically, an instructor poses a question to a group of students, students submit their answers to the question using wireless handheld devices (often called “clickers”) that beam radio frequency signals to a receiver connected to the instructor’s computer, software on the instructor’s computer displays a bar chart showing the distribution of responses, and the instructor uses these results to make “on the fly” teaching decisions that are responsive to student learning needs.For ideas on using clickers during lectures, see the CFT’s teaching guide on clickers , as well as CFT assistant director Derek Bruff’s blog on clickers .
• Backchannel – The term “backchannel” refers to the student-to-student and student-to-instructor conversations that can occur during lectures and presentations. All lectures involve some form of backchannel, such as an instructor requesting questions from students or back-of-the-room chit chat between students. However, online tools such as Twitter and  Google Moderator give instructors useful options for facilitating, directing, and leveraging backchannel conversations.Watch Monica Rankin’s “Twitter Experiment” video below for a short introduction to her use of Twitter for backchannel in her history course at the University of Texas-Dallas. See Derek Bruff’s blog posts on backchannel for additional ideas.
• Just-in-Time Teaching (JiTT) – It’s not uncommon to expect students to have “done the reading” in smaller seminar courses, laying the foundation for in-class discussions. This is less common in larger courses, but many faculty members in a variety of disciplines have adopted an approach called Just-in-Time Teaching that accomplishes this. The main idea is to have students read their textbooks before class, hold them accountable for doing so through pre-class or start-of-class quizzes, then design class sessions around “uncovering” and addressing student misconceptions–instead of “covering” the course material. For pedagogical and technological options for implementing Just-in-Time Teaching, see IUPUI’s JiTT site .
• Team-Based Learning (TBL) – This well-developed teaching method is similar to JiTT in that it involves leveraging pre-class student assignments. One core idea is that class time is spent having students work through problems or case studies in permanent teams, usually consisting of six students each. Students respond to questions about the problems or case studies individually, then respond to the same questions as a team. Student grades depend on both their individual performance on these quizzes as well as their team performance, providing incentives for students to engage with the material on their own as well as with their team. Class discussions are fueled by this individual and team work.For more information on TBL, see the University of British Columbia’s TBL site or this 12-minute video on TBL from the University of Texas .

For additional ideas, see the following:

• “ Tips for Teachers: Twenty Ways to Make Lectures More Participatory ,” a resource from the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning at Harvard University
• “ Delivering Effective Lectures ,” an article by Rick Sullivan and Noel McIntosh with strategies for asking questions of students and advice specific to lectures in medical education settings
• “ The Death of the Lecture ,” a blog post about why lectures are still so popular by Inside Higher Ed blogger,  Anamaria Dutceac Segesten

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Effective Communication in the Classroom

Why is It Important?

In a student-centered classroom, the instructor should not be speaking all of the time. However, when you are speaking, students count on you to: provide clarity by highlighting key ideas; elaborate on difficult concepts; and provide clear instructions for in-class activities. These messages should be backed up by appropriate visual aids that reinforce what you are talking about: board work, slides, and/or handouts. 

In-class communication can be thought of as consisting of verbal, vocal, and visual channels. 

Verbal channel

The verbal channel relates to word choice: the same content or point can be delivered in different ways using different words. Those differences in delivery affect how students comprehend and engage with the material.

The verbal channel can clarify and reinforce course content by:

• Defining and using discipline-specific vocabulary. 
• Verbally outlining your presentation. Verbal indicators can signal transitions between ideas, helping students make connections to their prior knowledge and experiences, follow along, and organize their notes.

The verbal channel can also be used to send growth messages and create an inclusive classroom. For example, the way you respond to students’ questions and incorrect answers can be an opportunity to create a warm classroom climate but are often not something we consider rehearsing.

 When a student asks a question:

• Try to call on them by name. This will help to create a sense of belonging.
• Thank them for their question to motivate them to ask questions again in the future.
• If a question is common, say so. This will help the student see that others’ have needed clarification on this point as well.

If you pose a question and a student responds with an incorrect answer:

• Thank the student for responding.
• If the student’s response is in line with a common error, say so, so they do not feel alone in their misunderstanding.
• Ask the student about the process that they used to come up with the answer to better understand where they made a misstep. This emphasizes process over product and also teaches good troubleshooting strategies.
• If a student’s answer is partially correct, ask another student to add on or clarify the response. 

Certain verbal phrases can detract from a presentation by being distracting, signaling a lack of instructor preparation, or by making students feel insecure in their ability to succeed in the course.

We all use some filler phrases habitually, and we should strive to minimize them. However, over-focusing on avoiding filler phrases can distract from a clear presentation. The best strategy is to practice avoiding filler phrases when rehearsing a lecture, but when actually teaching to focus on communicating with the students.

Vocal channel

The vocal channel includes aspects of speech such as volume, pacing, and tone. The vocal channel can be used to draw students attention and convey enthusiasm.

Visual channel

The visual channel includes all visual aids that support your message, including you (!), anything that you write on the board, project on the projector, or distribute as a handout. 

Your physical appearance—posture, attire, expressions—are all part of your presentation and affect how students listen to you and receive your message. Here are some ways your appearance affects your presentation:

• Presence/Position/Posture : standing up straight conveys confidence and authority.
• Eye contact : helps you connect with your audience and keep your students engaged. You may tend to focus your gaze on a particular side of the classroom. Consciously make eye contact in a “W” pattern across the room.
• Movement : too much movement can be distracting, but well-timed movements emphasize key points or physically signal a transition between points – reinforce the information you’re presenting.

Plan what you will actually write on the board so you can make sure it’s organized, large, and legible. If you have limited experience writing on the board, try to practice in the room in which you will be teaching. You may be surprised at how large you have to write so that it is legible from the back of the room.  

At MIT, most classrooms are outfitted with multiple, movable boards. Visit your classroom in advance to know the layout of the boards and use this information in your planning. For example, with movable boards, consider the order in which you will fill them to maximize the amount of information students can see at any given point. Students will want to write down everything that you write on the board.

Practice drawing important schematics. If a schematic is necessary but challenging to draw, consider supplementing your board work with a slide, which can also be distributed to students as a handout. Consider using color to highlight ideas, group items, or add clarity to diagrams.

Slide design

The digital nature of slides makes it easy to include more information than students can process on them. In general, try to keep the mantra of “less is more” in mind to reduce the likelihood of cognitive overload and including extraneous information.

When creating slides, words and images are better than words alone. Relevant images can help to support and clarify your message. That said, there are times when images may not be appropriate and you just need to use text. In these cases, summarize the ideas using phrases and avoid full sentences on your slide.

Simple animations of having bullets appear in a synchronized manner with your oration will help to reduce cognitive overload and help students stay focused on what you are saying. Key ideas can also be highlighted by using bolding and color.

Managing Nerves

Stage fright is natural. Almost everyone gets some degree of stage fright. Below are some things you can do at different stages of your preparation to minimize the effects of stage fright.

While preparing for class

• Acknowledge your fears by writing them down or sharing them with a friend or a trusted colleague. This will help you identify specific things you can practice to reduce your nerves. 
• Practice your presentation. Try to make your practice as realistic as possible: practice in your assigned classroom with an audience of friends, colleagues, or a video camera.

Shortly before class

• Warm up your body by stretching, walking around, and standing up straight.
• Do breathing exercises to warm up your vocal cords and to regulate your breathing.
• Drink water to stay hydrated.
• Use relaxation or meditation resources to reduce nerves, like the MIT Community Wellness Relaxation Line, 617-253-2256 (CALM)

During class

• Use pauses to give yourself a chance to breathe and think. You can use longer pauses between major ideas or during active learning exercises to get a drink of water from your water bottle.
• If you find your speech rushing, try taking a longer pause after your next point. Take a couple of deep breaths and get comfortable with silence to reset your rate of speech.
• If you find yourself pacing or moving a lot, try planting your feet or putting your hands on a table or podium (if it doesn’t ruin your posture) to ground yourself. Once you’ve reset, give yourself more freedom to move around the room and interact with your students.

Additional resources

Mit school of engineering communication lab.

The Communication Lab is a discipline-specific peer-coaching program for MIT’s School of Engineering that helps graduate students with their scientific writing, speaking, and visual design.

MIT Writing and Communication Center

MIT Comparative Media Studies/Writing offers innovative programs that apply critical analysis, collaborative research, and design across a variety of media arts, forms, and practices.

Lecturing Strategies

Tips for running effective lectures.

Lecture-style learning can work well for communicating course goals and content. If you are to use a lecture as a way to communicate information to your students, consider implementing the following tips:

1. Establish learning goals

Once you and your students know where you’re going, the trip is easier and more efficient. Often the very act of creating learning goals results in reducing the amount of material to be covered, since you have brought your course into more focus.

2. Cut down on the amount of material you are trying to cover

Trying to cover too much material is a common problem for most higher education instructors. Unfortunately, when too much content is covered, students tend to struggle to absorb the material. To maximize your students’ engagement with the content you’ve spent time preparing, be judicious about what you include and focus on the core pieces of material that are absolutely essential for each lesson.

Lectures, particularly in large enrollment courses, should cover the following kinds of material:

key points and general themes

especially difficult material

material not covered elsewhere (i.e. not covered in a textbook chapter, article, or other source)

examples and illustrations

material of high interest/relevance to students

3. Focus your lecture on analyzing issues or problems, rather than on conveying factual information

Rely on students to get facts from their reading. Devote lectures to more in-depth discussion and analysis. For instance, begin each class session with a question that you will devote the session to answering. To do this approach, turn a general topic into a question. For example, instead of focusing a lecture on “the ways lodgepole pines propagate,” consider revising the topic to: “Why do lodgepole pines need fire to propagate?” Alternatively, instead of giving a lecture on “The Rise of the Middle Class in Postwar America,” consider a revision to:  “What factors were the major drivers in the rise of the middle class?” 

You can ask for ideas at the beginning of class where students can anticipate the responses to the question. That way, students are already considering the possible answers that will be discussed in class.

4. Engage your students through active learning practices and interactive lectures

It’s difficult for anyone to sit for 50 or 80 minutes and simply listen. Consider breaking up the lecture with some moments for pauses, questions, and interactions. For example:

Break the class into groups (yes, even in a large class—you can just ask them to turn to the two or three people around them) to investigate a problem or answer a question. After five minutes, you can request for volunteers to share their group discussions or have students share an aggregated response in a Google Doc or through a poll. 

Hand out index cards and ask students to jot down a question they have after a 20-minute segment of time has passed. Have them pass the cards three or four people to the left. Then, have the individuals who have received the cards write down a possible response and pass the card back to the original question-asker. Then, request students to volunteer their questions and the answers and offer feedback as needed.

Stop the lecture with a group discussion question that could be engaged with verbally or via a poll or group Google Doc.

Show a short, relevant video clip.

Connect the topic to a recent news story and invite students to follow a link or story on social media for a few minutes.

For an in-person course, consider having your students sit in lecture with others from their section, and you can then direct exercises and questions to them by section. Not only will they be more inclined to engage with people they already know, but you will be reinforcing the importance of the sections and making the course seem more of a unified whole.

5. Provide opportunities for assess their understanding during the lecture

Quick, frequent, formative assessments help students to focus on areas they need work on, while also breaking up lectures and increasing student engagement. 

For example, you could try the following approaches:

1) Hand out 3 x 5 cards at the end of the class and ask students to identify the major points covered. Collect them, skim them, and begin the next class by talking about their responses. 

2) Begin the lecture by soliciting questions (on cards or not) based on their reading for the day. Then, be sure to address these questions during the class time.

6. Take the temperature with polls

Use a student response system (e.g., iClicker Cloud or Poll Everywhere) to get instant feedback on your students' comprehension of a concept:

If your class is too big to track how individuals are doing between exams, have your students take a quick anonymous poll to gauge whether or not a concept was understood. With a student response system, you can poll students on the fly and adjust your content appropriately. This saves time spent unnecessarily on concepts that are already understood and allows you to follow-up only where needed. Keep students engaged by asking thoughtful questions they can answer individually, and then asking the class to respond to the collective results.

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“Good teachers do not merely ‘deliver content’ to students, but wake them up, throw them on their feet, and pull the chair away.”   –Wendy Brown, Heller Professor of Political Science, UC Berkeley

Why Lecture

Today, there are many teaching methods at our disposal. Educational innovations and research continue to provide new approaches to teaching and new strategies to help students learn. While robust evidence exists for the efficacy of alternative pedagogies, the lecture continues to be the preferred classroom method for many teachers.

There are several purposes for which the lecture is well suited:

• Presenting information otherwise unavailable to students. The lecture is a perfect way to share your personal research and inquiry trends of your discipline
• Synthesizing information from a variety of sources. In addition to reading scholarly work, a lecture can explicitly demonstrate how knowledge is created by many researchers working on different aspects of a problem or topic.
• Engaging students through storytelling. Sharing a personal experience, a researcher’s journey, or how the “sticky” problems are addressed in your discipline can pique curiosity and bolster students’ intrinsic motivation.  
• Providing context. Conveying how course content relates to other areas or how it is relevant to students’ experiences clarifies why content is worth learning. This is especially critical for novices in a field.
• Presenting up-to-date material. A lecture can effectively inform students of evolving knowledge and points of view while text-books become outdated quickly.  
• How problems are approached 
• How information is organized and synthesized
• The logic structures and frameworks commonly used in the field
• How new knowledge can be integrated with what one learned previously
• Clarifying confusing concepts, principles, and ideas. When a lecture is given in response to questions from students, or after quiz/test results reveal misconceptions, lecture can be a powerful way of improving student comprehension, especially if the lecture is interactive.

Designing An Effective Lecture

Barkley and Major (2018) suggest that the debate over lecture versus active learning maintains a false dichotomy of one or the other, while most faculty employ both lecture and engagement strategies to varying degrees in their teaching. When students are actively engaged with the material during a lecture, their focus and attention increase (Ernst & Colthrope 2007). The two most important variables when planning an effective lecture are duration and interactivity. How long will you talk? How will students engage with the material, with each other, and with you?

In his book What the Best College Teachers Do , Ken Bain reports on interviews with dozens of exemplary college teachers that, “[p]erhaps the most significant skill the teachers in our study displayed in the classroom, laboratory, studio, or wherever they met with students was the ability to communicate orally in ways that stimulated thought” (Bain, 2004, p. 117). Designing a lecture to intentionally stimulate students thinking, rather than just deliver content, requires a student-centered focus. 

Research finds that student learning is enhanced by chunking lecture material into 5-15-minute segments, and interspersing with short, active learning exercises. These activities give students opportunities to engage with the material and to process it more deeply. Regardless of your lecture duration and interactivity, answering the following questions can help:

• What is the purpose of your lecture? Include learning outcome(s)—what do you hope students will gain from your lecture? What will they be able to do with that knowledge?
• How will you give students a way of organizing their listening and/or note taking? An outline, visual, some kind of “advance organizer” (see Additional Resources below)?
• How will you start? What will you do to gain attention? Share a story, problem, question, scenario/vignette?
• What are the main “chunks” of your lecture? How could these chunks help students see the organization/structure of your material?
• For each chunk: What is the core idea? What examples, illustrations, stories, metaphors, or visuals will you use to convey the core idea?
• Pauses. At what points will you pause? What will you ask students to do during those pauses? How can these pauses help them process/think about what they have just heard?

Addressing Resistance

Choosing to lecture more interactively may raise concerns, for both you and your students.

Common Faculty Concerns 

• Will it take more time? Yes, it does take time to design and learn new teaching strategies. Starting small helps; you can break up a lecture with a couple of simple “think/pair/share” exercises (see Peer Instruction below), and then build gradually on what you find works.  
• Must I sacrifice content? If you take time from a lecture to have students engage, you may have to remove material from your lecture. Rethinking what content needs to be in the course, and how first exposure to that content needs to occur, is critical. Consider alternate ways to deliver content to make room in your lecture for interaction.

Student Resistance In disciplines where large lecture classes are the norm, students may resent and resist the expectation to actively engage. While more students now enter college having experienced active learning, there may be some who expect and enjoy the passivity of a traditional lecture format. If students must engage with peers, gaps in preparation and knowledge could be exposed, while the passive lecture format “offers the comfort of anonymity” (Benvenuto, 2002). Faculty can counter student resistance by being explicit about their teaching methods and the rationale for their use. Gary Smith (2008) suggests an exercise on the first day of class to help students understand how the course pedagogy will help them learn (see resource on The First Day of Class ).

Additional Resources

Effective Lecturing . This 4-page resource from the Center for Faculty Excellence at UNC Chapel Hill provides in-depth suggestions for keeping students engaged and tailoring lectures to student’s existing knowledge. 

How to Create Memorable Lectures is an article from Stanford’s “Tomorrow’s Professor” newsletter. By framing the lecture in the context of what we know about learning and short-term memory, it provides strong rationales for lecture practices that mirror how students learn.

Advance Organizers is a list of resources and references. An advance organizer is a visual organizational tool assist students during a lecture to integrate new knowledge with what they already know.

Peer Instruction  is a simple way to engage students actively during a lecture without sacrificing course content.

Bain, K. Barkley, E. F., & Major, C. H. (2018). Interactive Lecturing: A Handbook for College Faculty. John Wiley & Sons.

Barkley, E. F., Cross, K. P., & Major, C. H. (2014). Collaborative learning techniques: A handbook for college faculty. John Wiley & Sons.

Benvenuto, M. (2002). Educational reform: Why the academy doesn’t change. Thought & Action, 18(1/2), 63-74.

Brown, P. C., Roediger III, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick. Harvard University Press.

Chilwant, K. S. (2012). Comparison of two teaching methods, structured interactive lectures and conventional lectures. Biomedical Research, 23(3).

Ernst, H., & Colthorpe, K. (2007). The efficacy of interactive lecturing for students with diverse science backgrounds. Advances in Physiology Education, 31(1), 41-44.

Jones, J.E. (2007). Reflections on the lecture: Outmoded medium or instrument of inspiration? In Journal of Further and Higher Education. 31/4, 397-406.

Meguid, E. A., & Collins, M. (2017). Students’ perceptions of lecturing approaches: traditional versus interactive teaching. Advances in medical education and practice, 8, 229.

Smith, G. A. (2008, September). First-day questions for the learner-centered classroom. In Natl Teach Learn Forum (Vol. 17, No. 5, pp. 1-4).

Snell, Y. S. L. S. (1999). Interactive lecturing: strategies for increasing participation in large group presentations. Medical Teacher, 21(1), 37-42.

Tolman, A.O. & Kremling, J. (2017). Why Students Resist Learning: A Practical Model for Understanding and Helping Students.  Sterling, VA: Stylus Publications.

White, G. (2011). Interactive lecturing. The clinical teacher, 8(4), 230-235.

The Lecture Method: Advantages and Challenges in Modern Education

Table of Contents

Have you ever sat through a lecture, hanging on to every word the speaker says, only to realize that you’ve absorbed very little? Or perhaps you’ve been on the other side, delivering a lecture and watching faces in the audience drift into expressions of daydreams? The lecture method has been a cornerstone of education for centuries, but its effectiveness in modern learning environments is increasingly called into question. Let’s explore the ins and outs of this traditional teaching approach.

Historical backdrop of the lecture method

Originating in the halls of medieval universities , the lecture method has long been the default mode of instruction. In an era before the printing press , lectures were essential for disseminating knowledge, with students often copying down what the lecturer said word for word. Over time, the lecture method has evolved but remains a staple in educational settings. Its endurance begs the question: what benefits has it continued to offer?

Key advantages of the lecture method

• Controlled lesson delivery: Lecturers can design their presentations meticulously, ensuring that each point is delivered with precision.
• Efficiency: This method allows for the coverage of a significant amount of material in a relatively short period.
• Expert narrative: Lectures can be a medium for storytelling, with the potential to inspire through a well-crafted narrative.

The cracks in the lecture hall

Despite its longevity, the lecture method isn’t without its critics. One of the most significant downsides is the potential for passive learning . Students often become mere receptacles of information, with limited interaction that can lead to disengagement. In a world that’s increasingly interactive, this model of teaching is often seen as antiquated.

Challenges of the lecture approach

• Passivity and limited engagement: The one-way flow of information from lecturer to student can lead to a lack of active participation and engagement.
• Learning styles mismatch: Not all students thrive under the lecture format; some may need hands-on or visual experiences to learn effectively.
• Retention issues: Studies suggest that passive listening leads to lower retention rates compared to more interactive methods.

Adapting the lecture for the modern classroom

Recognizing these challenges doesn’t mean we should do away with lectures entirely. Instead, educators are finding ways to adapt the lecture method to better fit today’s diverse and inter active learning environments.

Innovative lecture strategies

• Blended learning: Combining lectures with online resources and interactive activities can enhance the learning experience.
• Flipped classroom: Students review lecture materials at home and engage in hands-on activities in class, promoting deeper understanding.
• Active learning techniques: Incorporating discussions, problem-solving, and other participatory elements can make lectures more engaging.

Alternatives to the traditional lecture

As we move away from the ‘sage on the stage’ model, various teaching methods have emerged as compelling alternatives to the traditional lecture. These approaches aim to make learning an active process, directly involving students in their own education.

Engaging teaching methodologies

• Project-based learning: Students work on real-world projects, applying what they learn in a practical context.
• Cooperative learning: This technique encourages students to work together in groups, fostering collaboration and communication skills.
• Technology-enhanced learning: Using multimedia and interactive tools can make lessons more dynamic and appealing to digital natives.

Where does the lecture method stand today?

In the face of evolving educational paradigms, the lecture method finds itself at a crossroads. While it can still be a powerful tool when used judiciously and combined with other techniques, its role as the dominant form of instruction is waning. Modern educators are tasked with striking a balance, integrating the best aspects of lectures with newer, more interactive teaching methods.

The future of lecturing

• Hybrid models: Lectures will likely become part of a broader teaching strategy, blending various instructional methods to cater to different learning preferences.
• Customization and personalization: Advances in technology may allow lectures to be tailored to individual student needs, enhancing their relevance and impact.
• Continuous evolution: As our understanding of learning and cognition grows, so too will our approaches to teaching, including the use of lectures.

The lecture method, with its storied history and enduring presence, still holds value in the modern educational landscape. Yet, it must evolve to remain relevant. By integrating traditional lectures with interactive techniques and taking advantage of technological advancements, educators can create a more dynamic, engaging, and effective learning experience for their students.

What do you think? Are lectures an indispensable part of your learning experience, or do you feel they need a complete overhaul to stay relevant? How do you see the role of lecturing changing in the future of education?

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Learning & Teaching

1 Understanding Learning

• What is Learning?
• Nature of Learning
• Learning and Related Concepts
• Dimensions of Learning
• Learning Styles
• Pace of Learning
• Modes of Learning
• Transfer of Learning

2 Approaches to Learning

• Behaviouristic Approach to Learning
• Cognitive Approach to Learning
• Social Learning Approaches
• Humanistic Approach to Learning

3 Learning for Construction of Knowledge

• Constructivism: An Introduction
• Various Constructivists’ Ideas
• Constructive Learning Environment
• How Learning Takes Place

4 Learning In Various Contexts

• Active Learning
• Observational Learning
• Situated Learning
• Collaborative Learning
• Learning Out of the School

5 Learner in Socio-Cultural Context

• Socio-cultural Diversity among Learners
• Factors Affecting Learners
• Changing Perception about Learners
• Various Type of Learners
• Differently-abled Learners

6 Learner as an Individual-I

• Concept of Intelligence
• Intelligence and its Role in Learning
• Understanding IQ, EQ, and SQ
• Multiple Intelligence
• Concept of Personality
• Personality and Learning

7 Learner as an Individual-II

• Learner Preparedness

8 Understanding Teaching

• Nature of Teaching: Dual Nature
• Teaching as a Morally Laden Activity
• Interrelationship between Teaching, Learning, Instruction, and Pedagogy
• Concepts Related to Teaching
• Phases of Teaching
• Maxims of Teaching
• Teaching as a Complex Activity
• Teaching as a Profession
• Role of Teacher in Providing Dynamic Curricular Experiences

9 Planning Teaching-Learning

• Considerations for Instructional Planning in Classroom
• Planning for Teaching
• Behaviourist Lesson Planning
• Alternative Approach to Planning
• Constructivist Lesson Planning (5-E Approach)

10 Organizing Teaching-Learning

• Designing Instructions
• Basic Consideration for Selecting a Method
• Lecture Method
• Demonstration Method
• Team Teaching
• Inquiry Approach
• Problem Solving
• Cooperative Learning

11 Teaching-Learning Resources

• Teaching-Learning Resources
• Learner and Their Environment as Learning Resources
• Classroom as a Resource
• Community as a Learning Resource
• Improvised Resources
• ICT and Multimedia as Learning Resources

12 Managing Classroom Teaching-Learning

• Management and Instruction
• Classroom Management: The Concept
• Understanding Learners’ Needs
• Principles of Classroom Management

13 Teacher in Diverse Role

• Teacher as a Person
• Teacher’s Personal Characteristics
• Teacher as a Transmitter of Knowledge
• Teacher as a Planner
• Teacher as a Facilitator
• Teacher as a Co-creator
• Teacher as a Leader
• Teacher as a Manager
• Teacher as a Counsellor

14 Teacher as Innovator and Action Researcher

• Innovation: Need and Concept
• Types of Innovation
• Process of Innovation
• Teacher as an Action Researcher
• Pre-conditions for Taking Up Action Research
• Quality Issues in Action Research
• Steps Involved in Action Research
• Format for Documenting Your Action Research

15 Teachers as Reflective Practitioner

• Concept of Reflection
• Different Perspectives on Reflection
• Approaches to Reflective Thinking
• Techniques of Promoting Reflection

16 Professional Development of Teachers

• What is a Profession?
• Characteristics of a Profession
• Characteristics of Teaching Profession
• Need and Importance of Professional Development
• In-service Teacher Training as Professional Development
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD)
• CPD through ICT

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What is the Lecture Method of Teaching?

• September 5, 2023

Table of Content

The lecture method of teaching is when an instructor shares knowledge with a group of students by speaking to them and guiding them through a topic step by step. But what is this strategy exactly, and why is it so popular? Let us look into it in depth in this blog to better understand its role in changing minds and spreading knowledge.

What is the lecture method of teaching?

The simplest way to define the lecture method of teaching is that the teacher speaks and students listen. Teachers can quickly deliver a lot of information using this way. The main speaker is usually the teacher, while students take notes. 

You may wonder why this strategy is effective. There is a one-way flow of information. This is due to the fact that you can teach a large number of students at the same time. As a result, it depends on the lecturer to keep the topic interesting and on the students to be attentive in seeking explanation.

Benefits of lecture method of teaching

The lecture method of teaching has been used for a long time in classrooms everywhere. It serves as a great way for all the teachers to share their knowledge with their students. Let us know the advantages of lecture method of teaching . 

1. Saves time

One of the advantages of lecture method of teaching is that it helps you communicate knowledge in an efficient way. An educator is not required to rely on multiple resources to teach students , as they can deliver the content in a single streamlined presentation. 

2. Scalability 

Scalability is another advantage of the lecture method . A large number of students can be addressed at the same time by a single teacher, making it a cost-effective and efficient technique, particularly in larger schools or settings with limited resources.

One of the distinguishing features of this teaching style is its capacity to reach a large audience without sacrificing information delivery.

3. Every student gets the same thing

In lecture method of teaching , every student in the class is exposed to the same information in the same way. This consistency guarantees that all students have an equal opportunity to understand the information and decreases the possibility of differences or misunderstandings caused by varying delivery or content.

4. Good for big groups

When teachers are unable to provide individualized attention to students in larger groups, the lecture method of teaching is used to deliver information to a large audience. This strategy assures that everyone in the classroom, regardless of their position in the class, receives the same level of education.

(Suggested: Importance of group discussion in teaching )

5. Provides additional content

Importance of lecture method of teaching is that it provides additional content to students. Lectures are not just confined to what is written in textbooks or course materials, they go beyond that. Personal insights, real-world experiences, and supplemental knowledge that may not be available through other resources can be included into educators’ lectures. 

This additional layer of knowledge enhances the learning process and gives students a broader perspective of every subject.

6. Clear plan

The organized style of lectures ensures that knowledge flows clearly and logically. Educators can prepare their course of study carefully, ensuring that each topic is introduced and developed in a logical manner. 

This detailed approach not only helps students understand the material, but it also allows them to anticipate and prepare for upcoming topics, making their learning journey more smooth and logical.

Now we know the importance of lecture method of teaching . The lecture method is a classic way to teach. It is a great way for teachers to share information with many students at once. To make it even better, teachers can use different tools like videos and ask questions during the lecture and make the learning process more fun and engaging for them. 

In short, lectures can be very useful when done right, helping students learn in a clear and organized way. Happy teaching!

Lecture method of teaching FAQs

A1. In the lecture method , the teacher transmits the knowledge to a large group of students on the go..

A2. The limitations of this method are, lack of interactions, limited immediate feedback etc. 

A3.  Lecture methods can be used to introduce a new topic, provide background information, highlight important content etc. 

A4. Teachers can use multimedia, tell stories, ask questions, incorporate humor, and use real-world examples to make lectures more interesting. 

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Lecturing Effectively

As class sizes increase and university budgets tighten, lecturing remains a dominant teaching method (Goffe & Kauper, 2014; Smith & Valentine, 2012). Knowing how to lecture well is therefore a crucial skill to master. Effective lecturing is characterized by enthusiasm and expressiveness, clarity, and interaction (Murray in Perry & Smart, 1997). Consider using the tips below to introduce students to — and stimulate their enthusiasm about — your course material.

Prepare in advance

• Visit your classroom in advance.  Familiarize yourself with the layout of the desks and the front of the classroom. Decide where you will stand and how you will move from one place to another. Find out whether the classroom has audio-visual equipment or whether you will have to request it from audio visual services. Make sure that you know how to use the audio-visual equipment.
• Have a back- up plan.  If you are using technology, have a back-up plan ready in case you run into technical difficulties. Technology problems can negatively affect your credibility, even if they are beyond your control.
• Plan your lecture and visual aids beforehand.  Outline how you will introduce, explain, and summarize the main ideas. Select examples and prepare how you will show students the relationships between the main ideas.
• Prepare speaking notes.  Prepare notes that work for you (e.g., a detailed outline, a list of major points, key definitions, proofs, solved problems, examples, etc.). To better engage students, avoid reading from a script, a computer screen, or overhead projector. 
• Include delivery reminders in your notes.  Include cues to remind yourself to smile, look at the whole class, pause after posing a question, etc.  
• Practice your lecture.  Practice to ensure that you have an appropriate amount of material and activities for the time available. Resist the common error of including too much material in a lecture.  Students’ questions and learning activities can take up to 50% more time than you may first think.
• Bring a bottle of water.  The water will soothe a sore or dry throat. Taking a sip is also a good way to buy thinking time before responding to a student question.

Structure the lecture clearly

• Be transparent. Show your students “the big picture.”  Don't assume that your students know the pedagogical purpose of your lecture. Instead, explain how the lecture relates to previously-learned material and the course themes and goals in general. Begin the class with a short review of the key points from the previous class and end with a preview of the topics for next class (along with a reminder about any readings or assignments to be completed).
• Make explicit transitions between topics with mini-summaries.  Link current material to previously-learned content and future lectures. Be explicit about how one topic connects to the next, or ask your students to explain the connections. By linking new material to previously learned content, you help students understand and organize new information in their minds.
• Cover only a few main points in each lecture.  Plan to cover only three or four points in a fifty-minute lecture and four or five points in a seventy-five-minute class. Select key points that introduce, complement, and/or clarify the course readings, assignments, and goals. Focus on presenting central points or general themes that tie together as many topics as possible.
• Avoid merely repeating the course readings . Elaborate on readings using new examples and sample exercises or problems. For more information about selecting and organizing content, see CTE's  Course Content Selection and Organization  teaching tip.
• Be flexible when following your notes . Watch students’ level of interest and confusion and be ready to adapt your lecture accordingly. Your notes are there if needed, but the lecture should arise out of your interaction with the students, not the notes themselves.

Strive to engage your whole class

• Be aware of shifting engagement levels.  In a university lecture, students engage in mind wandering approximately 33% of the time; however, this amount varies according to several factors, including engagement (Wammes, Boucher, Seli, Cheyne, & Smilek, 2016). 
• Ask first, then tell.  Prompt students to engage by asking questions rather than simply telling them information. For example, rather than telling students the findings from a study, ask them to predict what the study found based on what they know so far. Learn more in our  Question Strategies  teaching tip. 
• Allow breaks during long classes.  Encourage students to move around, talk with one another, or just to relax quietly. Creating breaks also allows students to catch up on and digest what has been discussed.
• Use questions to prompt students to think about how the material relates to their life experience.  Relate the content to students’ interests, knowledge, experiences, and their future occupation in the discipline. Making the material relevant helps students retain the information.
• Invite student questions and use them in class.  Invite students to submit questions in person and/or online via the learning management system.Incorporate the answers to students’ questions into your lecture, or introduce an activity that allows students to discover the answers for themselves.
• Ask students for feedback . Provide opportunities for students to share feedback, in written form, and anonymously. An effective low-tech method is to circulate and then collect note cards, which students can use to record questions or comments. More high-tech methods of encouraging feedback include using online polling tools. 
• Consider posting your partial notes or slides online before or immediately after class . You might also consider making the audio or video of your lectures available online. Videos can be captioned using free online tools like YouTube's automatic caption creator, or ask for help with captioning from  AccessAbility Services . Captions increase accessibility and can help students whose first language is not English.
• Encourage students to take notes.  To help students make good notes, provide a clear structure for the lecture and use a pace that allows them to keep up. Rather than writing extensive notes that students must copy word for word, write key terms on the board or slides to facilitate students’ own processing of the information, or provide skeletal course notes for the students to annotate. Pause regularly so that students can ask for clarification.
• Use inclusive practices.   Be mindful of potential biases and stereotypes conveyed in the images, phrases, pronouns, examples, images, etc. that you use in class. Follow the six  principles of inclusivity .
• Prepare accessible teaching materials . See our  People Helping People: The Essence of Accommodation  teaching tip.

Use effective presentation strategies

• Maintain regular eye contact with the entire class.  By doing so, you create connections with them, are able to gauge their note-taking, and discourage distracting class noise. 
• Avoid turning away from students when you speak.  It helps many students to be able to see your face and mouth while you speak
• Use a microphone in large classes.  Amplifying your voice will help all students — not just students with hearing impairments — and will also put less stress on your vocal cords. 
• Speak clearly, but use a conversational tone.  Think of the lecture as an opportunity to speak with the students, not at them.
• Convey your enthusiasm for the material and the students.  Vary your vocal speed and pitch, as well as your facial expressions. Smile often. Consider using humour when appropriate.
• Ask the students periodically if they can hear and see everything.  Make changes to your volume and visual aids as necessary.
• If possible, move around the room, and use natural gestures.  This movement is especially important for engaging large classes. Changes help to refocus students’ attention, but remember to move with purpose so you avoid distracting your students.
• Interact with your students to create positive rapport with them.  Arrive at class early so that you can welcome students. Address them by name as much as possible, and plan to stay after class to chat with students and answer their questions.

Use effective visual aids

• Use visual aids to stimulate and focus students’ attention.  Multimedia aids using sound, colour, and/or animations can help to attract and maintain students’ attention, particularly in large classes where the impersonal situation makes students feel less involved. Visual aids should be a support for, not the focus of, your lecture. They also should not replace your personal interaction with the students.
• Avoid writing everything that you say on your slides.  Consider providing partial or skeleton slides that leave space for students to write down examples and other notes.
• Follow the guidelines on good slide design.  If you are using overheads or PowerPoint, aim for twelve to twenty slides for a fifty-minute lecture. Be conscious of speeding through the slides and/or overloading students with content—common problems with these types of media. See  Designing Visual Aids .
• Reveal visual information gradually rather than all at once.  This keeps students focusing on your oral development of each point, instead of rushing to copy down the material.
• Consider creating visual aids during the lecture.  Solving problems, showing processes, or building models in real time is often clearer for students than seeing completed work. You can also create visuals to reflect the outcomes of interactive exercises, thereby validating the students’ input. The act of writing also helps you to pace the lecture appropriately.
• Write down key words and names.  Many students try to write down everything they see. If information does not need to be copied down, mention that to the students, or consider whether it is important enough to include in the first place. Consider providing handouts that give an outline of the lecture material for students to annotate.
• If you show a video in class, ensure that captions are turned on . Doing so helps all students. 
• When using a projector, dim the lights appropriately . If the lights are not sufficiently dim, the projected image will not be visible. But if you are going to be verbally commenting on the projected images, ensure that students with hearing issues will still be able to see your face and lips.

If you would like support applying these tips to your own teaching, CTE staff members are here to help.  View the  CTE Support  page to find the most relevant staff member to contact.

• Goffe, W. L., & Kauper, D., (2014). A survey of principles instructors: Why lecture prevails.  Journal of Economic Education, 45 (4), 360-375.
• Perry, R.P., & Smart, J.C. (Eds). (1997).  Effective teaching in higher education.  New York: Agathon Press.
• Smith, D. J. and Valentine, T. (2012). The use and perceived effectiveness of instructional practices in two-year technical colleges.  Journal on Excellence in College Teaching, 23 (1), 133-161.
• Wammes, J. D., Boucher, P. O., Seli, P., Cheyne, J. A., & Smilek, D. (2016). Mind wandering during lectures I: Changes in rates across an entire semester.  Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology, 2 (1), 13-32.

CTE teaching tips

• Designing Visual Aids  and  Using Visual Aids
• Nine Alternatives to Lecturing
• Active Learning Activities
• Building Community in Large Classes
• People Helping People: The Essence of Accommodation
• Accessibility Checklist for MS Word  
• Accessibility Checklist for MS PowerPoint

Other resources

• Bligh, D. (2000).  What’s the use of lectures?  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
• Brown, S. & Race, P. (2002).  Lecturing: A practical guide . London: Kogan Page.
• Tonnu, Tracy. (October 2016).  These awesome charts are here to help with design accessibility .  Visual News .

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Teaching tip categories.

• Assessment and feedback
• Blended Learning and Educational Technologies
• Career Development
• Course Design
• Course Implementation
• Inclusive Teaching and Learning
• Learning activities
• Support for Student Learning
• Support for TAs

• Open access
• Published: 05 June 2024

Experiences of medical students and faculty regarding the use of long case as a formative assessment method at a tertiary care teaching hospital in a low resource setting: a qualitative study

• Jacob Kumakech 1 ,
• Ian Guyton Munabi 2 ,
• Aloysius Gonzaga Mubuuke 3 &
• Sarah Kiguli 4  

BMC Medical Education volume  24 , Article number:  621 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Introduction

The long case is used to assess medical students’ proficiency in performing clinical tasks. As a formative assessment, the purpose is to offer feedback on performance, aiming to enhance and expedite clinical learning. The long case stands out as one of the primary formative assessment methods for clinical clerkship in low-resource settings but has received little attention in the literature.

To explore the experiences of medical students and faculty regarding the use of the Long Case Study as a formative assessment method at a tertiary care teaching hospital in a low-resource setting.

Methodology

A qualitative study design was used. The study was conducted at Makerere University, a low-resource setting. The study participants were third- and fifth-year medical students as well as lecturers. Purposive sampling was utilized to recruit participants. Data collection comprised six Focus Group Discussions with students and five Key Informant Interviews with lecturers. The qualitative data were analyzed by inductive thematic analysis.

Three themes emerged from the study: ward placement, case presentation, and case assessment and feedback. The findings revealed that students conduct their long cases at patients’ bedside within specific wards/units assigned for the entire clerkship. Effective supervision, feedback, and marks were highlighted as crucial practices that positively impact the learning process. However, challenges such as insufficient orientation to the long case, the super-specialization of the hospital wards, pressure to hunt for marks, and inadequate feedback practices were identified.

The long case offers students exposure to real patients in a clinical setting. However, in tertiary care teaching hospitals, it’s crucial to ensure proper design and implementation of this practice to enable students’ exposure to a variety of cases. Adequate and effective supervision and feedback create valuable opportunities for each learner to present cases and receive corrections.

Peer Review reports

The long case serves as an authentic assessment method for evaluating medical students’ competence in clinical tasks [ 1 ]. This form of assessment requires students to independently spend time with patients taking their medical history, conducting physical examinations, and formulating diagnosis and management plans. Subsequently, students present their findings to senior clinicians for discussion and questioning [ 2 , 3 ]. While developed countries increasingly adopt simulation-based assessments for formative evaluation, logistical challenges hinder the widespread use of such methods in developing countries [ 4 ]. Consequently, the low-resource countries heavily rely on real patient encounters for formative assessment. The long case is one such method predominantly used as a primary formative assessment method during clinical clerkship and offers a great opportunity for feedback [ 5 ]. The assessment grounds students’ learning into practice by providing them with rich opportunities to interact with patients and have the feel of medical practice. The long case thus bridges the gap between theory and practice, immersing students in the real tasks of a physician [ 1 ]. The complexity of clinical scenarios and the anxiety associated with patient encounters may not be well replicated in simulation-based assessments because diseases often have atypical presentations not found in textbooks. Assessment methods should thus utilize authentic learning experiences to provide learners with applications of learning that they would expect to encounter in real life [ 6 ]. This requires medical education and the curriculum to focus attention on assessment because it plays a significant role in driving learning [ 7 ]. The long case thus remains crucial in medical education as one of the best ways of preparing for practice. It exposes the student repeatedly to taking medical history, examining patients, making clinical judgments, deciding treatment plans, and collaborating with senior clinicians.

The long case, however, has faced significant criticism in the medical education literature due to perceived psychometric deficiencies [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. Consequently, many universities have begun to adopt assessment methods that yield more reliable and easily defensible results [ 2 ] due to concerns over the low reliability, generalizability, and validity of the long case, coupled with rising litigations and student appeals [ 11 , 12 ]. Despite these shortcomings, the long case remains an educationally valuable assessment tool that provides diagnostic feedback essential for the learning process during clinical clerkship [ 13 ]. Teachers can utilize long-case results to pinpoint neglected areas or teaching deficiencies and align with course outcomes.

However, there is a paucity of research into the long case as a formative assessment tool. A few studies conducted in developed countries highlighted its role in promoting a holistic approach to patient care, fostering students’ clinical skills, and a driving force for students to spend time with patients [ 2 , 13 ], . There is a notable absence of literature on the use of long case as a formative assessment method in low-resource countries, and no published work is available at Makerere University where it has been used for decades. This underscores the importance of conducting research in this area to provide insight into the effectiveness, challenges, and potentials for improvement. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the experiences of medical students and faculty regarding the utilization of the long case as a formative assessment method within the context of a tertiary care teaching hospital in a low-resource setting.

Study design

This was an exploratory qualitative study.

Study setting

The research was conducted at Makerere University within the Department of Internal Medicine. The Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) degree at Makerere University is a five-year program with the first two years for pre-clinical (biomedical Sciences) course and the last three years dedicated to clinical clerkship. Medical students do Internal Medicine clerkships in third- and fifth-year at the two tertiary teaching hospitals namely; Mulago and Kiruddu National Referral Hospitals. The students are introduced to the long case in third-year as Junior Clerks and later in the fifth-year as Senior Clerks. During clerkship, students are assigned to various medical wards, where they interact with patients, take medical history from them, perform physical examinations, and develop diagnosis and management plans. Subsequently, students present their long cases to lecturers or postgraduate students, often in the presence of their peers, followed by feedback and comprehensive case discussions. Students are afforded ample time to prepare and present their cases during ward rounds, at their discretion. The students are formatively assessed and a mark is awarded on a scale of one to ten in the student’s logbook. Each student is required to make a minimum of ten long cases over the seven weeks of clerkship.

Study participants

The study participants were third- and fifth-year medical students who had completed junior and senior clerkship respectively, as well as lecturers who possessed at least five years of experience with the long case. The participants were selected through purposive sampling. The sample size for the study was determined by data saturation.

Data collection

Data were collected through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KIIs). A total of 36 medical students participated in FGDs, reflecting on their experiences with the long case. Five faculty members participated in individual KIIs. The students were mobilized by their class representative and a brief recruitment presentation was made at the study site while the lecturers were approached via email and telephone invitation.

Six FGDs were conducted, three for junior clerks and three for senior clerks. Each FGD comprised of 5–7 participants with balanced male and female gender representation. Data saturation was achieved by the fifth FGD, at which point no additional new information emerged. A research assistant proficient in qualitative research methods moderated the FGDs. The discussions lasted between 55 min and 1 h 10 min and were audio recorded. The Principal Investigator attended all the FGDs to document interactions and record his perspectives and non-verbal cues of participants.

Semi-structured KIIs were used to collect data from Internal Medicine faculty. Five KIIs were conducted, and data saturation was achieved by the fourth interview, at which point no new theme emerged. The Principal Investigator conducted the KIIs via Zoom. Each interview lasted between 25 and 50 min and all were audio recorded. A research assistant proficient in qualitative methods attended all the Zoom meetings. The data collected were securely stored on a hard drive and Google Drive with password protection to prevent unauthorized access.

Data analysis

Data analysis was done through inductive thematic analysis method. Following each FGD or KII session, the data collection team listened to the recordings to familiarize themselves with the data and develop general ideas regarding the participants’ perspectives. The data were transcribed verbatim by the researchers to generate text data. Two separate transcripts were generated by the Principal Investigator and a research assistant. The transcripts were then compared and manually reviewed by the research team to compare the accuracy with the audio recordings. After transcript harmonization, data cleaning was done for both FGDs and KIIs transcripts.

The transcribed data from both FGDs and KIIs underwent inductive thematic analysis as aggregated data. This involved initial line-by-line coding, followed by focused coding where the relationships between initial codes were explored and similar codes were grouped. Throughout the analysis, the principle of constant comparison was applied, where emerging codes were compared for similarities and differences.

Study results

Socio-demographics.

A total of 36 medical students participated in the FGDs, comprising 18 junior clerks and 19 senior clerks. The participants were aged between 21 and 25 years except two participants who were aged above 25 (30 and 36 years old). Among the third-year students, there were 10 male and 9 female participants while the fifth-year student comprised of 8 male and 10 female participants.

Five lecturers participated in the Key Informant Interviews, three of whom were females and two male participants. They were aged between 40 and 50 years, and all had over 10 years of experience with the long case. The faculty members included one consultant physician, one associate professor, two senior lecturers, and one lecturer.

Themes that emerged

Three themes emerged from the study: ward placement, case presentations, and case assessment and feedback.

Theme 1: Ward placement

The study findings disclosed that medical students are assigned to specific wards for the duration of their clerkship. The specialization of medical wards was found to significantly restrict students’ exposure to limited disease conditions found only in their allocated ward.

With the super-specialization of the units, there is some bias on what they do learn; if a particular group is rotating on the cardiology unit, they will obviously have a bias to learn the history and physical exam related to cardiovascular disease (KII 1).

The students, particularly junior clerks, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of proper and standardized orientation to the long case on the wards. This deficiency led to wastage of time and a feeling of being unwelcome in the clerkship.

Some orient you when you reach the ward but others you reach and you are supposed to pick up on your own. I expect orientation, then taking data from us, what they expect us to do, and what we expect from them, taking us through the clerkship sessions (FGD 4 Participant 1).

Students’ exposure to cases in other wards poses significant challenges; the study found that as some lecturers facilitate visits to different wards for scheduled teaching sessions, others don’t, resulting in missed learning opportunities. Additionally, some lecturers leave the burden on students’ personal initiative to explore cases in other wards.

We actually encourage them to go through the different specialties because when you are faced with a patient, you will not have to choose which one to see and not to see (KII 4).

Imagine landing on a stroke patient when you have been in the infectious disease ward or getting a patient with renal condition when you have been in the endocrinology ward can create problems (FGD 6 Participant 3).

Theme 2 Case presentation

Medical students present their long case to lecturers and postgraduate students. However, participants revealed variations among lecturers regarding their preferences on how they want students to present their cases. While some prefer to listen to the entire history and examination, others prefer only a summary, and some prefer starting from the diagnosis.

The practice varies depending on the lecturer, as everyone does it their own way. There are some, who listen to your history, examination, and diagnosis, and then they go into basic discussion of the case; others want only a summary. Some lecturers come and tell you to start straight away from your diagnosis, and then they start treating you backward (FGD 6 Participant 3).

The students reported limited observation of their skills due a little emphasis placed by examiners on physical examination techniques, as well as not providing the students with the opportunity to propose treatment plans.

When we are doing these physical examinations on the ward no one is seeing you. You present your physical examination findings, but no one saw how you did it. You may think you are doing the right thing during the ward rotations, but actually your skills are bad (FGD 4 Participant 6).

They don’t give us time to propose management plans. The only time they ask for how you manage a patient is during the summative long case, yet during the ward rotation, they were not giving us the freedom to give our opinion on how we would manage the patient.(FGD 2Participant 6).

Supervision was reportedly dependent on the ward to which the student was allocated. Additionally, the participants believe that the large student-to-lecturer ratio negatively affects the opportunity to present.

My experience was different in years three and five. In year three, we had a specialist every day on the ward, but in year five, we would have a specialist every other day, sometimes even once a week. When I compare year five with year three, I think I was even a better doctor in year three than right now (FGD 1 Participant 1).

Clinical training is like nurturing somebody to behave or conduct themselves in a certain way. Therefore, if the numbers are large, the impacts per person decrease, and the quality decreases (KII 5).

Theme C: Case assessment and feedback

The study found that a student’s long case is assessed both during the case presentation on the ward and through the case write-up, with marks awarded accordingly.

They present to the supervisor and then also write it up, so at a later time you also mark the sheet where they have written up the cases; so they are assessed at presentation and write up (KII 2).

The mark awarded was reportedly a significant motivator for students to visit wards and clerk patients, but students also believe that the pressure to hunt for marks tends to override the goal of the formative assessment.

Your goal there is to learn, but most of us go with the goal of getting signatures; signature-based learning. The learning, you realize probably comes on later if you have the individual morale to go and learn (FGD 1 participant 1).

Feedback is an integral part of any formative assessment. While students receive feedback from lecturers, the participants were concerned about the absence of a formal channel for soliciting feedback from students.

Of course, teachers provide feedback to students because it is a normal part of teaching. However, it is not a common routine to solicit feedback about how teaching has gone. So maybe that is something that needs to be improved so that we know if we have been effective teachers (KII 3).

Whereas the feedback intrigues students to read more to compensate for their knowledge gap, they decried several encounters with demeaning, intimidating, insulting, demotivating, and embarrassing feedback from assessors.

Since we are given a specific target of case presentation we are supposed to make in my training , if I make the ten, I wouldn’t want to present again. Why would I receive other negative comments for nothing? They truly have a personality effect on the student, and students feel low self-esteem (FGD 1, Participant 4).

This study aimed to investigate the experiences of medical students and faculty regarding the use of the long case as a formative assessment method at a tertiary care teaching hospital in a low-resource setting. This qualitative research provides valuable insights into the current practices surrounding the long case as a formative assessment method in such a setting.

The study highlighted the patient bedside as the primary learning environment for medical students. Bedside teaching plays a crucial role in fostering the development of skills such as history-taking and physical examination, as well as modeling professional behaviors and directly observing learners [ 14 , 15 ]. However, the specialization of wards in tertiary hospitals means that students may not be exposed to certain conditions found in other wards. This lack of exposure can lead to issues of case specificity, which has been reported in various literature as a cause of low reliability and generalizability of the long case [ 16 , 17 ]. Participants in the study expressed feeling like pseudo-specialists based on their ward allocations. This is partly attributed to missing scheduled teachings and poor management of opportunities to clerk and present patients on other wards. Addressing these challenges is essential for enhancing the effectiveness of the long case as a formative assessment method in medical education.

Proper orientation at the beginning of a clerkship is crucial for clarifying the structure and organization, defining students’ roles, and providing insights into clinical supervisors’ perspectives [ 18 ]. However, the study revealed that orientation into the long case was unsatisfactory, resulting in time wastage and potentially hindering learning. Effective orientation requires dedicated time and should involve defining expectations and goals, as well as guiding students through the steps of history-taking and physical examination during the initial weeks of the rotation. Contrary to this ideal approach, the medical students reported being taken through systemic examinations when the clerkship was nearing its end, highlighting a significant gap in the orientation process. Proper orientation is very important since previous studies have also documented the positive impact of orientation on student performance [ 19 ]. Therefore, addressing the shortcomings in orientation practices identified in this study is essential for optimizing learning outcomes and ensuring that students are adequately prepared to engage in the long case.

There was reportedly a significant variation in the way students present their long cases, with some lecturers preferring only a case summary, while others expect a complete presentation or begin with a diagnosis. While this diversity in learning styles may expose students to both familiar and unfamiliar approaches, providing a balance of comfort and tension [ 20 ], it’s essential for students to first be exposed to familiar methods before transitioning to less familiar ones to expand their ability to use diverse learning styles. The variation observed in this context may be attributed to time constraints, as lecturers may aim to accommodate the large number of students within the available time. Additionally, a lack of standardized practices could also contribute to this variation. Therefore, there is a pressing need for standardized long-case practices to ensure a consistent experience for students and to meet the desired goals of the assessment. Standardizing the long case practice would not only provide a uniform experience for students but also enhance the reliability, validity, and perception of fairness of the assessment [ 9 , 21 ]. It would ensure that all students are evaluated using the same criteria, reducing potential biases and disparities in grading. Additionally, standardized practices facilitate better alignment with learning objectives and promote more effective feedback mechanisms [ 22 ].

Related to the above, students reported limited observation of skills and little emphasis placed on them to learn physical examination techniques. This finding resonates with the research conducted by Abdalla and Shorbagi in 2018, where many students reported a lack of observation during history-taking and physical examination [ 23 ]. The importance of observation is underscored by the fact that students often avoid conducting physical examinations, as highlighted in Pavlakis & Laurent’s study among postgraduate trainees in 2001 [ 24 ]. This study sheds more light on the critical role of observation in forcing medical students to master clinical assessment and practical skills. The study also uncovered that students are rarely given the opportunity to propose management plans during case presentations, which hampers their confidence and learning of clinical decision-making. These findings likely stem from the large student-to-lecturer ratio and little attention given to these aspects of the long case during the planning of the assessment method. The result is students not receiving the necessary guidance and support to develop their clinical and decision-making skills. Therefore, addressing these issues by putting more emphasis on observation of student-patient interaction, management plan, and having a smaller student group is vital to ensure that medical students receive comprehensive training and are adequately prepared for their future roles as physicians.

The study found that the marks awarded for the long case serve as the primary motivator for students. This finding aligns with previous research indicating that the knowledge that each long case is part of assessment drives students to perform their duties diligently [ 2 , 25 ]. It underscores the crucial role that assessment plays in driving learning processes. However, the pressures to obtain marks and signatures reportedly hinder students’ engagement in learning. This could be attributed to instances where some lecturers relax on supervision or are absent, leaving students to struggle to find someone to assess them. Inadequate supervision by attending physicians has been identified in prior studies as one of the causes of insufficient clinical experience [ 26 ], something that need to be dealt with diligently. While the marks awarded are a motivating factor, it is essential to understand other underlying motivations of medical students to engage in the long case and their impact on the learning process.

Feedback is crucial for the long case to fulfill its role as an assessment for learning. The study participants reported that feedback is provided promptly as students present their cases. This immediate feedback is essential for identifying errors and learning appropriate skills to enhance subsequent performance. However, the feedback process appears to be unilateral, with students receiving feedback from lecturers but lacking a structured mechanism for providing feedback themselves. One reason for the lack of student feedback may be a perceived intimidating approach from lecturers which discourages students from offering their input. It is thus important to establish a conducive environment where students feel comfortable providing feedback without fear of negative repercussions. The study underscores the significance of feedback from students in improving the learning process. This aligns with the findings of Hattie and Timperley (2007), who emphasized that feedback received from learners contributes significantly to improvements in student learning [ 27 ]. Therefore, it is essential to implement strategies to encourage and facilitate bidirectional feedback between students and lecturers in the context of the long case assessment. This could involve creating formal channels for students to provide feedback anonymously or in a structured format, fostering open communication, and addressing any perceived barriers to feedback exchange [ 28 ]. By promoting a culture of feedback reciprocity, educators can enhance the effectiveness of the long case as an assessment tool.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the long case remains a cornerstone of formative assessment during clerkship in many medical schools, particularly in low-resource countries. However, its effectiveness is challenged by limitations such as case specificity in tertiary care hospitals, which can affect the assessment’s reliability and generalizability. The practice of awarding marks in formative assessment serves as a strong motivator for students but also creates tension, especially when there is inadequate contact with lecturers. This can lead to a focus on hunting for marks at the expense of genuine learning. Thus adequate supervision and feedback practices are vital for ensuring the success of the long case as an assessment for learning.

Furthermore, there is a need to foster standardized long case practice to ensure that scheduled learning activities are completed and that all students clerk and present patients with different conditions from various wards. This will promote accountability among both lecturers and students and ensure a consistent and uniform experience with the long case as an assessment for learning, regardless of the ward a student is assigned.

Data availability

The data supporting the study results of this article can be accessed from the Makerere University repository, titled “Perceptions of Medical Students and Lecturers of the Long Case Practices as Formative Assessment in Internal Medicine Clerkship at Makerere University,” available on DSpace. The identifier is http://hdl.handle.net/10570/13032 . Additionally, the raw data are securely stored with the researchers in Google Drive.

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Acknowledgements

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This research was supported by the Fogarty International Centre of the National Institute of Health under award number 1R25TW011213. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Health.

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School of Medicine, Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Jacob Kumakech

School of Biomedical Sciences, Department of Anatomy, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Ian Guyton Munabi

School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Aloysius Gonzaga Mubuuke

School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics & Child Health, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Sarah Kiguli

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JK contributed to the conception and design of the study, as well as the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of the data. He also drafted the initial version of the work and approved the submitted version. He agrees to be personally accountable for his contribution and to ensure that any questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even those in which he was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated and resolved, with the resolution documented in the literature.IMG contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data. He also made major corrections to the first draft of the manuscript and approved the submitted version. He agrees to be personally accountable for his contribution and to ensure that any questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even those in which he was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated and resolved, with the resolution documented in the literature.MA contributed to the analysis and interpretation of the data. He made major corrections to the first draft of the manuscript and approved the submitted version. He agrees to be personally accountable for his contribution and to ensure that any questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even those in which he was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated and resolved, with the resolution documented in the literature.SK made major corrections to the first draft and the final corrections for the submitted version of the work. She agrees to be personally accountable for her contribution and to ensure that any questions related to the accuracy or integrity of any part of the work, even those in which she was not personally involved, are appropriately investigated and resolved, with the resolution documented in the literature.

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Correspondence to Jacob Kumakech .

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Ethical approval.

Ethical approval to conduct the study was obtained from the Makerere University School of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee, with ethics ID Mak-SOMREC-2022-524. Informed consent was obtained from all participants using the Mak-SOMREC informed consent form.

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Kumakech, J., Munabi, I.G., Mubuuke, A.G. et al. Experiences of medical students and faculty regarding the use of long case as a formative assessment method at a tertiary care teaching hospital in a low resource setting: a qualitative study. BMC Med Educ 24 , 621 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05589-7

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Received : 04 April 2024

Accepted : 22 May 2024

Published : 05 June 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05589-7

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• AI in education
• Published Jan 23, 2024

Meet your AI assistant for education: Microsoft Copilot

• Content Type
• Microsoft Copilot

With new advancements in AI happening faster than ever before, you might be wondering how you can use these tools in your classroom to save you time and energy. Educators worldwide are making strides to understand and integrate AI into their work and often find it to be a valuable tool. You can use AI to save time creating rubrics, personalized content for students, and educational materials such as quizzes and lesson plans.   

Generative AI is a newer piece of technology and a unique category of AI that focuses on creating new content. With generative AI you can generate new content like text, images, code, or audio. It achieves this by learning patterns from existing data and understanding the context and intent of language. This provides you with new opportunities for content creation, personalization, and innovation. Because this technology is creating new content, checking for accuracy in generative AI is essential—especially in the field of education.  

Microsoft Copilot is a tool that uses generative AI to serve as a helpful assistant to you in the classroom. Copilot can help you save time, differentiate instruction, and enhance student learning. With Copilot, you can easily create lesson plans, quizzes, rubrics, and other class resources for any level of learner.  

5 ways to use Copilot in education 

Here are just a few examples of the many ways you can use Microsoft Copilot to save time and energy: 

• Personalized learning: Copilot can support personalized learning by helping you create content, tailored feedback, and guidance for students based on their individual needs and learning styles. 
• Brainstorming: You can use Copilot to brainstorm new ideas for activities, lesson plans, supporting materials, and assignments.  
• Lesson planning: Copilot can help you plan lessons by suggesting or drafting activities, resources, and assessments that align with learning objectives. You can also use Copilot to start a rubric for the lessons. 
• Provide feedback: Copilot can help you draft initial feedback and ideas for students on their work, which you can edit and personalize for your students.  
• Get quick answers: Copilot can help you get quick answers to your questions without having to read through multiple search results. Also, Copilot provides links to content sources so you can assess the source or dive deeper into the original content. 

Microsoft Copilot showing suggested prompts for educators. Copilot uses generative AI to serve as a helpful assistant to you in the classroom. 

Getting started with Microsoft Copilot

To get started with Microsoft Copilot, you can follow these steps:  

• Open copilot.microsoft.com or select the Copilot icon on the sidebar in your Microsoft Edge browser. 
• Type your prompt into the chat window. 
• Review the sources linked at the bottom by “Learn more.” You can fact-check the information provided or dive deeper into a topic by accessing the original articles, studies, or reports. 
• Review the response to make sure the output is what you want and accurate. You are the expert, and you decide what goes into the classroom. 
• To get the most out of Copilot, you can keep the conversation going by following up on your prompts. This helps you collaborate with Copilot to gain more useful, tailored responses.   

You can also give feedback to Copilot based on the quality of its responses to help the AI learn and match your preferences.  

How to write a prompt for AI 

To effectively guide generative AI, you want to give it clear and concise instructions, known as prompts. A well-crafted prompt enhances the generative AI’s output in the quality, relevance, and diversity. A good prompt should be clear, specific, and aligned with the goal of the generation task. A bad prompt can lead to ambiguous, irrelevant, or biased output. To get the best response from Copilot, consider the following tips:  

• Define clear objectives.  Determine the main goal of the prompt and the role AI should take. Whether creating a syllabus, drafting a quiz, or revising lesson content, have a clear vision of the end goal. 
• Be specific.  Chat experiences operate best when given detailed instructions. Specify grade level, subject, topic, or any other relevant parameters. For instance, “secondary math quiz on algebraic expressions” is clearer than “math quiz.” 
• Structure the prompt.  Break complex tasks into smaller parts. Instead of asking the AI to draft an entire lesson, request an outline, then delve into specific sections. 
• Iterate and refine.  The first response from AI might not always align perfectly with expectations. Don’t hesitate to rephrase the prompt, ask follow-up questions, or provide more context based on the initial output. 
• Combine expertise.  Use AI as a tool to enhance and streamline work but remember to overlay its suggestions with your educational expertise. AI can suggest content, but the educator decides the best way to edit and present it to their audience.   

A infographic about how to write AI prompts to get better answers from Copilot. A good prompt should be clear, specific, and aligned with the goal of the task. 

Want a fun way to practice creating effective prompts? Minecraft Education just announced Prompt Lab for Minecraft Educators , a free playbook on how to use Microsoft Copilot to write compelling prompts, develop interactive learning content and assessments, and generate creative ideas for Minecraft lesson plans.   

Create images from text with Copilot 

You can use Image Creator from Designer in Copilot to create personalized, engaging visuals for all sorts of lessons or topics. You can type in a description of an image, provide additional context like location or activity, and choose an art style. Image Creator generates an image straight from your imagination. Prompts can begin with “draw an image” or “create an image.” You can use this tool to create images for a class newsletter, lesson, or Teams post.   

• Get started in Copilot prompting “create an image…”  
• Then build out your prompt with adjective + noun + verb + style.  
• Click on your favorite image to open the result in a new tab and save the image. 

 An example would be “Create an image of an adorable black puppy wearing a hat in photorealistic style.” 

An example of Copilot creating an image of a black dog wearing a hat in a photorealistic style, based on text descriptions. 

Try creating an image in Copilot for your lesson, or just for fun!   

Protected AI-powered chat

At Microsoft, our efforts are guided by our AI principles and Responsible AI Standard and build on decades of research on grounding and privacy-preserving machine learning. Copilot provides commercial data protection and delivers a secure AI-powered chat service for educational institutions. This means user and organizational data are protected, chat prompts and responses in Copilot are not saved, Microsoft has no eyes-on access to them, and they aren’t used to train the underlying large language models. Additionally, our  Customer Copyright Commitment  means education customers can be confident using our services and the output they generate without worrying about copyright claims.  

Get to know your Copilot 

Dive deeper into the world of generative AI and unlock its full potential for your classroom.  

• The new  AI for Educators Learning Path  on  Microsoft Learn is made up of three modules to help educators learn about and benefit from AI. 
• Prompt Lab for Minecraft Educators demonstrates how to use Microsoft Copilot with Minecraft Education to design engaging learning experiences. Level up your Minecraft teaching with this useful new resource! 
• AI classroom toolkit provides instructional information for educators and students to use generative AI safely and responsibly. 
• AI for education on  Microsoft Learn is a collection of resources and courses on how to use AI for educational purposes.  

Ready to elevate your teaching with Microsoft Copilot? Start using Copilot today! copilot.microsoft.com  

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