General Teaching Tips

The First Day of Class

Barbara Gross Davis, San Francisco
The first day of class sets the tone for the rest of the term. To pique students’ interest and anticipation, convey your enthusiasm for the material and stimulate students’ curiosity about topics that will be covered during the term. To reduce students’ anxiety and uncertainty, try to create a relaxed, open classroom environment conducive to inquiry and participation, and let students know what you will expect from them and what they can expect from you and the course. The following suggestions address the three important tasks of the first day: handling administrative matters, creating an open friendly classroom environment, and setting course expectations and standards.

Delivering a Lecture

“To hear a good lecture is an inspiring experience. We leave with our
imagination broadened and our interest piqued; we find ourselves
entertained, prodded, and illuminated in turn…”

Heather Dubrow & James Wilkinson
“The Theory and Practice of Lectures”

Introduction

For centuries, the lecture has been the primary teaching tool in higher education.
However, since the early 1970s we have learned through college-level teaching research
that lecturing is only one of dozens of devices in effective instruction.

Under some conditions, a lecture might be an effective and efficient option. But if
the material you plan to cover simply duplicates what is already in assigned readings
or other course materials, alternatives to the lecture are most appropriate. Remember,
deleting a redundant lecture frees plenty of class time for other activities. Furthermore,
if a lecture primarily repeats the readings, any rational student will decide either to do
the readings or to attend lecture. No doubt, this is not what you intended for your class.

Once you decide to use the lecture method in your instruction, you should consider the
following questions before you begin your preparation.

1. What should you include in your lecture notes and how to organize them?
2. How can you develop effective presentation skills?
3. What are some ways that best invite class involvement?
4. What should you know about visual aids?

Now that you have considered these questions, you are ready to start working on your
lecture notes.

Lecture Notes

The lecture must be prepared in a manner that will contribute both to instructional
efficiency and effectiveness. The most useful lecture notes constitute an augmented
outline. A hierarchical outline is the base, with main points, subtopics, and related
points subsumed under these. The outline is amplified by definitions, graphs, and
phrases that summarize the points to be made in the lecture. The amount of detail to
include will depend on the material itself and on the instructor’s familiarity and
confidence with the material.

This organizational framework is important as it establishes major and minor points
as well as a chain of reasoning within the topic that provides for the logical linking of
associations by the learner. Without a carefully developed outline, you will have
difficulty giving proper attention to the scope, sequence, and timing of the presentation.

Presentation Skills

Careful planning and well-organized lecture notes do not guarantee a successful lecture. There are other factors that, when combined with good preparation, make lectures more effective. These factors are vocal quality, eye contact, movement, and appropriate gestures.

Inviting Class Involvement

Recognizing that often lectures can promote student passivity, excellent lecturers invite class involvement by welcoming questions, asking specific, thought-provoking questions, and having students discuss the question with their neighbors. A good way to begin a class is to review material from the previous class. This review provides an opportunity for distributed learning, which improves long-term retention. Here are some more ideas:

Visual Aids

Decision Making for Choosing Classroom Visual Aids:

General Guideline

Class Size	Amount of Info	Recommended Visual Aid	Advantages of This Type of Visual Aid	Disadvantages or Limitations of This Type of Visual Aid
Large Class 40-45 students or more	Large	Handouts	Note-taking Reviews Efficient use of class time	Paper/copy cost Time to create a handout
		PowerPoint	Professional look General outlines Summaries Formal presentations Class discussions Automated	Technology might not be available in a classroom Time consuming to prepare Need to have PowerPoint expertise
	Small	Transparencies	General outlines Summary key points Diagrams Prepared in advance Created during discussions	Overhead projector might not be available in a classroom
		Chalkboard	General outlines Summary key points Diagrams	In a large classroom students might have hard time seeing the board Takes time to write on the board Cannot create in advance
Small Class up to 40-45 students	Large	Handouts	Note-taking Review Efficient use of class time	Paper/copy cost Time to create a handout
		Chalkboard	General outlines Summary key points Diagrams	In a large classroom students might have hard time seeing the board Takes time to write on the board Cannot create in advance
	Small	Chalkboard	General outlines Summary key points Diagrams	In a large classroom students might have hard time seeing the board Takes time to write on the board Cannot create in advance
		Transparencies	General outlines Summary key points Diagrams Prepared in advance Created during discussions	Overhead projector might not be available in a classroom

More information about visual aids for classroom use.

Compilation of information from the following books:

Handbook for College Teaching. Miller & Miller. PineCrest Publications,1997.
Teaching at Its Best: A Research-Based Resource for College Instructors. Nilson, Linda B. Anker Publishing Company, Inc.1998.
Teaching Undergraduates. Dominowski, Roger L. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 2002.

Lectures: Organizing Them and Making Them Interesting

Arletta Bauman Knight
When one is preparing a lecture there are two major components that should be considered. First, the lecture should be organized in a way that aids comprehension and retention, and second, in order to maintain student attention, the lecture should be made as interesting as possible. The following paragraphs focus on these two major components…

Just like a paper, a lecture needs an introduction, body, summary, and conclusion. This guide will help your lectures become organized physically and mentally. To make a lecture more interesting, it needs to be broken up by group learning, whole-class discussions, role-play etc. Also, paraphernalia as props and costumes can be used.

Principles of Successful Teaching

University of California at Santa Barbara Special Teaching Topics for TAs

A guide of teaching topics for TAs to gather helpful information.

Iowa State University Teaching Tips

Resources with useful information and help about teaching.

Viewing a Film or Video

Dr. Leora Baron, University of Nevada (PDF)
No doubt there are some first-rate films and videos available that could be used in academic courses. With the increased use of online resources, their availability is increasing. Here are some strategies for integrating films/videos into a course without them becoming ‘babysitters’.

TA Training

• Resources for TAs & TA Supervisors

  • Planning a Course
  • General Teaching Tips
  • Lab/Small Group Discussion
  • One-On-One Instruction
  • Grading

• Other Important Links

  • TA Training Programs at Other Universities
  • University Policies & Procedures
  • Questions and Answers for TAs (QATA)
  • Student Ratings