hand@gec-mi-at.co.uk (Chris Hand) (08/13/90)
Recently on comp.edu I asked: > Surely there are some books out there that are considered essential > reading for budding lecturers? The simple answer seems to be: "No there aren't!" Here's what information/advice I managed to collect: ____________________ From: Michael Faiman <faiman@cs.uiuc.edu> 1. Make sure, first, that you have something to say. 2. If, perchance, you have two things to say, say first one, then the other, and not both at the same time. ____________________ From: KG967@albnyvms.bitnet (Kenneth Grau, University at Albany) Some books: Mastering the Techniques of Teaching - Joseph Lowman The Essence of Good Teaching - Stanford C. Ericksen Preparing Instructional Objectives - Robert F. Mager The Open Classroom - Herbert R. Kohl Deschooling Society - Ivan Illich How Children Learn - John Holt How Children Fail - John Holt The Underachieving School - John Holt Freedom and Beyond - John Holt Education and Ecstasy - George B. Leonard Fostering Academic Excellance - John McLeod and Arthur Crowe. I wrote a paper a while ago on using lecture demonstration in the physics class but I have not been able to find it at home. In it I had references to the technique of lecturing in the journals. Some of the books above are for teaching in general. -------------------- Bill Hahn <bhahn@bogus.sw.stratus.com> and Sean Philip Engelson <engelson-sean@cs.yale.edu> both mentioned the idea of videotaping lectures to enable the novice lecturer to realise their faults and habits. That's all the reponse I got, except for quite a few "me too" messages. A glance through the database at my local lending library revealed the following titles (caveat: I haven't managed to get hold of any of these books yet). "Lecturing" Powell, L.S. 1973 Dewey: 317.396 "Lecturing and Explaining" Brown, G. 1978 Dewey: 371.1 "A Lecturing Life" Gohorry, J. Dewey: 821 "Lecturing to Large Groups" Powell, L.S. 1966 Dewey: 371.3 "The Art and Science of Lecture Demonstration" Taylor, Charles 1988 Dewey: 371.396 "Communication and Learning" Powell, L.S. Dewey: 371.3 In addition, I received the following words of advice from my girlfriend's grandfather, a lecturer for many years. On Books: "There is no real `Classic Book' for lecturers, in the sense of `An Actor Prepares' which is considered to be essential reading for actors." On Lecturing: "You have the knowledge that your audience need -- what's the best way to give it to them -- the clearest way? That's the first point -- and it makes the whole business fascinating. "Add, to the clarity, _variety_ -- in speed, in tone, as you find (beforehand) that they fit in -- because their ears won't then get tired of listening to you. "Use pauses before a particularly important point -- and after, if necessary. This has the added advantage of increasing the variety. "Use some humour: some wit, however dry -- even if it means going off you subject a little; be human; be genuinely friendly -- as long as you're not showing off your "friendliness"... not "showing off" at all. "Your audience will, usually, be younger than you: see how you can add to them, to their minds, imaginations, ways of thought; in your subject, but even beyond your subject sometimes. "Above all, be interested in your audience -- they always are interesting. If you are self-conscious walking before the audience (you won't be for long!), try "drawing" numerals in your head. Concentrate on that, or on whatever you wish, till you're in place!" Thanks to those who responded, and good luck to all those about to take up lecturing posts for the first time. Chris ----- -----------------------------(Until August 31)-------------------------------- Chris Hand hand@gec-mi-at.co.uk Tel: [+44|0]727 36421 x4363 or: hand%miduet@ukc.uucp Marconi Instruments, ATE Division UUCP: ...!uunet!mcsun!ukc!miduet!hand St Albans, Herts UK AL4 0JN
gollub@nprdc.navy.mil (Lewis Gollub) (08/17/90)
Several additional sources with helpful information for both
beginning lecturers and those who want to improve their skills:
1. "What works", a research based compendium published by the U.S.
Department of Education. Available from Govt. Printing Office,
Pueblo, CO 81099. For more information about this book you can
call (202) 783-3238 or (800) 424-1616, the Office of Education
Research information office.
2. A practical article: "25 ways to improve any lecture", by Sivalailam
Thiagarjan, published in Performance & Instruction Journal,
December 1985.
3. This R&D Center has done some excellent work on improving insturction
(I'm just a visitor, so I'm not bragging!). Evaluating what you are
doing and how well you`ve done it are important for developing and
maintaining lecturing skill and effectiveness. Two Tech Reports that
discuss good evaluation methods are:
John Ellis: The Course Evaluation System (TR 87-19)
William Montague: The Instructional Quality Inventory (TR 83-31).
(Their email addresses are <lastname>@nprdc.navy.mil)
I hope these references are helpful.
"These opinions are mine, but hopefully not mine alone, and do not
represent those of the U.S. Government, or of my sponsor."cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Cliff Joslyn) (08/17/90)
I've been referred to a set of aids to instructors called /Teaching Effectiveness Training/. Has anyone heard of it? Thanks. -- O-------------------------------------------------------------------------> | Cliff Joslyn, Cybernetician at Large, cjoslyn@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu | Systems Science, SUNY Binghamton, Box 1070, Binghamton NY 13901, USA V All the world is biscuit shaped. . .