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Preparing Effective Lectures

Gain Your Audience's Interest

Introductory Exercise
Begin with a game or fun activity that dramatically introduces the main points of the lecture.

Lead-off Story or Interesting Visual
Begin with a work related anecdote, fictional story, cartoon, or graphic that focuses the audience's attention on the subject of your lecture.

Initial Case Problem
Present a short problem around which the lecture will be structured.

Test Questions
Ask participants questions related to the lecture topics (even if they have little prior knowledge) so they will be motivated to listen to your lecture for answers.

Preview of Content
Give highlights or "coming attractions" in an enthusiastic manner to entice interest and involvement.

Maximize Understanding and Retention

Opening Summary
At the opening of the lecture, state (or summarize in writhing) major points and conclusions to help participants organize their listening.

Key Terms
Reduce the major points in the lecture to key words that act as verbal subheadings or memory aids.

Examples
As much as possible, provide real-life illustrations in the lecture.

Analogies
If possible, make comparisons between your material and the knowledge or experience the participants already have.

Visual Backup
Use flip-charts, transparencies, handouts, and demonstrations that enable participants to see as well as hear what you are saying.

Involve Your Participants During Lectures

Listener Roles
Assign participants responsibilities to be performed either during or after the lecture that require active listening to the lecture.

Guided Note Taking
Provide instructions or a form indicating how participants should take notes during a lecture. Stop at intervals so that participants can write down reactions or ideas that go beyond what has been presented.

Spot Challenges
Interrupt the lecture periodically and challenge participants to give examples os the concepts presented or answer spot quiz questions.

Synergistic Learning
Provide different information to different participants. Allow them to compare notes and briefly teach each other.

Illuminating Exercises

Throughout the presentation, intersperse brief activities that illuminate the information, ideas, and skills being presented.

Reinforce Your Lectures

Press Conference
Invite participants to prepare questions to submit for the trainer's response. Or provide a list of questions from which participants select.

Group Processing
Ask participants to reflect on the lecture's implications for them. Utilize any group format you feel will maximize the quality of the processing.

Post Lecture Case Processing
Pose a case problem for participants to solve based on the information in the lecture.

Participant Review
Ask participants to review the contents of the lecture with each other (in any group configuration) and commit the major points to memory. Or give them a self scoring review test.

Experimental Activity
Design an activity that dramatically summarizes or illustrates the lecture. Utilize any of the experimental learning approaches. (E.g. roll play, games/simulations, observations, mental imagery, writing tasks, or projects)

Text taken from Silberman & Auerbach. (1995). Active Training: A handbook of techniques, designs, case examples and tips. Lexington Books, NY.