"Keep their attention with variation"
Although learning always takes place in the head of the learner, good teachers are worth their weight in gold. Klara Bolander Laksov, an educational developer at Karolinska Institutet, takes us through her top tips for successful lectures.
Focus on your students and their learning
"Start from what your students need rather than what you want to impart. It all comes down to communicating with them and finding out what they already know. Although the easiest way is to ask, technology can also help, and lecturers on many of Karolinska Institutet´s study programmes use e-voting for rapid feedback during lectures."
Build on existing knowledge
"Students aren´t blank pages, they´ve always got some perception of the subject in question. Build links backwards by starting from this perception. Don´t take it for granted that they know a lot or that they don´t know anything at all."
Variation
"Research shows that a varied approach to lectures makes it easier for students to stay focused. Switch between PowerPoint, whiteboard, images and film. Try to vary the way you talk, and let other people do the talking too - the students, for example."
Activate the students
"Give students the space to process the information they´re getting, perhaps by getting them to discuss it with their neighbour. Long lectures without space to process the information are guaranteed to be forgotten."
Be focused
"Think about what your students want to get out of your lecture. How does this tie in with the lecture´s intended learning outcomes? It´s also important for you to come up with goals for how you can develop as a lecturer."
