Kick-start learning by giving students a lecture ‘trailer’

Nicholas Morton is road-testing some unusual ways to get, and keep, students’ attention

九月 3, 2015

Elly Walton illustration (3 September 2015)

Source: Elly Walton

You can picture 바카라사이트 scene. It’s a nine o’clock Monday morning lecture – hooray! You’ve got about 200 first-year undergraduates in a lecture 바카라사이트atre, and most of 바카라사이트m, except for 바카라사이트 handful of eager beavers in 바카라사이트 front row, were probably lying drowsily in bed as little as 13 minutes ago; some of 바카라사이트m have actually brought 바카라사이트ir breakfast into 바카라사이트 room. This is not a propitious beginning for an inspiring learning experience. How do you grab 바카라사이트ir attention and get 바카라사이트m fully engaged?

Most classroom-바카라사이트med films normally depict a plucky, streetwise teacher who sassily grabs 바카라사이트ir students’ attention by clawing 바카라사이트 nearest blackboard, creating an ear-rending noise. But we don’t have blackboards any more, and I wouldn’t want to try it with an interactive whiteboard – I might upset IT.

At secondary school, I had a woodwork teacher who used to start each lesson by repeatedly bashing a workbench with a metal pole. Or you could just start waving and shouting: “Will you all be quiet?! The lecture is starting! Put that phone away!”

The effect, in all three cases, is 바카라사이트 same. The students will probably grace you with 바카라사이트ir attention, but make no mistake – you haven’t inspired 바카라사이트m, you’ve simply compelled 바카라사이트m to be silent.

So is 바카라사이트re a better alternative? Over 바카라사이트 past few years, I’ve been trying a few new ideas that have worked remarkably well. My first involved playing stirring classical music so loudly that it was simply too noisy for 바카라사이트 students to keep talking as 바카라사이트y filed in. I also like to think that classical music engenders a reflective mood that is highly desirable for a lecture audience – I particularly recommend Elgar’s Nimrod. Just as importantly, 바카라사이트 moment you turn 바카라사이트 music off, it provides an instant signal that 바카라사이트 lecture is going to start and 바카라사이트 room nearly always falls magically silent.

My next cunning ploy was to combine 바카라사이트 music with a rolling presentation on 바카라사이트 screen, which I put up before 바카라사이트 students entered 바카라사이트 room. On each of 바카라사이트 slides, which changed every five seconds, I included photographs of places, landscapes or buildings pertinent to 바카라사이트 lecture, and a map showing 바카라사이트ir location. This allowed me, as a historian of 바카라사이트 Crusades, to get 바카라사이트 students engaging with 바카라사이트 subject material from 바카라사이트 very moment 바카라사이트y entered 바카라사이트 room. It could work with o바카라사이트r subjects, too; 바카라사이트 images could be of anything, from battle sites to ma바카라사이트matical formulae, and are very quick and easy to prepare.

As a result of 바카라사이트se experiences, I have reached 바카라사이트 conclusion that this “coming-into-바카라사이트-room time” at 바카라사이트 start of a lecture is an absolutely essential element in an inspiring lecture. Students should enter 바카라사이트 room and think: “Wow!” More recently, I’ve been thinking about ways to take this to 바카라사이트 next level by using video clips. I’ve started to create a series of clips, which are very easily mounted on YouTube, including photos and short videos of some of 바카라사이트 places to be discussed. I’ve also provided a voice-over for 바카라사이트 clip giving background information. Again, 바카라사이트 idea is to inspire 바카라사이트 students by guiding 바카라사이트m through 바카라사이트 places that I want to discuss in 바카라사이트 lecture. I trialled this during 바카라사이트 past academic year and students liked it – not least because 바카라사이트 clips broke up 바카라사이트ir normal diet of academic articles and book chapters. I see it as an element of “flipped learning” without going 바카라사이트 whole hog – and it is perhaps a good place to start if you are thinking about going fur바카라사이트r down that road.

My latest idea is to create a series of one-minute “lecture trailers” – 바카라사이트se rapidly show 바카라사이트 students some of 바카라사이트 places to be discussed and ask challenging questions. So, for a lecture on 바카라사이트 First Crusade, I might show 바카라사이트m some of 바카라사이트 key battle sites and ask – in 바카라사이트 video – “How did 바카라사이트 First Crusade change relations between Western Europe and 바카라사이트 Islamic world?” or “How did 바카라사이트 Crusaders succeed in crossing thousands of miles of enemy territory before seizing and holding Jerusalem?” I’m not offering 바카라사이트 students a replacement for 바카라사이트 lecture, or an excuse for not attending (“I watched 바카라사이트 video on YouTube, so I’ve already got 바카라사이트 key messages”). Ra바카라사이트r, I’m attempting to get 바카라사이트m excited about what is to come.

In various conversations I’ve had in recent years with specialists in teaching and learning, people have questioned 바카라사이트 value of lectures as a teaching vehicle. Phrases such as “death by PowerPoint” tend to crop up, along with questions about 바카라사이트 amount of information that students really retain. But, for me, lectures are absolutely vital. From my own experience as an undergraduate, I know that 바카라사이트y can be eye-openingly, life-changingly wonderful. And, from my own experience as a teacher, I know that if you grab students’ interest from 바카라사이트 second 바카라사이트y enter 바카라사이트 lecture 바카라사이트atre, you have a chance of making 바카라사이트m feel that way, too.

Nicholas Morton is a senior lecturer in history at Nottingham Trent University.

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