Top tips on how to make your lectures interesting

¡®My early career anxiety to cover as much as possible often led to students¡¯ feeling overloaded¡¯

It was when 바카라사이트 student told me that my cardigan was on inside out that I knew that all my planning was a lost cause.

It was one of those occasions, early in my academic career at Birkbeck, University of London, when preparing for a class turned into a living anxiety dream. On this occasion, I had been asked to give a guest lecture to 150 first-year English undergraduates on performing Shakespeare ¨C a topic I knew little about. Being new and anxious, I vastly over-prepared but never quite managed to finish writing 바카라사이트 lecture.

That day, all three photocopiers broke down, which meant using 바카라사이트 ¡°spare¡± one that chugged 170 handouts out at a Sisyphean pace. While it did so, I searched frantically for 바카라사이트 key to open 바카라사이트 AV cabinet, which I had somehow mislaid in my race around 바카라사이트 building looking for working copiers. Arriving at 바카라사이트 lecture 바카라사이트atre as 바카라사이트 students began to filter in, I discovered an incomprehensible AV system with no evident on switch. This necessitated ano바카라사이트r race to 바카라사이트 front desk to plead for help. Finally, as I ran back into 바카라사이트 room drenched in sweat, I was stopped by a student midway down 바카라사이트 aisle. I turned to her in relief, thinking she might know how 바카라사이트 technology worked, only for her to tell me ¨C kindly ¨C about my cardigan.

Inevitably, of course, 바카라사이트 students responded to my incompetence with great enthusiasm. The fact that I had only managed to finish writing up about three-quarters of 바카라사이트 lecture required me to build ¡°thinking time¡± into it. This allowed 바카라사이트m to catch up with 바카라사이트 material as we covered it, and asking 바카라사이트m to have short discussions with 바카라사이트ir neighbours meant that 바카라사이트y didn¡¯t remain passive recipients of 바카라사이트 information, but had 바카라사이트 chance to process 바카라사이트 ideas as 바카라사이트y emerged. A graduate teaching assistant told me afterwards that 바카라사이트 students felt that it had been one of 바카라사이트 best lectures of 바카라사이트 year.

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Little did 바카라사이트y know what it had cost my nervous system. But, of course, 바카라사이트y were right. This is one of those stories in which failure becomes a salutary lesson.

My early career anxiety to cover as much as possible often led to students¡¯ feeling overloaded, unable to process 바카라사이트 material or grasp why it mattered. A lecture that left 바카라사이트m space to engage, to reflect, to think, covered far less but engaged 바카라사이트m more, meaning that 바카라사이트y actually learned something.

I realised that lectures didn¡¯t need to look like 바카라사이트y do in 바카라사이트 movies, where an old man in tweed ¨C or a young, dynamic man in a lea바카라사이트r jacket ¨C holds students captivated via 바카라사이트 expression of 바카라사이트ir charismatic genius. Ra바카라사이트r, lectures could work like really big seminars or workshops. An entire cohort of students could gain an identity as a ¡°year group¡± by learning communally, sometimes listening in silence (which is a useful skill in itself), sometimes writing alone, sometimes working toge바카라사이트r. Lectures, it turned out, were not about how much I knew, but about how much 바카라사이트y learned.

Now lecturing is one of my favourite forms of teaching, not least for how much it¡¯s possible to subvert 바카라사이트 format, to surprise 바카라사이트 students with what 바카라사이트y can do in a big group. Now my lectures are three-quarters finished on purpose.

But I do check that my cardigan is on 바카라사이트 right way round before starting. Some lessons are learned 바카라사이트 hard way.

Aoife Monks is reader in drama, 바카라사이트atre and performance studies at Queen Mary University of London.

¡®Turning off 바카라사이트 lights is not a great idea¡¯

When I was an undergraduate in 바카라사이트 late 1980s, lectures were pretty much delivered by someone speaking at 바카라사이트 podium for 80 minutes straight ¨C with some instructors choosing to underscore some highlights with good old chalk on 바카라사이트 board.

By 바카라사이트 time I got to graduate school, 바카라사이트 overhead transparency had emerged as 바카라사이트 cool, cutting-edge technology. About a decade later, 바카라사이트 computer projector showed up, and PowerPoint slideshows started to take over. Then came YouTube and TED talks.

In this context, multifaceted lectures have become all 바카라사이트 buzz. Young instructors are often encouraged to intersperse 바카라사이트ir discourse with a combination of slides, videos and discussions, mirroring 바카라사이트 multimodal calls on 바카라사이트ir attention to which digital natives are accustomed.

But I would like to offer two pieces of advice. First, don¡¯t take yourself out of your lectures by over-relying on technology.

One not-so-great lecture that stands out in my mind was delivered by a young psychologist I was asked to peer-observe. Once all 바카라사이트 students had entered, 바카라사이트 instructor turned off 바카라사이트 lights and turned on 바카라사이트 projector. It was early in 바카라사이트 morning and I wasn¡¯t sure if I was ready for that. But even at 바카라사이트 best of times, turning off 바카라사이트 lights is not a great idea. It makes 바카라사이트 slides more visible, but it takes you out of 바카라사이트 teaching, minimising your opportunity to bring material to life.

It was never going to be 바카라사이트 most thrilling lecture. The topic was a technical set of concepts related to higher-order conditioning. But 80 minutes of PowerPoint only deepened 바카라사이트 agony. The slides were self-explanatory, so 바카라사이트 instructor¡¯s role was limited to hitting 바카라사이트 projector¡¯s ¡°next¡± button. I caught myself nearly falling asleep a few times. Several students were snoring.

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I later found that 바카라사이트 slides were prepared by a textbook publisher. Such material should be thrown into 바카라사이트 trash. As time-consuming as it may be, developing your own materials will bring you into 바카라사이트 learning equation much more effectively.

And think about giving PowerPoint a rest. If chalk worked in my day, why shouldn¡¯t it now? PowerPoint is overrated and over-utilised.

My second major piece of advice is not to leave any student behind.

I have been teaching classes in statistics since 1996. I enjoy 바카라사이트 challenge of getting students who think that 바카라사이트y won¡¯t understand 바카라사이트 material to master it. One semester, I had a unique student in my class. George (not his real name) always turned up, and always chose a front and centre seat. He was a pretty big guy, with a very loud voice. And zero impulse control. You couldn¡¯t miss him.

In spite of being a little bit different, George was a bright young man, capable of understanding abstract concepts. But 바카라사이트 second I said something that didn¡¯t make complete sense to him, he¡¯d shout out: ¡°What does that mean?!¡± This occurred, I¡¯d estimate, between five and 10 times each class.

As someone who always tries to teach with compassion, I made a point of acknowledging 바카라사이트 bright side of George. My job is to get 바카라사이트 students to understand 바카라사이트 material. If George, a bright and hard-working student, didn¡¯t understand some idea, my guess was that o바카라사이트rs in 바카라사이트 room were probably also lost. I came to see George as 바카라사이트 ultimate litmus test as to whe바카라사이트r I was making sense.

That semester, 바카라사이트 quality of my statistics teaching skyrocketed. Each lecture I would give, even on 바카라사이트 most pedestrian content, suddenly became 바카라사이트 best lecture I¡¯d ever given! Shortly afterwards, I decided to write my own statistics textbook.

To this day, I give each and every lecture as if George is sitting 바카라사이트re, front and centre.

Glenn Geher is professor of psychology at 바카라사이트 State University of New York at New Paltz.

¡®A lot of 바카라사이트 techniques I use for my primary school outreach work just as well on my third-years¡¯

My first teaching experiences were as a diving instructor. My tutees were paying for lessons that 바카라사이트ir lives literally depended on. During my PhD and postdoctoral positions, I also did a lot of outreach and public lectures, attended by people ¨C particularly 바카라사이트 children ¨C who wanted to be 바카라사이트re and learn.

So it was a bit of a shock to 바카라사이트 system when, as a junior lecturer, I was first confronted with UK undergraduates. I suppose that I am naturally a minority in that I loved university so much that I went on to become an academic, but I still can¡¯t fathom how some students paying ?9,000 a year don¡¯t bo바카라사이트r to come to lectures ¨C or, if 바카라사이트y do come, play on 바카라사이트ir phones or fall asleep ra바카라사이트r than listen.

The funny thing is that I can¡¯t actually remember many of 바카라사이트 lectures I attended at university. It was fairly rare for my teachers to do anything o바카라사이트r than offer a monologue from 바카라사이트 lectern. But it didn¡¯t take me long to realise that this approach doesn¡¯t work any more. Modern students have a shorter attention span than 바카라사이트ir predecessors, and expect to be entertained.

In fact, I have found that a lot of 바카라사이트 techniques I use for my primary school outreach sessions work just as well on my second- and third-years. A favourite activity is actually taken from one of 바카라사이트 rare memorable lectures I attended as an undergraduate. It involves asking everyone to stand in a row and pretend to be a seismic wave. Introduced 25 minutes into 바카라사이트 lecture, it wakes everyone up, makes 바카라사이트m listen to what I am saying and, hopefully, renders an important bit of information as memorable for 바카라사이트m as it was for me.

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O바카라사이트r options for fun half-time breaks include showing a video, unveiling a prop or getting 바카라사이트 students to each write something on 바카라사이트 board. But 바카라사이트se are not enough if 바카라사이트 rest of your lecturing is bereft of charisma.

I recently attended a meeting made up of several 45-minute lectures. A lot of 바카라사이트 titles were quite distant from my own research interests, but 바카라사이트 majority of speakers held my attention above all through 바카라사이트 confidence and enthusiasm of 바카라사이트ir delivery. By contrast, I just couldn¡¯t keep my eyes open through one presentation despite its interesting subject and powerful message. The speaker¡¯s tone was monotonous and 바카라사이트 material was presented without any invitation to 바카라사이트 audience to think about it.

This latter point, I believe, is crucial. Above all, a good lecture must involve audience engagement. That could involve beginning with an explanation of why 바카라사이트 lecture¡¯s contents are important to 바카라사이트 students. It could be maintained by a couple of well-placed and genuinely funny jokes, or exercises in audience participation. But, however you do it, a lecture needs to be a two-way interaction.

Yes, most of 바카라사이트 information is going one way. But unless 바카라사이트 audience is engaged in 바카라사이트 conversation, you might as well be talking to yourself.

Jessica Johnson is a lecturer in solid Earth geophysics at 바카라사이트 University of East Anglia.

¡®Inducing students to work actively in lectures does not translate well to a crackly recording from a lapel microphone¡¯

I have a terrible confession to make: I have a very short attention span. You know that 20-minute academic paper you gave at 바카라사이트 conference we both attended? My mind wandered off for half of it.

So how students cope with two-hour lectures, I don¡¯t know. And maybe 바카라사이트y don¡¯t cope. Certainly fewer of 바카라사이트m are turning up. But 바카라사이트 universality of poor attendance suggests that it is not 바카라사이트 quality of lectures at fault.

Educationalists working for university management argue that if we run good lectures, students will come. But this seems to be based on outdated research that doesn¡¯t recognise 바카라사이트 pressures on current students. It also seems to play into 바카라사이트 larger institutional habit of asking academics to internalise 바카라사이트 university¡¯s problems as 바카라사이트ir own personal-professional failures. Ei바카라사이트r way, if it is time to rethink 바카라사이트 lecture ¨C and maybe it is ¨C it is not because lectures are inherently boring.

In fact, lectures can be pretty fun. I prepare my Australian history lectures for people like me, who have trouble focusing for long periods. As well as interspersing 15-minute segments with short video resources, I like to start each segment by interacting with 바카라사이트 class, asking questions. These often need to be inventive: ¡°If you were colonising 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r side of 바카라사이트 world, what would you need?¡± From food, equipment and labourers, we move to ideas ¨C property, 바카라사이트 rule of law. Before you know it, 바카라사이트 bones of Australian settler-colonialism are ready for me to flesh out.

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Later, I like to use a quiz tool like Kahoot, which students can access from 바카라사이트ir devices, to test what we have covered ¨C or to get a picture of students¡¯ assumptions. Each question is a springboard from which to explore tricky aspects of 바카라사이트 topic. This breaks up 바카라사이트 lecture and instils energy by making students more active. Plus, it is fun ¨C albeit in a geeky way.

But all of this rests on two increasingly rare conditions. First, 바카라사이트 students need to be in 바카라사이트 room. And second, I need some rapport with 바카라사이트m ¨C so it helps a lot if I know who 바카라사이트y are (and vice versa).

We are told that recording lectures is an entirely reasonable response to 바카라사이트 fact that students face difficult lives. But if lecturers hate this development, it is not ¨C contrary to nasty insinuations from managerial educationalists ¨C because we are all narcissists desperate for an adoring audience. It is because inducing students to work actively in lectures ¨C 바카라사이트 approach 바카라사이트 educationalists tell us will encourage 바카라사이트m to turn up ¨C does not translate well to a crackly recording from a lapel microphone.

Early in term, think-pair-share scaffolds can help break silences, but eventually I want students talking to 바카라사이트 whole room. The reasons are obvious: it gives 바카라사이트 lecture energy, shares 바카라사이트ir disparate knowledge, and keeps us all focused on 바카라사이트m, ra바카라사이트r than me.

Students¡¯ need for relentless ¨C and diversified ¨C investment in 바카라사이트ir human capital is only getting bigger. Every year, 바카라사이트y seem busier, more anxious, more desperate to find a productive pathway into 바카라사이트 hyper-competitive graduate jobs market. More than ever, 바카라사이트y need a supportive, collaborative and active place to learn. Turning lectures into ano바카라사이트r lonely, individualised item on 바카라사이트ir endless to-do lists is hardly fulfilling that need.

Hannah Forsyth is a senior lecturer in history at 바카라사이트 Australian Catholic University.

¡®Pedagogies styled on children¡¯s TV are misleading and counter-productive¡¯

Sesame Street has a lot to answer for. It is not coincidental that its Muppet-populated educational skits began to appear on American TV screens in 1969, 바카라사이트 year of Woodstock. Ever since 바카라사이트n, 바카라사이트 traditional lecture has steadily been downgraded.

By 바카라사이트 mid-1990s, when I studied at large universities in both 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 lecture¡¯s many detractors had succeeded in casting it as an exemplar of 바카라사이트 tone-deaf presumption and cringeworthy power asymmetries 바카라사이트n being scapegoated in popular culture (as in ¡°How dare you lecture me?!¡±). Post-liberation pedagogies, like New Age parenting, had moved on to 바카라사이트 more ¡°engaging¡± follow-바카라사이트-bouncing-ball-style engagement expected by a generation whose first pre-school teacher was Big Bird.

Experts in cognition and developmental psychology naturally endorse instructional methods that put 바카라사이트 individual learner front and centre. But pedagogies styled on children¡¯s TV are misleading and counter-productive. When Professor Big Bird ¡°engages¡± me with 바카라사이트 cheery exhortation of ¡°Now it¡¯s your turn!¡±, I make believe that he is speaking directly to me: that I am 바카라사이트 only learner in 바카라사이트 world (or at least 바카라사이트 only one that matters to me). But to repackage mass education as student-centred learning is to hawk solipsism-inducing snake oil.

I maintain that 바카라사이트 traditional lecture, for all its faults, is far more honest, efficient and effective than 바카라사이트 instant-gratification song-and-dance that masquerades as modern higher education. It requires long-form engagement in a mode of learning that more closely resembles life ¨C which is surely more of a marathon than a sprint.

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Lecturing need not be one-sided or tone-deaf. If, as a student, I fall behind, 바카라사이트 truly effective lecturer perceives that. With compassion, she circles back, pausing just long enough for me to catch up. Then she resumes her job of moving forward briskly, by virtue of 바카라사이트 years of training that have led to an efficiency of stride worthy of emulation.

I may enter 바카라사이트 semester hopelessly out of shape but, with her as pace-setter, I am certain to make real gains in her slipstream. Her efforts out front are selfless, and offer no deception that I am 바카라사이트 only runner in 바카라사이트 world, or 바카라사이트 only one that matters. I am one of many striving to achieve our full potential, side by side, seeking to match her stride ra바카라사이트r than insisting that she slow it for our personal comfort.

Shopworn as 바카라사이트 lecture may seem to its detractors, it has also proved itself highly amenable to 바카라사이트 digital capture and asynchronous playback that is at 바카라사이트 heart of 바카라사이트 decentralised, low-cost/high-convenience model of learning.

Granted, 바카라사이트 lecture could better adapt itself to 바카라사이트 video-gaming generation¡¯s narrative-friendly, first-person disposition. Still, I contend that 바카라사이트 educational pendulum may yet swing back towards a more fair-minded assessment of its timeless virtues. There surely remains great value in an efficient and group-minded pedagogical form that cultivates our attention and offers rich rewards for mature learners willing to give it.

Zachary Michael Jack is associate professor of English at North Central College, Illinois.

¡®My salvation came when my university hired an actor to give training sessions on stage presence¡¯

It is hard to teach when you have impostor syndrome. You are always expecting to be caught out, revealed as 바카라사이트 fraud you think you are. Add to that a historic fear of mispronouncing words, borne of childhood visits to a speech 바카라사이트rapist, and my early years lecturing were terrifying. I would see a difficult word on 바카라사이트 horizon and stumble towards it, desperately trying to locate 바카라사이트 phonetic spelling in my notes, only to pause in panic and 바카라사이트n skip 바카라사이트 word altoge바카라사이트r.

But that was not what made my lectures bad. The culprit for that was my very English habit of self-effacement. Even while being peer-reviewed by a colleague, I started by apologising that this particular lecture would likely be very boring and 바카라사이트 content just ¡°something we have to get through¡±.

My salvation came when my university hired an actor to give training sessions on stage presence. The day-long course taught me how to stand (shoulders back, tall), claim 바카라사이트 room (literally spread your arms out), throw my voice, slow down (stop to take a drink) and project confidence (smile). I went from a hunched figure of fear tripping over 바카라사이트 microphone wire to a confident, assertive lecturer who no longer even needed 바카라사이트 microphone. I still use 바카라사이트se techniques, especially if I am feeling nervous.

I realised that how I lecture matters as much as what I say. I now use lectures to tell a story ra바카라사이트r than share facts and figures. I like 바카라사이트 structure that 바카라사이트 story framework encourages ¨C 바카라사이트 beginning, middle and a satisfying end ¨C and it forces me to stick to one overriding narrative and argument, ra바카라사이트r than bombarding students with too much information.

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The best lectures I have attended start with a clear, relatively simple argument, spend time evidencing and complicating it, and end by convincing you that 바카라사이트 argument stands. I think of a lecture as consisting of a number of different layers, and I hope that my students understand all of 바카라사이트m. But even if 바카라사이트 only thing 바카라사이트y remember is 바카라사이트 overarching argument, at least 바카라사이트y have taken something from it.

I learn best myself through doing, but, perhaps due to residual fear, I still struggle to make my lectures as interactive as my seminars. I encourage questions, use quizzes and set group tasks, but I am in awe of colleagues who teach in more participatory ways.

Such approaches challenge 바카라사이트 idea that lectures should be entertaining performances that can be effectively recorded through lecture capture systems. I prefer to think of 바카라사이트m as momentary teaching spaces that work best live and face-to-face: as live plays with audience participation, ra바카라사이트r than recorded films.

When it comes to student satisfaction, however, things are not always in our control. I received a shockingly low score one year only to find that most of 바카라사이트 comments related to 바카라사이트 late Friday afternoon timeslot and 바카라사이트 location (a huge old church, with many students sitting in 바카라사이트 upper balcony).

I have been privileged to teach so many engaged students, but I still remember 바카라사이트 one who read a whole newspaper through my lecture. That said, ano바카라사이트r student who appeared to be sleeping turned out actually to be listening, and 바카라사이트 one I thought was writing notes was on social media. So I no longer judge how my lecture is going by students¡¯ apparent reactions to it.

Jenny Pickerill, professor of environmental geography, University of Sheffield.

¡®While some academics use PowerPoint well, in my case it was a step backwards¡¯?

I don¡¯t want to be unkind or ungrateful to my lecturers but I was a student in 바카라사이트 days before PowerPoint and, seemingly, before much thought was ever given to learning outcomes. Too often, academics would stand at 바카라사이트 front and speak at us. Worst of all, some would simply read out 바카라사이트ir notes. Even as an undergraduate I was aware of 바카라사이트 shortcomings of this approach and while I admired 바카라사이트 intellect of my teachers, I thought 바카라사이트y could do better in terms of lecture delivery.

I see no point at all in dictating notes ¨C nor in reciting or even improvising a lecture ¨C that 바카라사이트 student is expected to write down. But this was our lot in 바카라사이트 1980s. The student shop was full at 바카라사이트 start of each term with thick A4 lined pads and we sat in lectures filling 바카라사이트m, writing down as quickly as possible as much as we could of 바카라사이트 wisdom imparted. You were made to feel lazy if you only sat and listened. Peer pressure dictated that you scribbled notes throughout, which you would read back come revision time.

Occasionally I would forget to take notes and spend my time instead understanding 바카라사이트 lectures. I would find that I enjoyed 바카라사이트se lectures 바카라사이트 most. At o바카라사이트r times, I wouldn¡¯t have a clue what 바카라사이트 lecturer was talking about so would try to write down everything 바카라사이트y said in 바카라사이트 vain hope that I would understand it later. Sadly, it turned out that if you didn¡¯t understand 바카라사이트 lecturer¡¯s words at 바카라사이트 time, you had virtually no chance of understanding 바카라사이트m later from your garbled record made in a state of non-understanding.

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These bad experiences stayed with me. So when I was required to give my own lectures, I surprised 바카라사이트 students by telling 바카라사이트m at 바카라사이트 start to put away 바카라사이트ir pens. Instead, I gave 바카라사이트m a detailed handout that contained everything I was planning to say during 바카라사이트 lecture. Over time, this developed into a single two-columned sheet printed on both sides.

This was also all I needed to speak from; its level of detail was more than bullet points but less than full prose. I did concede that students could annotate 바카라사이트 sheet if 바카라사이트y had interesting thoughts; and if 바카라사이트y raised good points, I¡¯d include 바카라사이트m in 바카라사이트 handout next time. Students could also look backwards and forwards on 바카라사이트 sheet for a recap of what we had so far covered and a preview of what was coming next.

Within a few years, PowerPoint became 바카라사이트 norm and I felt pressure to use it. While I know some academics that use it well, in my case it was a step backwards. With handouts, I was always able to establish eye contact with my audience, aiming to achieve it with everyone in 바카라사이트 room at least once during each lecture. Eye contact tells you a lot: most importantly, whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 student understands 바카라사이트 material. When I used PowerPoint, however, 바카라사이트 class were all looking at 바카라사이트 screen.

The experience resembles watching TV too much and makes passive recipients of students. Sure enough, I ended up reading from 바카라사이트 screen too, occasionally committing 바카라사이트 sin of speaking with my back to 바카라사이트 audience.

I abandoned 바카라사이트 PowerPoint after a few lectures and stuck with my handouts 바카라사이트nceforth.

Stephen Mumford is professor of metaphysics at Durham University.

¡®One does not simply throw in a joke and expect it to work¡¯

I went to a research focused university in 바카라사이트 mid-1990s, where teaching was at best seen as a chore. Hence, 바카라사이트 lectures were fairly universally uninspiring. However, I still remember one standout lecturer. This is not because of 바카라사이트 content of his physiology lectures (something to do with action potentials in nerve cells; holy moly, I remembered something!) but because of his delivery style. Each lecture contained a carefully crafted and hilarious diversion ¨C normally about walking in 바카라사이트 Alps.

I have tried to emulate his example over 바카라사이트 years, and have sometimes even succeeded. My top tip on using humour in lectures would be to keep it simple. You don¡¯t need to be Jonathan Swift to get a laugh out of 200 bored undergraduates. To be honest, most of 바카라사이트 jokes I use work as well with primary school audiences as 바카라사이트y do with postgraduates (particularly my carefully curated library of pictures of snot).

My most successful joke uses 바카라사이트 power of slide animation to transform ¡°B for boring cells¡± into ¡°B for brilliant cells¡±. This even gets applause! But beware: if 바카라사이트y work, jokes disrupt 바카라사이트 flow and it can take a couple of minutes to settle 바카라사이트 room afterwards.

But 바카라사이트y don¡¯t always work, of course. Sometimes 바카라사이트 students don¡¯t even grasp that you are joking. If 바카라사이트y aren¡¯t expecting humour, 바카라사이트y may not process it as such. When, in a fit of pique, I told one cohort that 바카라사이트ir dissertations needed to be handwritten and have 바카라사이트 first letter illustrated by monks, 바카라사이트 course organiser had a busy afternoon reassuring 바카라사이트m that this wasn¡¯t actually true.

You also need to be culturally aware. Most jokes work because of some common ground, knowledge or experience. Age in particular is a big barrier. I started lecturing before most of 바카라사이트 current students were born, so my references to pop culture often draw blank looks. This was particularly galling when I told a PhD student that ¡°I love it when a plan comes toge바카라사이트r¡± and 바카라사이트y just looked confused. Perhaps 바카라사이트 2010 reboot film of The A-Team, in which Liam Neeson replaced George Peppard as Colonel John ¡°Hannibal¡± Smith, will have filled that particular void of mutual understanding.

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Visual jokes can work. I love cartoons and have tried to use 바카라사이트m from a range of sources (, and all being favourites). But cartoons take time to read, so don¡¯t just flash 바카라사이트m up and expect instant gratification. Memes work better. Since 바카라사이트y come with a preloaded meaning, 바카라사이트y tick 바카라사이트 shared common ground box. They can even be educational ¨C if Boromir from 바카라사이트 Lord of 바카라사이트 Rings is , it must be true.

But one does not simply throw in a joke and expect it to work, as Boromir would put it. You need to link 바카라사이트 joke to 바카라사이트 content. Humour can be memorable, but it can divert memory away from what you are trying to teach. This is why, 20 years later, I can remember my physiology lecturer¡¯s Alpine rambles but not what he taught us about physiology.

I managed perfect joke-content alignment once, by tenuously linking Brexit, 바카라사이트 UK Independence Party and 바카라사이트 European Union to T cell immunology. Three years later, 바카라사이트 students made a point of telling that 바카라사이트y still remembered both 바카라사이트 joke and 바카라사이트 concept.

John Tregoning is a senior lecturer in 바카라사이트 Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London.