Effective Lectures: Introduction

Hurdles to effective lecturing

Hurdle #1: Lecturing may not guarantee student learning

Source: http://www.acu.edu/cte/activelearning/whyuseal2.htm

Dale's Cone diagrams effectiveness of learning according to the media involved in learning experiences. The chart illustrates the results of research conducted by Edgar Dale in the 1960s. According to Dale's research, the least effective method, the top of the cone, involves learning from information presented through verbal symbols, i.e., listening to spoken words. The most effective method, the bottom of the cone, involves direct, purposeful learning experiences, such as hands-on or field experiences.

Hurdle #2: Audiences lose interest fast

“The average student attention span is between ten and twenty minutes. After that, students have difficulty concentrating on the speaker.”- Barbara Gross Davis, Tools for Teaching (2001)