Project Description

Getting started with interactive lecturing

Dr. Deborah Breen

Boston University

The academic lecture has a long history. Indeed, it is the method of teaching that we feel most familiar with. Yet, as we discover more about the science of learning and consider the impact of new technologies on students in the twenty-first century, we need to think more about how the valued tradition of lecturing can adapt and grow. One way to integrate the lessons of learning science into classes is to think about lecturing as an interactive practice; that is, one that allows students to participate in a variety of active-learning exercises related to the class content.

Why incorporate interactivity into your lectures?

There are many reasons why interactivity can enrich your teaching, but let’s start with just three points to consider.

  • First, interactivity provides variety in the style of the class, which helps students stay engaged;
  • Second, it helps you strengthen pacing by organizing your lecture into chunks that allow students to refresh their attention; and
  • Third, active-learning exercises help students demonstrate their understanding of the material so you can address any gaps in learning as they occur.

Here are 5 ways to get started with interactive lecturing.

1. Connect with your learning outcomes:

Think about how the interactive elements fit with your intended learning outcomes and learning goals for the class overall, and for the particular class session. The activities you work into your lectures should allow you to check students’ understanding and for students to rehearse their knowledge. Connect the activities to the learning goals for each class session so students see the activities as adding to their knowledge rather than as busy work. A think-pair-share activity, for example, gives students the opportunity to reflect on what they’ve learnt as well as interact with other students to mutually test their understanding.

2. Start small:

You don’t need to overhaul your whole course to add interactivity into your classes. You can make one small change, such as adding some feedback activity into your class, to see how this works for you. Additionally, experienced instructors suggest that it’s helpful to introduce this small change as early in the semester as possible so that students understand that this interactive style is part of class expectations.

3. Be transparent:

Explain the ‘what’, the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ to your students before asking them to do an activity. Research indicates that students who are used to only listening in a lecture may be disoriented and even resistant to being asked to actively participate. Engage their interest and cooperation by explaining how the activity will help them understand and remember the material as well as get to know their classmates: this provides a foundation for successful interactive learning.

4. Think of your lesson as having a rhythm of ‘content’ and ‘pause’.

In the ‘content’, you can deliver short, focused mini-lectures that highlight an aspect of the content for the day. This chunk of content could take about 15 minutes for in-person classes and even less (say 6-9 minutes) for online classes. You then create a pause from lecturing that allows you to introduce an activity. The ‘pause’ is a break from the lecture, not a cessation of learning. In the activity, students will have the opportunity to test their understanding and knowledge, and give you valuable feedback in the process.

5. Talk to your colleagues

about what activities they are trying out in their classes. Conversations about teaching practices help all of us to grow in our pedagogy and encourage us to try different approaches. Keep a record of what you have tried and check in with students, too, to see which approaches work well to support their learning.

Interactive lecturing can be enormously rewarding for you and very beneficial for your students. Learning is most effective when we are asked to push even a little beyond our comfort zones: just as we ask students to extend their learning in each class, we can expand our own learning as instructors through practising interactive lecturing.