Lecture still dominates as the primary instructional strategy used by faculty. Lecturing provides an opportunity to explain challenging material, add interest to readings, and link ideas together. The key to an effective lecture is to add activities that give students time to apply, reflect, and engage with the content. Here are some ideas.
For an overview of UTSA Class Modalities head here.
Create engaging slides that provide interest, but not the whole lecture
Provide guided notes that require students to listen for information, then have then swap notes to compare and clarify questions.
Break up your lectures (every 5-10 minutes online/10-15 minutes F2F) with a short activity.
Provide opportunities to “move around” the room.
- This could include swapping papers, putting sticky notes on a wall or writing something on the board/discussion board. Movement helps learning.
- Have students answer a question, then discuss it with a peer nearby or online via break out group/discussion board. Use these as the basis for classroom discussion.
Create opportunities for students to use their devices to research the topic and apply what they learned in the class.
- Try adding iClicker activities to your lecture.
- Have students complete a mobile quiz on the material to assess learning.
- Take attendance – Easy Attendance Taking Using Blackboard