Lecturing and PowerPoint

Abstract

This chapter deals with creating spaces for engagement. It considers the issue of coverage in designing courses and lectures, and for setting coverage requirements at the curricular level, and how to balance that with what students do and experience in class to learn what is being covered. To solve the age-old problem of disengagement, the chapter argues that the heart of this problem is also the problem of how teachers help them learn during the presentation of content, material, or subject matter. In short: “Think of your audience. Think of your students.” Here, the teacher must design and deliver lectures with their subjective experience of the classroom in mind. These considerations will lead to informed choices about when and how to lecture, and how to lecture in ways that can engage students and enhance their learning rather than put them to sleep. The chapter explores some approaches to maximizing the benefits of lecturing for students, while minimizing the more common causes of disengagement.