d asks, "Why would people do this?" (economics lecture) "Watch what happens to this balloon when the air is released." (physics lecture) "Take two minutes to complete the ten true-false items on the questionnaire that I'm distributing. We'll use your answers as part of today's lecture." (psychology lecture) "How many of you believe that high-rise housing means high-density housing?" (architecture lecture) "Nearly three-quarters of all assaults, two-thirds of all suicide attempts, half of all suicides, and half of all rapes are committed by people under the influence of what drug? How many think crack? Heroin? Marijuana? None of the above? The correct answer is alcohol." (social welfare lecture) Vary your opening. Any dramatic technique loses impact upon repetition.Announce the objectives for the class. Tell your students what you expect to accomplish during the class, or list your objectives on the board. Place the day's lecture in context by linking it to material from earlier sessions.Establish rapport with your students. Warmth and rapport have a positive effect on any audience. Students will feel more engaged in the class if the opening minutes are personal, direct, and conversational. (Source: Knapper, 1981) Capturing Students' InterestDuring class, think about and watch your audience-your students. Focus on your students as if you were talking to a small group. One-on-one eye contact will increase students' attentiveness and help you observe their facial expressions and physical movements for signs that you are speaking too slowly or too quickly, or need to provide another example. A common mistake lecturers make is to become so absorbed in the material that they fail to notice whether students are paying attention.Vary your delivery to keep students' attention. Keeping students' attention is among the most important facets 6f helping them learn (Penner, 1984). Studies show that most people's attention lapses after ten minutes ...
