Chapter 6: Lecture, Discussion, Demonstration

1

• Chapter 6 Lecture, Discussion, Demonstration
• Objectives
• 1. Determine when to use and how to prepare and
  present an effective lecture
• 2. Determine how to conduct three types of
  meaningful discussions
• 3. Describe functions of and how to plan
  effective demonstrations
• 4. Determine how to overcome difficulties in
  asking questions

2

• The Lecture
• Traditional, teacher-centered method
• Presentation of ideas and information from
  teacher to student
• Strengths
• Large amount of material can be covered in a
  short time
• Effective for introducing, clarifying, defining
• Efficient for students who have difficulty
  reading or dont read
• Inexpensive
• Can be as effective as any other method in
  cognitive gains
• When is it appropriate to lecture (Gage and
  Berlinger, 1992)
• The purpose is to disseminate information
• The material is not available elsewhere
• Particular organization is needed for a specific
  group
• Need to arouse interest
• Student only need to remember information for a
  short time
• Need to introduce or provide directions for other
  learning tasks
• Within a learning-cycle -development phase or
  5E lesson - Explain

3

• Effectiveness of Lecturing
• Determined by use of current student knowledge
• Determined by logical construction of new
  concepts
• Lacking when compared to some other methods
• Associated with rote learning
• Can lead to bored, inattentive students
• Can lead to authoritative and overly-structured
  teaching
• Blame is generally on the teacher, not the method
  (Ausubel, 1961)
• Interactive Lecture most effective
• Teacher and student questions interspersed
• Demonstrations included
• Provide opportunities for concept change
• Provide feedback for teacher of student
  understanding
• Useful for beginning teachers
• Develop confidence in classroom management
• Teacher remains focus of activity
• Provides bridge to more student-centered
  instruction

4

• Preparing Lectures
• Checking your understanding
• Must know the content
• Must know how to teach the content pedagogical
  content knowledge
• Ability to explain concepts, provide examples,
  use analogies, recognize common student
  misconceptions
• Constructed by teaching content multiple times
• Preparing Lecture Notes
• Prose or outline or outlines of key points
• All the information is there if you need it
• Visual representations do help student
  achievement (Hartley, 1976)
• Note taking may not be useful students need to
  listen to lecture
• Organizing the Lecture
• Introduction motivates and cues students to
  important points
• i. Expository advance organizer places new
  information into perspective with other related
  concepts (Example circulatory system presented
  along with brief outline of other systems)

5

• Comparative organizer provides simple analogy
  for complex concept (Example water pipes compared
  to circulatory system)
• Body contains organized presentation of new
  information
• Incorporate questions
• Simple plan is best for adolescent audience
• Slides, graphs, figures all help keep attention
• Telling stories is sometimes helpful
• Summaries briefly restate important ideas
• Typically question-based in interactive lectures
• Establish relevancy of material
• Conclusion summarizes main points and allows for
  questions
• Establishes student understanding
• Crystallizes most important concepts for students
  to focus on
• Presenting Successful Lectures
• Collaboration between students and teacher
• Inject your personality and sense of humor

6

• II. The Discussion
• Uses
• Ideal for topics without consensus
• Can initiate inquiry sessions, review material,
  solve problems
• Pure form Free expression of ideas when all are
  interested and knowledgeable enough to contribute
• Rarely the case in science instructions
• Discussion Types
• Recitation
• Teacher asks questions and the students answer
• Questions based on readings, lectures, labs, etc
• Purpose is to determine student understanding and
  to clarify misunderstanding
• Low-level questions too often used becomes drill
  and review
• Should allow demonstration of understanding and
  application to new situations
• Questions should be prepared in advance and
  sequenced
• Call on volunteers as well as non-volunteers

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• Guided Discussion
• Help students construct knowledge for themselves
• Students must have base knowledge to work from
• More varied interaction pattern than recitation
• Pace is slower with more development of ideas,
  clarification of points
• Questions should aim at higher cognitive levels
• Students should interpret, explain, apply,
  illustrate, generalize, conclude (Wilen, 1990)
• Reflective Discussion
• Open expression of ideas
• Introduce topic and ask initial question, but
  allow it to go where it will
• Excellent approach to controversial ideas AIDS,
  cloning, nuclear testing, etc
• Conflicting laboratory data can be a good topic
• Indisputable facts are not good discussion topics
• Challenge students to think critically and
  examine beliefs, attitudes
• No set interaction pattern
• Not imperative that all students speak up
• Still rests on students having enough background
  knowledge

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• Conducting a successful discussion
• Preparation
• Nature of the topic student maturity and
  interest need considered
• Physical setting face-to-face needed, everyone
  should see if demo.
• Group Size 10-20 students is optimum can use
  multiple small groups
• Phases (Kindsvatter, 1996)
• Entry teacher identifies topic and what their
  task is
• Let students know scope and purpose of discussion
• Can use engagement to arouse interest
• Clarification rules for discussion, definitions
  given
• Let students know role of teacher, themselves
• It is ok to question teacher and other students
• Investigation actual discussion teacher
  questioning skills important
• Closure summary of outcome related to prior or
  new knowledge
• Often neglected due to lack of time, but most
  important part

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• III. Oral Questioning
• Constructing Clear Oral Questions
• Simple and direct so students grasp intent
  immediately
• Use words they are familiar with
• What is the etiology (cause) of the disease
• Dont sacrifice scientific clarity use new terms
  once defined
• Make sure questions are complete and specific
• Proteins are made where?
• The equilibrium constant tells you what?
• Multiple plausible answers exist to each of
  these.
• Lower- and Higher-Order Questions
• Blooms Taxonomy (1956) knowledge, comprehension,
  application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation (p.
  117)
• Use a mixture of lower and higher order questions
• Common mistake is to only ask lower-order
  questions
• Key words judge, critique, etc can cue higher
  order to students
• Convergent single or few correct responses
  closed questions
• Divergent more than one correct answer open
  questions

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• Probing and Redirecting Questions
• Encourage clarifying or justifying previous
  answer (Probing)
• What comes next?
• Why do you say that?
• What evidence do we have for that?
• Why do you think that is true?
• Ask other students to build on a given response
  (Redirecting)
• Encourages analysis and critical listening skills
• Encourages students to pay attention
• Allows for creative and personal responses
• Wait Time
• Wait time beyond 3 seconds has many benefits
  (Rowe, 1974)
• Wait time 1 after question, Wait time 2 after
  student answer
• Failure to respond decreases, and higher-order
  responses increase
• Teacher expectations for slow learners increases
• Target students
• Teacher questions typically go to low and high
  achievers
• Consciously questioning all students improves
  learning
• Try keeping track of who you ask questions

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• The Demonstration
• Functions
• Initiate thinking
• Leaves students searching for an explanation
• Must present it as a problem to be investigated
• Dont immediately reveal the scientific principle
  involved
• Paper clips in full water glass before surface
  tension defined
• Illustrate concept
• Cloud formation requires a nucleus 2-liter
  bottle and match
• Show how to do a procedure needed for the lesson
• Streaking a plate of agar, etc
• Answering a question
• Reviewing ideas
• Introducing and concluding units
• Addressing students conceptions
• Ask for predictions on how something will behave
• Use demonstration to contradict common
  misconception

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• Planning Demonstrations
• A demonstration is really a performance
• Sometimes a laboratory might be more effective
  if visibility would be increased, and the
  materials are cheap and available
• Should be interesting and visible to all students
• Phases
• Introduction
• Establish the purpose, materials, and what to
  look for
• Sometimes, it is better to tell them the outcome
  before doing
• Presentation
• Event is shown
• Questions are asked
• Avoid long delays if possible
• May have students participate or redo
  demonstration
• Conclusion
• Help students connect to new understanding
• May follow with guided discussion
• Link to everyday life