What makes a good lecture?

This is an example from a class at UT Arlington.

Using examples from reading The Joy of Teaching by Peter Filene, and online discussions about lecturing that was conducted for my class in Intro To Teaching College History (HIST 5347), effective lecturing for me comes down to some simple principles. Those principles are good communication, knowledge of the material, and proper time management. Actually, they sound simple, but I know those are broad aspects, and giving a good lecture is more complex than that. Most of the suggestions of what to avoid in a lecture, from my online discussions, I believe could be classified into one of those three aspects, communication, knowledge, and time management. I used these examples to describe what is most important to me. Each of these is just as important as the other when giving an effective lecture.

Good communication, is more than just speaking clearly. Good communication is acknowledging students through eye contact, getting input from the class during lectures, using visuals to enhance your point, and explaining the context of your lecture. These are the most important qualities of good communication in a lecture. Keeping the students engaged, and also making your points with regard to the material are what these qualities are designed to do.

Knowledge of the material may in fact be the starting point for any lecture, and for any instructor. It may be more basic than good communication or time management, but just as important. Being able to offer details about a history topic, field questions from the students, and knowing where students may look for information are crucial. This could be related to good communication, but I believe you could have one without the other, which wouldn’t make the instructor as effective.

Time management may seem secondary to the first two principles, but in my opinion, and judging teacher’s opinions from the discussion in HIST 5347, it is also very important. Making sure there is time to cover all the material is one thing, but also spending the right amount of time on specific topics is key. Some parts of the course may be more difficult, and require more time which can really help students. Having a schedule on the syllabus, and adhering to that schedule of what the lecture covers day by day, as well as adjusting it if necessary, is a good structure for the instructor and the students to follow.

Again, I realize being an effective lecturer is more complex, and probably more difficult than this, but these principles were most important to me personally.