News Roundup: Learning in Lectures

Two professors describe ways instructors can promote students’ learning in lectures, and award-winning faculty weigh in on what good teaching looks like.

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Capturing Students’ Attention in Lectures
Christine Harrington and Todd Zakrajsek suggest ways to help students avoid distractions and focus on learning during lectures, such as explaining the negative effects of multitasking, pointing out the big ideas within a lesson, and using a 90-second exercise to draw students in. (Inside Higher Ed)

Video: What Does Good University Teaching Look Like?
In this video, top instructors weigh in on the components of effective teaching. Responses include demonstrating enthusiasm for the material, partnering with students, and being flexible with lesson plans. (Times Higher Education)

Making the Invisible Visible
Two instructors describe their approaches for teaching students to grapple with diversity and develop critical thinking skills and empathy. Katharine Covino asks students to connect children’s literature with current and personal events, and Kisha Tracy looks at the biases in history in her medieval literature courses. (Digital Pedagogy Lab)

Teaching With the News
Conversations on current events foster critical thinking and analytical skills, Michael Harris writes. He advocates a method he calls “In the News,” in which instructors cold-call on students to describe a news item or current event, providing fodder for class discussions and showing how course content is relevant to current issues. (Higher Ed Professor)

The Life-Shaping Power of Higher Education
Reflecting on how the landscape of academia has transformed, Marvin Krislov emphasizes the importance of higher education, explaining how college can shape students into innovative thinkers and lifelong learners, preparing them to succeed in multiple careers. (Inside Higher Ed)