Theories and Practical Steps for Delivering Effective Lectures

Several approaches to teaching, such as problem-based learning, team-based learning and case method teachings are increasingly being adopted. However, the lecture format is still the most widely used approach to teaching, especially for a large class size. Nevertheless, traditional lectures or didactic lectures are considered ineffective in affecting learning outcomes of knowledge retention, student satisfaction, synthesis and elaboration of knowledge. Consequently, new strategies to transform didactic lectures into effective lectures, and to facilitate deeper learning are emerging due to recent advances in our understanding of the cognitive sciences on learning and memory. These advances can be applied to teaching to diverse learners and across different settings in the health professions education. They can also be used as a guide to faculty development, organization of lectures and curriculum development. In this article, we reviewed selected principles of learning and memory to determine those that are most critical to improving didactic lectures, guiding instructors to effective teaching, and deeper student learning. Our analyses of these principles have produced key practical steps that are essential to enhancing lectures, making them interactive and effective. Further, these steps can be adopted across different learning environments of health education.

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