Creating a Memorable Lecture and Facilitating Comprehension

All instructors hope that students will learn and remember what they teach in the classroom years after the lectures are over, an optimism challenged by staggering statistics showing that students only retain 10-20% of their lecture material even three weeks after the lectures. Despite many discouraging and demotivating statistics with respect to lecture material retention rates by students, we all have experienced at least one instructor whose inspiring lectures have had a long lasting and transformative effect on us. In this paper, the authors aim to inspire recognition in our role, as educators, to design effective lectures which promote optimal memory recall and learning. A number of specific strategies to promote long-term retention of knowledge are presented, including rehearsal and graphic representation of material, including the graphic syllabus.