Interactivity in lectures

Source: http://www.stmichaelshospital.com/pdf/research/kt/interactivity.pdf

What:

Interactivity in lectures involves an increased interchange between presenters, learners, and the lecture content.

Purpose:

To promote increased attention, motivation, involvement, and thinking among learners, to provide feedback to the educator and learners, and to increase satisfaction. There is evidence that interactivity can be increased in any formal CME format, regardless of the size of the "audience".

Increasing Interactivity

Interactivity with one's experiences and setting:

• Ask participants to write down a clinical case or problem, or three questions they have, before a presentation.
• Begin lecture with a suggestion to think about the last relevant case that was difficult to manage, or the case that caused the most reflection or concern.
• Use case-based teaching:
  • simulated: standardized patients, video or audio cases
  • live: real patients, e.g. live, rounds, video linkages

Interactivity with learning materials:

• Integrate handout material with lecture, for example, provide a quiz to be completed before, during, or after a lecture, develop a small paper case with prompts for diagnosis or management, leave blank spaces for participants to complete.

Interactivity with the speaker/presenter:

• Question and answer session (need not be only at end of lecture).
• Conduct computerized vote-counting (the electronic audience response system); use colored cards for participants to raise in response to questions.
• Organize a debate; ask participants to 'vote' for their choice in the debate.
• Ask rhetorical questions.
• Brainstorm ideas with the audience.

Interactivity with other learners:

• 'Buzz groups': participants discuss with nearby audience members a case presentation, possible diagnoses, personal experiences, etc.
• 'Think-pair-share': participants think of a particular case, discuss it with a neighbour audience member, and share it with the larger audience.
• Pyramiding: participants engage in a case discussion or similar exercise in pairs, then in groups of 4 or 6, and then as an entire audience.
• 'Stand up and be counted': audience members position themselves among designated positions 'strongly agree-agree-neutral-disagree-strongly disagree' to represent their position on a particular statement. The moderator then moves from group to group to explore the reasons for their position, articulating key concepts for discussion.

Resources

• Continuing Medical Education, University of Toronto, Interactive formats bibliography, http://www.cme.utoronto.ca/research/bibinteractive.asp
• The miniature guide to the art of asking essential questions, Elder L and Paul R. The Foundation for Critical Thinking, http://www.criticalthinking.org
• A miniature guide for those who teach on how to improve student learning, 30 practical ideas, Paul R and Elder L. The Foundation for Critical Thinking, http://www.criticalthinking.org

References:

1. Davis D, Goldman J, Perrier L. Effective Continuing Professional Development. In: Dent J. ed. A practical guide for medical teachers. UK: Elsevier, In press.
2. Steinert Y, Snell LS. Interactive lecturing: strategies for increasing participation in large group presentations. Medical Teacher, 1999;21:37-42.