The Art of Lecturing: A Practical Guide to Successful University Lectures and Business Presentations

by Parham Aarabi

• ISBN13: 9780521876100
• ISBN10: 0521876109
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-09-24
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This volume is a simple and clear guide to lecturing. It offers strategies for successful lectures in the academic and business communities. Told from a lecturing mindset, this book aims to combat fear and nervousness, while presenting successful tricks and tactics. Parham Aarabi discusses a wide array of practical ideas that may surprise and help even the most experienced public speakers. In addition, Aarabi provides a unique insight into lecturing for 21st century audiences based on his own lecturing experiences at the University of Toronto and Stanford University. Aarabi is the winner of the 2004 IEEE Mac Van Valkenburg Early Career Teaching Award for 'inspirational classroom instruction'.

Author Biography

Parham Arabi is the Founder and Director of the Artificial Perception Laboratory at the University of Toronto.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Conclusion	p. 1
A lecture...	p. 4
The ingredients of a lecture	p. 5
Book motivation	p. 6
From a shy observer to an unorthodox lecturer - the story of the author	p. 7
The lecturing mindset	p. 15
Motivating yourself	p. 16
Failing your way towards success	p. 17
Confronting your fears	p. 18
Re-channeling emotions	p. 19
Chapter summary	p. 21
Chapter checklist	p. 22
Old school basics	p. 23
The internet generation audience	p. 23
Don't believe everything they tell you!	p. 24
Think before preparing	p. 26
Prepare and rehearse	p. 26
Chapter summary	p. 28
Chapter checklist	p. 28
General lecturing principles	p. 29
Lecture effectiveness	p. 29
The narrow channel model	p. 30
Be unique	p. 32
Be honest	p. 34
Be aware of your audience	p. 35
Connect with the audience	p. 36
Simplify and focus	p. 38
Remove any and all biases	p. 40
Care	p. 41
Understand before you lecture	p. 42
Chapter summary	p. 43
Chapter checklist	p. 44
At the beginning of the lecture	p. 46
The initial lack of attention	p. 46
Start running from the gate	p. 48
The 5 minute rule	p. 49
Over performing is better than under performing, at least initially	p. 51
The review	p. 52
Chapter summary	p. 53
Chapter checklist	p. 53
Things you should be aware of during the lecture	p. 55
Noise levels	p. 55
Verbal feedback	p. 57
Visual feedback	p. 58
Attention span of the typical audience	p. 59
Chapter summary	p. 61
Chapter checklist	p. 61
Effective tools/tricks to energize your lecture	p. 63
Be sincere, confront your mistakes directly	p. 63
Maintain your command	p. 66
Democratic lectures	p. 67
Be on the offensive	p. 71
Breaks, jokes, and other fun distractions	p. 74
Personalization	p. 77
Chapter summary	p. 78
Chapter checklist	p. 79
Common mistakes that turn good lectures into disasters	p. 80
Overconfidence disguised as arrogance	p. 80
Packing too much into the lecture	p. 81
Misconnection with the audience	p. 83
Misusing overhead slides and PowerPoint presentations	p. 85
Chapter summary	p. 90
Chapter checklist	p. 91
At the end of the lecture	p. 92
Do not rush	p. 92
Leave enough time for questions	p. 94
Retain control until your last breath	p. 94
Remember, the last coat of paint is the one that lasts	p. 96
Chapter summary	p. 98
Chapter checklist	p. 98
The art of academic lecturing	p. 100
The first lecture	p. 100
Tests and exams - to kill or not to kill	p. 101
Teaching assistants - the good, the bad, and the...	p. 103
Multi-section lecturing issues	p. 104
Always remember the primary goal	p. 105
Post-lecture interactions	p. 107
Course load assessment	p. 108
Academic presentations	p. 109
Chapter summary	p. 111
Chapter checklist	p. 111
Making lectures come to life through labs	p. 113
The point of labs and practical experience	p. 113
The relation between lectures and labs	p. 115
What a lab should not be	p. 116
The Vranesic lab-lecture model	p. 117
Large scale labs	p. 118
Chapter summary	p. 119
Chapter checklist	p. 120
Lecturing in non-academic contexts	p. 121
The business presentation	p. 121
The perfect answer	p. 123
The acronym shield	p. 124
Fifteen minutes	p. 126
Professional lecturing	p. 127
Political speeches versus academic lectures versus business presentations	p. 128
Chapter summary	p. 129
Chapter checklist	p. 129
The mechanics of professional presentations	p. 131
The classic model	p. 131
The shock model	p. 137
A hybrid approach	p. 141
Chapter summary	p. 145
Chapter checklist	p. 146
Final words	p. 148
Be persistent	p. 148
Don't force things that are not meant to be	p. 150
More art than science	p. 151
Most important of all...	p. 153
About the Author	p. 155
Index	p. 157
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