Supporting physics teaching with research-based resources

Presentation has its place and is a valuable tool, when done sparingly and for the right type of content. Here are recommendations for effective and inclusive presentations.

Keep it short and pause. Lecture no more than ~10-15 minutes, and then turn to active learning. Pause frequently to give students a chance to think about what you’ve presented, identify questions, take notes, draw connections, or think about the next step.

Engage students with the content you're telling them about through strategies like choral response, individual work like quick writes, or group work like neighbor discussions or think-pair-share.

Provide guided or skeleton notes. These notes provide some level of organization but lack details, which students fill in, helping them to become better note-takers and consumers of information. You might start with your full lecture notes or slides, and keep things like equations or charts, and leave out detailed discussion or answers. Or simply provide headings, equations and diagrams, leaving the rest blank. Cornell Notes are another option to offer students.

Provide slides, recordings, and screencasts so that students can review the presentation again. When solving problems, record a separate screencast that students can re-watch and pause.

Use supportive and encouraging language to establish a good class climate and boost student confidence. Emphasize hard work over ability so that students develop a growth mindset. Examples (from Seidel et al. 2015):

• "Everyone can learn physics. Yes, it takes hard work and practice, and you can do it!"
• "You all came up with some really cool answers. I love the way that everybody thinks about this a little bit differently."
• "I'm more curious about your approach to how you think about [this assignment], than I am whether you get the answer right or not."
• "Be a good colleague, help other people if you can. We don't grade on the curve. There is no reason not to help anybody else."

Additional practices:

• Help students structure their knowledge. Help students develop a coherent cognitive structure or mental model of the content. An organizational chart or graphic can help with this.
• Use universal design strategies to ensure lecture materials are accessible to those with auditory or visual impairments. Seek out your local disability resource center for strategies.
• Use real world examples to connect to students goals, values, and interests, and help them see alignment between the course and their lives.