In education courses (including subfields such as curriculum and instruction, physical education, secondary and elementary education, and educational administration), the most common speaking assignments focus on teaching and related instructional tasks, such as giving a lecture or demonstrating an activity. In a mathematics education course, you may prepare a mini-lecture on a particular geometric theorem. In a learning-styles course, you may tailor an activity to a variety of different learners.
Delivering a Lecture
A lecture is an informational speech for an audience of student learners. Standard lectures range from thirty minutes to one hour in length; a mini-lecture presentation, designed to give students an opportunity to synthesize information in a shorter form, generally lasts about fifteen to twenty minutes. Typically, lectures include the following:
Facilitating a Group Activity
In the group activity presentation, the speaker describes an activity to be completed following a lecture. Typically this short presentation includes the following:
Facilitating a Classroom Discussion
In the classroom discussion presentation, the speaker leads a discussion following a lecture, offering brief remarks and then guiding the discussion as it proceeds.
Preparing Effective Presentations in Education
Good presentations in education are marked by clear organization, integration of the material into the broader course content, two-way communication, and student-friendly supporting material. Effective lecturers actively engage students in the learning process, pausing to pose questions about the topic, allowing time for discussion, and incorporating short activities into the mix.8 Rather than delivering a monologue, focus on engaging student participation.