How can you make your lectures more interactive?

3 Use examples and stories

A third way to make your lectures more interactive is to use examples and stories to connect your content to real-world situations, problems, or scenarios. You can use examples and stories to illustrate how your topic is relevant, applicable, or interesting to your students, their lives, or their fields of study. You can use examples and stories from your own experience, from current events, from literature, from history, or from other sources. Examples and stories can help you make your lectures more relatable, memorable, and meaningful.

4 Involve your students in activities

A fourth way to make your lectures more interactive is to involve your students in activities that require them to apply, analyze, synthesize, or evaluate the information that you present. You can use activities such as case studies, problem-solving tasks, simulations, role-plays, debates, or games to challenge your students, engage their creativity, or foster their collaboration. You can use activities individually, in pairs, in groups, or as a whole class. Activities can help you make your lectures more dynamic, fun, and productive.

5 Encourage peer interaction and discussion

A fifth way to make your lectures more interactive is to encourage peer interaction and discussion among your students. You can use peer interaction and discussion to facilitate social learning, exchange of perspectives, clarification of doubts, or generation of new ideas. You can use peer interaction and discussion before, during, or after your lecture, depending on your objectives and time constraints. You can use peer interaction and discussion in various formats, such as think-pair-share, buzz groups, jigsaw, or fishbowl. Peer interaction and discussion can help you make your lectures more collaborative, inclusive, and diverse.

6 Solicit feedback and reflection

A sixth way to make your lectures more interactive is to solicit feedback and reflection from your students. You can use feedback and reflection to gauge your students' satisfaction, learning outcomes, or suggestions for improvement. You can use feedback and reflection at the end of your lecture, or at regular intervals throughout your lecture, depending on your purpose and preferences. You can use feedback and reflection in various forms, such as surveys, polls, exit tickets, one-minute papers, or journals. Feedback and reflection can help you make your lectures more responsive, adaptive, and learner-centered.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?