Introduction

• survive your first few weeks of teaching (1.1)
  The first few teaching sessions can be scary. Here are some very practical hints on how to survive them in reasonably good shape.

• plan a presentation (1.2)
  There's more to making a good presentation that knowing your stuff and talking clearly. You need a structure, a story. This first word suggests some possible structures for presentations.

• make presentations (1.3)
  You need to listen to your presentation through the ears of your listeners, and plan a presentation which will meet the student' needs to hear and understand as well as your needs to tell and explain.

• give presentations which explain clearly (1.4)
  This "First word" focuses on methods which will ensure that your presentation leads to student attention, engagement and understanding.

• use activities in large classes (1.5)
  Learning is an active business. Being taught isn't always very active. How can you devise and use class activities which will increase student's learning?

• design and lead seminars and discussion groups (1.6)
  This "First word" will help you to plan and conduct seminars and discussion groups in which your students will develop the skills and knowledge required by the course.

• use questions in teaching (1.7)
  Good questions provoke thought and discovery in a way a presentation rarely can. How can you ask students good questions? How should you respond to their questions? How can you help them to ask good questions?

• set up and support student-led seminars (1.8)
  A lot of learning can happen in student-led seminars. This "First word" will help you to plan, to brief students on their seminar roles, to support them during and after their seminar, and to give and manage feedback to student seminar leaders.

• supervise projects (1.9)
  The work which students undertake for projects is often the work they value most highly. How can you supervise projects to ensure that your students find them educationally and personally rewarding?

• run tutorials (1.10)
  In a tutorial you can work with the students' agendas and concerns, rather than with yours. Here are some practical approaches to what can be a rather formless teaching session.

• demonstrate in laboratories and practical classes (1.11)
  The laboratory or practical class is where a practical subject can come to life. This "First word" will help you to plan and conduct laboratory and practical classes which contribute to the learning outcomes of the course.

• apply to your work as a teacher some theoretical understanding of how students learn (1.12)
  Things are known about how people learn. Here, a small number of powerful theories or models of learning are described. Also offered are suggestions on how you should apply these to your work as a teacher.

• choose, make and use AV aids and handouts (1.13)
  Good teaching aids and handouts can’t rescue a badly planned and ill-structured class. But they can greatly increase the educational effectiveness of a good one. Follow this guidance and you’ll never have to apologise for an illegible OHP slide again.

• use information and communication technologies in teaching and learning (1.14)
  The wonderful new technologies can have a great and positive effect on student learning -- if they are used well. This first word offers a practical overview of ways to use the technologies in your teaching.

  Some of these "First words" are based on Making Presentations and Running Tutorials and Seminars by David Baume and Carole Baume, in the Learning to Teach series OCSLD, 1996.

Second words

Here are some further helpful sources on teaching and learning in higher education. They should be available through OCSLD.

53 Interesting Things to Do in your Lectures Graham Gibbs, Sue Habeshaw and Trevor Habeshaw (1984) Bristol: TES. 1984; ISBN 0-947885-03-X.
This and the following title contain exactly what they say on the cover!

53 Interesting Things to Do in your Seminars and Tutorials Sue Habeshaw, Trevor Habeshaw and Graham Gibbs (1992) Bristol: TES. ISBN 0-947885-08-0.

Preparing to Teach Graham Gibbs and Trevor Habeshaw (1989) Bristol: TES. ISBN 0-947885-55-2.
Starting with some powerful ideas about teaching and learning, this book goes on to provide a wealth of practical advice on, among other topics, lecturing, teaching small groups, using visual aids, supervising projects and teaching in laboratories and practicals.

A Handbook for Teachers in Universities and Colleges David Newble and Robert Cannon (1995) London: Kogan Page. ISBN 0-7494-1669-6.
Australian good sense, originally designed for medical educators, but now extended to all who teach in higher education. Good use of relevant theory and models, lively and helpful illustrations and lots of examples.

Learning to Teach in Higher Education Paul Ramsden (1992) London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-06415-5.
This is currently my favourite book on the subject! If you read no more, read chapters 2 and 6. But if you read these, you'll probably want to read more! Teaching in Higher Education: An Induction Pack for New Lecturers (1990). Birmingham: SEDA, Paper Number 57. ISBN 0-946815-17-8.

Lee Andresen's booklet on Lecturing to Large Groups, David Jaques's booklet on Small Group Teaching and the booklet on 'Using Audio-Visual Aids Creatively' are particularly helpful here.

Teaching in Higher Education 2: A Further Induction Pack for New Lecturers (1992). Birmingham: SEDA, Paper Number 68. ISBN 0-946815-82-8.

'Supervising Projects' by David Jaques is a good starter on the topic. Graham Gibbs's booklet on Improving Student Learning is thought-provoking.