#  Regulating the flow of energy in the classroom 

 



##  Regulating the flow of energy in the classroom 

Instead of the “I talk, you listen” structure of traditional lectures, mixing up the activities in a lecture course is likely to nurture deeper understanding. Bob Kegan peppers activities throughout his lectures, adding variety and dynamism into what could otherwise be a lengthy, teacher-centered lecture. In this video, Kegan suggests that university instructors think more like bike instructors: It’s not enough to just talk about your content, you must give students a chance to “get on” and try it out.

*Profiled:* [*Robert Kegan*](https://prod-instructionalmoves.drupalsites.harvard.edu/robert-kegan)*, William and Miriam Meehan Research Professor in Adult Learning and Professional Development, teaches "Adult Development" to ~200 students at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.*



 

 

 

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 Classroom Considerations Relevant Research Related Resources 

## Classroom Considerations

 

 

- Vary the traditional lecture format with student presentations, role plays, debates, or case discussions when appropriate
- Add activities purposefully. Just like you need to practice pedaling in order to learn how to ride a bike, ask yourself, “What types of thinking, speaking, and writing do my students need to practice in this class to achieve my larger learning objectives?”
- Pause your lecture after making a major point and invite students to turn to a neighbor to discuss or to reflect for a few minutes in writing
- Center an engaging activity around a learning-oriented task. Alter the structure of the lesson by having students interpret data, tie ideas together, or apply their learning to a new context.



 



 

 

 

## Relevant Research

 

 

- According to Prince, activities that engage students in the learning process are associated with higher levels of student engagement ([2004](http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.2168-9830.2004.tb00809.x/abstract))
- Compared to lectures alone, activities promoting active learning are associated with lower failure rates and increased exam performance [(Freeman et al., 2014)](http://www.pnas.org/content/111/23/8410.short)



 



 

 

 

## Related Resources

 

 

- Harvard’s Derek Bok Center for Learning and Teaching recommends [“Twenty Ways to Make Lectures More Participatory”](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1k6tKbAfmZuKiA42tZ5ifGGxkpw8HRZ7RUc6lHkLYpv4/edit?usp=sharing)
- Carleton College provides a guide for [“How to Give Interactive Lectures” ](http://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/howto.html)
- In [“Quick Critical Writing,”](https://ablconnect.harvard.edu/book/quick-critical-thinking) a professor shares a “quick write” technique he uses to inject more participation in the traditional lecture



 



 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 See also:- [ Kegan, Robert ](/instructors/robert-kegan)
- [ Lecturing Interactively ](/modules/lecturing-interactively)
- [ Engaging Students ](/sub-modules/engaging-students)
- [ How can I plan for an engaging class session? ](/sub-modules/how-can-i-plan-engaging-class-session)
- [ Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) ](/school/harvard-graduate-school-education-hgse)