Hardwired into every one is the desire to communicate! We crave and need communication with each other. Listening to conference lectures is one-sided. It doesn’t provide the same fulfillment as two-way dialogue with our peers. As long as our attendees participate in speaker monologues and panel dialogues, they lack the ability to grow social bonds … [Read more…]
Conference speakers make assumptions every day about how their attendees comprehend, remember and apply the information they hear. These assumptions, as well as their presentation decisions, are based on a mix of theories, trial and error, past experiences with their own teachers and professors, and instinct. Yet are these theories, experiences and instinct serving the … [Read more…]
Learning is a fragile thing. It is a biological process that happens in the brain. Provide the wrong stimulus and the brain responds by shutting down the learning process and instead protecting the human body. In order for people to learn something, their basic needs have to be met first. They must feel like the … [Read more…]
What do well-informed town halls and WWE’s “Friday Night SmackDown” have in common? A lot more than you would think. In 2009, both Friday Night SmackDown and healthcare town halls were sold out. Both witnessed a staged, well-rehearsed, public feud that was more about sensationalism than fact. During those healthcare town halls, two opposing sides … [Read more…]
Most conferences kickoff with an opening general session. Why? What’s the point? What’s the purpose of a general session? Back To Presentation Basics What’ the purpose of a speaker for any presentation? Nancy Duarte, author of Resonate says it best, Presentations are most commonly delivered to persuade an audience to change their minds or behavior. … [Read more…]
Few people agree about what makes a good lecture. It’s like asking about what is good art or great music. Our personal tastes are all over the map. Some researchers have found that individuals want different and often conflicting things from a lecture. Since lectures will be evaluated and assessed at extremes of a rating … [Read more…]
The ubiquitous lecture. On any given day thousands of lectures occur across the globe. People gather in arenas, board rooms, city halls, colleges and universities, conferences, conference rooms, churches, general sessions, libraries, meeting rooms, schools and theaters to hear lectures. It is the most common method used when teaching adults. Unfortunately, it is also ineffective … [Read more…]
Dave Lutz and I recently presented for ASAE’s Great Ideas Conference 2012 on Creating Customized Conference Learning Experiences. We shared our philosophy and process for planning the content for PCMA’s 2011 and 2012 Learning Lounge. The Learning Lounge was a joint project between PCMA, Freeman and Velvet Chainsaw. Here are the slides from our presentation. … [Read more…]
Lectures are ineffective methods to promote learning. Even if you want to disagree with this premise, the scientific research remains the same. Lectures have limits. They are effective ways to transmit information. They are as effective as distributing a report to read. They are not as effective as discussions for learning. Two Methods To Combine … [Read more…]
Lectures have limits when used for education. Lectures are a great way to share information. However they are not as effective as discussions for getting learners to think, develop attitudes or change behaviors. Why Lectures? In politics lectures are called speeches. In faith institutions lectures are called sermons. In colleges and universities lectures are called … [Read more…]
