The Challenge of Coverage

These tips may help you to plan and manage class time so that students can more easily follow, actively process, and understand the material:

Prioritize 2-3 main points that you want students to leave the room remembering.

If you try to cover much more, the key points can get lost in a flood of details.
In prioritizing, be sure that you can explain why learning each main topic is important.
When you can identify up front why students should learn about a topic, students are often better able to follow the goals, structure, and flow of the class.

Plan classes to complement the textbook, not replace it.
It is useful to check with colleagues in your discipline to see how they connect readings with in-class learning.

Focus more on teaching skills and processes, less on summarizing facts.
You can most help your students by using class time to work on central learning, reasoning, and problem-solving processes.

Design classes in 10-15 minute "chunks" to help you manage your time.
Each chunk should address a single main point and may include relevant examples or explanations. Generally, each should end with a brief summary and transition to the next section to provide cohesiveness and reinforce the logical structure of the material.

Remember how and why students take notes.
The most effective visual aids should indicate emphasis and organization, not provide every detail. Profuse boardwork or detailed transparencies can dilute your key messages. Be selective in providing detail so that students are not overly concerned about copying and so that opportunities for questions and interaction are maintained.

Source: Teaching Tips, Wilbert McKeachie and Tools for Teaching, B.G. Davis
From: Enhancing Teaching @ Carnegie Mellon/Teaching Tips