Page 120 - NAVAL SCIENCE 3 TEXTBOOK

il\'TERNATlONAL LAW AND THE SEA 125

A lecture, as in this presenta-
tion about a ship's vertical
launch system to a group of
NJROTC students, is a fast
and efficient way to impart a
maximum amount of informa-
tion in a minimum amount
of time, but students often
have little opportunity to ask
questions or offer comments,
(Joseph Caballero)

to learn a subject, the instructor can present basic information in skills on the part of the student. All students may not possess these
a lecture, A brief introductory lecture can give direction and pur- skills.
pose to a demonstration or prepare students for a discussion. The
lecture is a convenient method for instructing large groups, If nec- Lecture Procedure
essary, a public address system can be used to ensure that everyone
The first ti.lsk for the instructor is the gathering of the required
can hear. The lecture is sometimes the only efficient technique to
information for presenting the topic. He or she must determine
use if the student -to-instructor ratio is high.
the point of view from which the subject is to be presented and tai-
The lecture is often useful to supplement, summarize, or
lor the lecture to the student. After this preliminary preparation,
emphasize material from other sources, or for information difficult
the delivery technique for a lecture includes three main steps:
to obtain in other ways, If students do not have time for research,
Step one: introduction, The instructor establishes contact with
or if they do not have access to reference material, the lecture can
the class by introducing himself and stating the objectives of the
fill the bill.
topic, He or she gets the student ready to learn the material by
Disadvantages, Lengthy or overly ti'equent lectures without
developing interest through explanations of how the student will
questioning of students can easily lead to boredom, The lecture
use the lesson material, why the student needs to know the mate-
tends to promote student passiveness. There is always the danger
rial, and how the material will apply to future topics or the student's
that the instructor may only be restating or repeating what a stu-
work. He or she then gives an overview of the lesson as a whole,
dent could easily understand by quickly reading a few paragraphs
Step two: presentation, The instructional material breaks down
in a textbook.
the general concepts into their simplest component parts, which
The lecture does not lead to maximum achievement ill cer-
are presented one by one. The instructor provides examples, illus-
tain types of learning. Speech skills, cooperative group thinking,
trations, explanations, and the like.
and motor skills, for eX<lmple, are difficult to instruct through the
Step three: summary. The instructor provides recapitulation
lecture. lkcause it allows for little or no student participation, the
(a summary), which emphasizes and ties together the principal
lecture may also be inefficient for lessons in which complicated
points of the lesson, including the objectives. This helps the stu-
concepts and principles are developed,
dents to select and take note of the most important parts of the
It is hard for the instructor to judge how well the audience is
information presented,
reacting and whether student needs and interests arc being met.
Guidelines for effective use of the lecture, Know the specific
The lecture assumes acti\'e listening and adequate note-taking
objectives of the topic. Ensure the lecture is well organized, Avoid