What’s in a Lecture? A Guide for Speakers and Listeners
In one of many tragic quirks in the colloquial evolution of language, “lecture” as a verb has come to mean telling someone what to do in a dull and sanctimonious way. This development is deeply unfortunate, as a well-done lecture can be an eye-opening experience by exposing one to new perspectives. Ultimately, it’s left up to the audience to decide what they will take away. The best lectures guide the audience through the speaker’s thought process to draw connections between ideas in a way that may not have been obvious to the listener otherwise.
Over the past few weeks, while attending Paideia classes and the semester’s first talks from visiting speakers, I have been reflecting on the lectures that speak to me and the specific qualities that distinguish them from the ones that fall flat. In my experience, there are a few key elements to success in this endeavor, which I have compiled into a guide of sorts that can apply to everything from an informal Paideia class to a Hum lecture. Although I can only give my amateur perspective as a listener rather than a speaker, audience receptivity is crucial to any lecture, which is why I begin with the call to…
Know your audience: In line with being aware of one’s audience, speakers should also consciously step back and consider how their material sounds to someone who is unfamiliar with the specific jargon of their field of study. Explaining what technical and academic terms mean in the context of the subjects being talked about is crucial for understanding.
Deliver on your promises: Many lectures are titled after the most eye-catching element within the broad scope of their topic, which can often prove to be a relatively minor part of the actual claim. Truth in advertising may be a lost cause even in academia, but on a more basic level, claims should be backed up by a strong body of evidence. That evidence can be just as thought-provoking, if not more, than the general claim it supports. As a listener, it is satisfying to hear a bold claim gain understandability as it is elaborated by evidence in a well-organized fashion.
Explain why it matters: A lecture can present a fascinating topic, but that means very little without the proper consideration of how the material relates to broader academic questions and the audience themselves. The beauty of a lecture lies in its potential to tie together different ideas succinctly and make them understandable in light of larger contexts.
Answer the questions being asked: Even the most engaging lectures can be followed up by subpar Q&A periods, often because, after a certain point, they stop being about the questions. Answering questions allows the speaker to show that they can consider and articulate multiple dimensions to the topic at hand, as well as engage with their audience to create a productive discussion. However, this only works when a lecturer is able to parse what their audience is asking and respond to their points in a succinct and relevant manner that meaningfully elaborates on the original claims of the lecture, rather than rehashing the same points they already said. If you ask stupid questions you can expect stupid answers, but the reverse must be equally true: genuinely interesting questions should be met with answers on the same level.
Leave more questions: A truly great lecture is not an end in itself. Not many academic debates can be tied up in a neat bow, and anyone who tries to do so is probably trying to sell you something. Instead, a lecture should present its claim for consideration, without implying that it is set in stone or above questioning.
The points listed above are merely a few ways that successful lectures can stand out from the crowd to be more than an interactive reading of a paper. Although my experience is limited to the humanities, I believe that the spirit of academic curiosity reflected in and curated by a good lecture transcends discipline. When properly executed, the lecture can be an art form.
