Hi Matthew:
One way to avoid lectures is to precede a needed information with a story. Students like them, and if you can provide a reason why students may need to know the information, and convey that by a work-related situation or past experience, you may catch their attention and they may relate to the "lecture" material a bit better.
The other activities you mention are more likely to keep attention and interest. Engaging the mind is better by doing for most. But sometimes there is information we just have present, and there's nothing to say we can't make it… >>>
