one approach i find very effective is not even turning on the powerpoint until after i have taken them out in lab,,of course this will only work in certain circumstances and i recognize this,,but having put their hands on it, disassembled it, examined the interplay of the various parts, and reassembled while leading a discussion about failure analysis, what can go wrong and why, and then turning on the powerpoint and using it mostly for illustrations and to highlight certain important facts seems to get their attention and keep their attention much better than 200 powerpoint slides,,,these students want to see it, touch it, play with it, get their hands dirty,,,students who attend my school are by nature doers and allowing them to do something rather than reading about doing something captures their attention and interest
I always make sure to keep the class interested at all times. I found that using funny situations to explain the material or coming up with related funny jokes made them much more interested and more interactive.
Dr Meers,
I feel your comment is very accurate. The greatest value I deliver to my students is when I share real world expereince with them. This helps to keep my teaching sessions intersting and my students engaged.
I use PowerPoint extensively, but since humans are very visual I include many pictures to illustrate the concepts and points in the slides. This makes it easier for the students to comprehend the subject matter and helps retain their interest. I enjoy using my digital camera, and I take pictures whenever I can if I believe that the images can be used for a slide. Such original, local images make the subject matter more relevant to the students.
