Lecturers: the good, the bad, and the ugly

Do you get frustrated in the lecture theatre? Is it you, or is your lecturer just not quite hitting the mark? Aberdeen medical school student reps Shirley Moore, Tom Walker, and Deborah White think they can help you find out

Students can be considerably exercised by some of the things that make a bad lecturer. However, we are also interested in (and keen to tell our teachers about) the things that make a good one. After all, everyone appreciates, and can even enjoy, good teaching: the more we can get, the more we will learn.

We thought it would be fun, as well as enlightening, to find out just how good your teachers are. We have designed a test for lecturers everywhere. Why not leave a strategically opened copy of your studentBMJ in the lecture theatre or hospital canteen, or provide teaching staff with photocopies of this handy assessment? If you really cannot convince them, fill it in on their behalf... evidence based of course.

This quiz is intended to be light hearted (we certainly had a laugh writing it), but it would be great if some of the ideas are used to further debate on medical education and promote good lecturing.

A quiz for lecturers

1 Do you prepare for your lectures

(a) about a week beforehand, so you can either put the lecture notes on the medical school intranet or prepare a handout for the students?

(b) the night before?

(c) when you first give them? You haven't got around to changing them since 1991 and a few things are out of date: you just flick through those slides quickly.

2 Your average lecture takes

(a) about 45 minutes. You feel you cover all relevant information at a pace that allows ample note taking, with time for questions at the end.

(b) at least the full hour. You do try and shorten them, but there is so much exciting research going on in your area at the moment that you often run over into the next lecturer's slot.

(c) 30 minutes, with more than 40 slides. Students always complain that they cannot keep up, but it's all in the textbooks anyway.

3 The number of students who turn up for your lectures is

(a) all of them (well nearly). You even got a full house after the medical society ball (that you were an honorary guest at).

(b) most of them, you think. A large proportion of them, however, do seem to sit at the back and sleep.

(c) about 20. You do wonder how the NHS is being staffed with so few medical students in a class.

4 For background reading to complement your lectures you recommend

(a) a chapter of a well known core textbook, which is available in the library and will be able to fill in any gaps in understanding.

(b) any textbook on the subject.

(c) your eight volume work on the absolutely essential fundamentals of your latest research topic.

5 Your IT literacy is

(a) very good. You use PowerPoint for your lectures, and they are all available for download from the intranet. Students often email you with their queries and you try to recommend all the latest online learning resources.

(b) not bad. You went to a PowerPoint workshop yesterday, and you do try to check your email at least once a week.

(c) awful. You refuse to have a computer--they're more trouble than
they are worth. All your overheads are handwritten. As for the internet, it's full of rubbish and porn.

6 You unfortunately had to miss a lecture you were scheduled to give. Was this because

(a) you were seriously ill in intensive care?

(b) there was a great deal on flights to the Bahamas? You did get your registrar to cover for you, though.

(c) your secretary must have forgotten to tell you that you had to teach?

7 It's the staff-student liaison meeting. Do you

(a) read over the minutes from the last meeting and go along with a open mind?

(b) think you had better put in an appearance? Finding out what the students think is not a bad idea in principle, but you get your secretary to bleep you an hour into the meeting as you have got more important things to do.

(c) send your apologies? After all, the students will only moan about the things that students have been moaning about since time immemorial--you put up with it all, so they should just get on with it?

8 The feedback you get from students is

(a) mostly positive. You take the course evaluation forms very seriously and use every opportunity to chat informally to students.

(b) good and bad. You do try to work on the bad points, but you are only human.

(c) negative, but who cares. You have far more important things to worry about.

So how did you do?

Mostly A's

Excellent! Students really appreciate your efforts. You are a fine example of the need for human cloning--would you mind if we took some stem cells and implanted them into some of your less motivated colleagues? Keep up the good work.

Mostly B's

You're getting there, but a bit more preparation could make all the difference. It may seem that we're moaning, but when all the students give you top marks in the next evaluation, and you are the toast of your department, it will be worth it.

Mostly C's

Oh dear. Have you thought about taking early retirement: it seems that the 21st century is too much for you. Think about getting your granddaughter to teach you some computer basics and how about attending a presentation skills workshop? Find out when the next staff-student liaison meeting is and go.

Are the majority of the lecturers out there mostly A's, mostly B's, or mostly C's? We are, of course, very grateful for all the A teaching we have received, and are appreciative of all those who are trying to make our education as good as it can be. Finally, we would like to point out that any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental.

Shirley Moore, Tom Walker, Deborah White, second year medical students, University of Aberdeen
Email: u38sam@abdn.ac.uk


studentBMJ 2002;10:89-130 April ISSN 0966-6494