Explain it in three minutes: Using micro lectures to help students develop communication skills

Teach.Learn.Share

Many undergraduate students may go on to be policy-makers. Why not have them practice the skill of translating complex concepts and issues into a “pitch” that shows students’ engagement with the course content? This idea became Dr. Tari Ajadi’s three-minute micro lecture assessment, a strategy that he first tried when asked to prepare one himself for a conference. As they engage with a format that is less familiar to them, students reflect on how to best communicate their understanding of the course’s problems in a three-minute audio or video recording. Don’t miss this episode to learn the details of how Tari communicates his expectations to his students, manages some of their anxiety when faced with a different kind of assessment task, and reflects on the difficulties of writing a good rubric.