Do you want to use your lecturing time as efficiently as possible? Then sometimes it is necessary for students to complete one or more assignments in advance. With this education tip your students will turn up to your lectures prepared. 

Tips for preparing students for your lecture 

Emphasise the importance of the preparation to your students 

Make sure students understand the added value of the preparation. Explain what you will do with the preparation during your lecture and then really work with it during the lecture. 

Articulate clear expectations 

Give a clear description of the assignment. Do you want students to bring questions to the lecture? Do you want them to upload a reflection via Ufora? Or do you want anything else? 

• Specify the objectives of the assignment. 
• Communicate the substantive requirements and determine the formatting agreements: style, structure, language form, reference style, etc. Good examples of similar exercises may be useful here. 
• Discuss the practical arrangements, e.g., time management, and the preconditions, e.g., individual or group assignment. If you choose a group assignment, divide the roles in advance. 

Be enthusiastic and induce curiosity 

Include a fun teaser in the assignment. Induce curiosity amongst students by demonstrating what their efforts can lead to. 

Do not give in to unprepared students 

Be consistent and indicate the importance of the preparation again. Discuss the learning content in greater depth than you had planned. That way, you acknowledge the students who are prepared. Otherwise there is a risk that they will become demotivated and give up on preparing for lectures. 

Talk to the unprepared students 

Always check with the unprepared students why they didn’t prepare. Are there too many assignments due at the same time for the programme? Was the assignment unclear? Don't the students understand the added value of the preparation?