Explaining takes up a large part of your contact time with students and is one of the most significant teaching skills you need in order to ensure effective and efficient instruction. It takes place in both one-to-one situation and group settings.

1. Be prepared with both content and presentation

• Explanation can be in the form of an information input or a response to questions/queries from the audience.
• In response to questions/queries, you have to listen carefully to your audience's questions and remarks and use clarifying questions to identify the puzzles in your audience's mind. The data collected can then be used to formulate an audience-oriented explanation to a particular question/query. However, it is difficult to be prepared for every question that comes your way! Sometimes, it may be better to defer an explanation to a later time and follow up after you have researched the question.

• It is important not only to understand what you are explaining but how you are going to explain to your audience. This includes knowing at what point they are getting confused, how much you need to go back to basics, whether you need illustrative material, such as diagrams, pictures, writings, to make the point clear.
• Giving effective explanations to students involves planning and communication skills. Your knowledge of your students helps you plan and deliver your messages.

2. Structure your explanation and organize your ideas

• Structure your explanation

Most good explanations are brief and to the point, but even so make sure that your audience knows:

• What you are attempting to explain
• What are the main points;
• What your explanation is linked to.

• Organize your ideas

Sometimes, an explanation may involve a lot of ideas or points. To organize your ideas in a proper order is a must. Some common ways to organize your ideas are:

• from simple to complex;
• from concrete to abstract;
• from specific to general;
• from familiar to unfamiliar;
• in chronological order;
• in process order.

Don't forget to highlight the relationship between the points before you elaborate on them.

• Remember that pauses are important

• Begin your explanation by ensuring you have your audience's attention.
• In a group situation, this may mean that you have a special "attention grabber" or that you simply wait until everyone is paying attention to you.
• Also remember to pause during the explanation so that your audience has ample time to assimilate what is being said and to ensure that everyone is able to follow you.

3. Be clear and concise, and aware of your audience

• Be clear and concise

• It is not always possible to keep jargon out of communications with students.
• Student feedback tells us that those explanations which use clear and concise language are the most effective as far as their learning is concerned.
• Try to define not only technical terms but also unusual words or expressions. If necessary, you can introduce new terms by writing each on board.

• Be aware of your audience

• As you are giving your explanation look at the audience and be aware of their reactions. In this way you may be able to identify areas which are confusing to them and make adjustments as you go along.

4. Make the explanation interesting

Concentrate on creating interest in your explanation. You can do this by:

• Establishing a sense of being interested in your audience;
• Varying the pace of your delivery;
• Calling attention to the main points with gestures;
• Using appropriate contrast and memorable examples;
• Using analogy and metaphors to link the unknown to known;
• Using various visual aids and making sure they can be seen by everyone;
• Moving about a little, if possible.

 

5. Involve students in deriving explanations

• Asking students to derive their own explanations and sharing them with the class is a better alternative than giving the explanation yourself.
• Some students do provide effective explanations since they know each other's difficulties with the subject matter. The practice also helps students to foster self-directness in their learning.

Further Readings

1. B. Davis, "Explaining Clearly" in Tools for Teaching, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 1993, pp. 120-123.
2. K. Stafford, "Giving Explanations to Students" in Teaching Ideas, Professional Development Unit, ETC, City Polytechnic of Hong Kong.

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