HE Ideas: The guest speaker

How can you fill up lecture slots without the hassle of preparing materials and handouts, but with appeal to students and good feedback (as well as alerting the Dean to links with industry)?

Yes - you have it - invite a guest speaker from industry!!

Picture by Sira Anamwong at Freedigitalphotos.net

There are a number of important features of the successful guest slot and there are a number of pitfalls to avoid:    Whatever you do.....don't let your guest speaker:

• Pick the topic
• Arrive with unseen and unedited slides or handouts
• Prepare too many slides
• Have absolutely no idea what the students have studied or the aims of the module
• Speak without, first, seeing them in action or getting reports
• Use the phrase "when I was at University..."
• Expect a high fee
• Offer a recruitment pitch (unless its a Careers spot)
• Drink too much at lunch

Actually it might just be easier to do the lecture yourself...