Integrated In-Class Presentations
Advantages, Disadvantages and Considerations

Advantages

• Easiest form of instruction to set up.
• Promotes collaboration with lecture and laboratory instructors.
• Students are usually motivated, since the lecture materials will tie directly into some course assignment.
• When linked to a well-designed assignment, the topics to be covered are usually easy to figure out.
• Students are usually all at about the same level of knowledge, so you aren't boring half the class while the other half doesn't understand what you're talking about.
• Since these students will be in the library anyway, one hour in the classroom can save you many hours at the reference desk.

Disadvantages

• Instructor collaboration isn't always forthcoming.
• Sometimes trying to fit everything you want to cover into a single lecture can be daunting.
• If you're going to meet in the usual classroom, live demos of electronic sources may not be possible.

Considerations

• Try to reach out to instructors early (over the summer for fall courses), so that your lecture can be fit into the schedule appropriately - either at the best time to match the assignment, or to take advantage of a session when the instructor would be unable to lecture anyway.
• Link the lecture to one or more assignments that are a significant part of the course to add relevance.
• If electronic resources are to be covered, try to arrange for live demos. If not, consider "canned" presentations using presentation software, or Web browsers.
• Whatever your presentation is, distill its essence into a handout - some students take poor notes; others may miss your lecture, and it may come in handy for patrons not in the class. If you have the chance, create a Web version.
• Hands-on training in a one-hour lecture probably isn't doable. If you have more time, it may be worthwhile.