Making Large Group Teaching Memorable

One of the most important lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is the importance of human connection. Teaching in large groups is a time-honored tradition and offers the opportunity not only to engage large numbers of learners simultaneously, but also a chance to utilize the infectious nature of enthusiasm for learning to the teacher’s advantage. Literature supports that negative attitudes dominate views of geriatrics from outside the profession so the opportunity to engage large groups of learners and excite them about the subject matter is a daunting but rewarding one. In this chapter we utilize what is known from cognitive sciences about most effective means of engaging and learning and apply this to address the unique challenges of teaching geriatrics in large group settings. With use of these principles, teaching should build on current knowledge, create intrinsic motivations to learn the material, provide information in a clear and organized manner, and keep learners actively engaged throughout. While much more research is needed on teaching geriatrics topics specifically, these principles can be applied to teaching a variety of learners in a variety of settings.