Industry perspective from a guest speaker can heighten the value of your course. Whether a speaker expands on your curriculum or adds content that would not otherwise fit into the semester, an expert can make a big difference in class.
Stukent Expert Sessions
Unlike traditional guest lectures, Stukent Expert Sessions are pre-recorded presentations embedded into our digital textbooks, posted on our website, and available on our YouTube channel. Utilizing these recorded lectures saves you hours of time trying to find the right industry expert to speak to your students.
Currently, Stukent offers more than 50 free recorded presentations from industry experts on subjects like digital marketing, social media marketing, visual design, and more. Experts from companies such as Airbnb, Microsoft, IBM, Columbia, and many others have shared insights relative to their areas of expertise.
Eight Tips for Easy Implementation in the Classroom
If you plan to use Stukent Expert Sessions in your course, here are eight ways you can help your students get the most out of these video lectures.
Tip 1: Prepare Students for the Speaker
As each speaker has a specific set of skills and a different professional background, encourage students to research the company and the speaker first. Students can use the Expert Session landing pages to find more information.
Tip 2: Prepare Students for the Topic
Discussing the topic with the students before they watch the Expert Session will help them better understand the content. Encourage the students to research a related topic for increased preparation.
Tip 3: Encourage Taking Notes and Reviewing the Slides
Diligent note taking will help the student retain the information they learned during the presentation. The slide decks experts use in their presentations are available to students. If students miss something in the presentation or want to review the material, the slide decks can enhance learning.
Tip 4: Make the Expert Session Quiz a Class Assignment
Each Stukent Expert Session comes with a quiz. Instructors can use this resource as an assignment students are required to submit. Quizzes can also be used by students to review important information they learned during the Expert Session presentation.
Tip 5: Engage Students During the Expert Session (for in-class viewing)
Use Expert Sessions as a resource to foster discussion among students. You can pause the presentation at any time and ask your students questions, or have them discuss the material in small groups.
Tip 6: Have a Follow-up Discussion
In-class discussion helps students retain information and allows them to ask questions. You may assign individuals or groups to report on specific points the presenter made during the Expert Session.
Tip 7: Encourage Students to Connect with the Speaker
After watching an Expert Session, encourage students to connect with the presenter. Students can message the speaker via social media or through the email, if available. These connections can teach students how to network for their future careers.
Take Jesse’s Tweet to Zach Olsen for example:
@zacholsen just watched your “Introduction to Web Analytics” Stukent Expert session for my digital marketing class. Good stuff 👍🏻
— Jesse Dodson (@jesserdodson) March 2, 2017
Or, Beth politely thanking Oli Gardner for the landing page optimization tips he shared:
Thanks @OliGardner for the awesome #ExpertSession on #LandingPageConversion https://t.co/Vmc1SYgBVM via @stukentapp
— marketerbeth (@marketerbethk) November 10, 2018
Tip 8: Assign a Write-up on what was Learned
Have students write a blog post of their takeaways from Expert Sessions. If students don’t have a current blog, refer them to this article for help on how to set one up.
Bonus:
Here is how you can identify and select the right Expert Sessions for your class:
- All Stukent Expert Sessions can be found here. You can filter sessions by topic using the keywords in the left sidebar.
- After clicking on an Expert Session link, you will be able to view a short overview of what is presented in the lecture, a bio on the speaker, and more.
- Note that all Expert Sessions can be searched by utilizing the search bar on the top of the page.
