Introduction	Why use a handout?
When not to use handouts	Distribution and Timing
Types of Handout	Alternatives to handouts
General Principles on the production of handouts

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Introduction

The topic of handouts has arisen because of the huge photocopying bills incurred by some departments and the need to find some alternative resources to the ubiquitous handout. Some students have come to rely on handouts, instead of making their own notes, reading or listening or even thinking. We do not want to encourage too much passivity in students by the overuse of this resource: we want them to take away their own notes. This seems an opportune moment therefore to rethink its usage.

A handout is a paperbased resource used to support teaching and learning which can free students from excessive notetaking or supplement information not easily available elsewhere. Ideally it should aid learning and may increase attention and motivation and help students to follow the development of an idea or argument. The first task therefore is to clarify the aim in using any handout. The desired outcome will affect the information, its quantity, presentation and, crucially, when you distribute it.

Handouts come in several guises and I am going to focus on those most commonly used. I will discuss how to produce and use these effectively and list their advantages and disadvantages.

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Why use a handout?

A useful question to ask is "Why am I using a handout at this point of the session?" Is this material freely available elsewhere? Have I checked to see if this information included in any text book recommended for the module/course. How do I know students will read this (weighty) material, unless I provide time in the session and I can actually see them reading?

There are several reasons for using a handout. It can:

• provide definitions for the more jargon ridden subjects;
• provide background information or detailed information, e.g. statistics, which are not readily available elsewhere;
• put forward a point of view;
• outline a course of action;
• pose conceptual questions;
• provide a case study for problemsolving or discussion;
• provide a complex diagram rather than students copying from the OHP;
• give a step by step instruction for teaching a skill or running a laboratory exercise;
• outline the session with a series of bullet points per topic area;
• produce a hard copy of the transparencies used by reducing the print size of your overhead transparencies which can be printed down one half of the page, allowing students space to add their own comments or questions alongside.

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When not to use handouts

• Transcripts of lectures: these could be either on audio tape or one paper copy available in the library which could be for reference only. This would however encourage students to be passive learners and discourage attendance at lectures. One advantage is that it would help the genuine absentees and provides a reference for students who might wish to check a difficult concept or modify their notes. If students opt to photocopy the lecture transcript they are the ones bearing the cost! To paraphrase Graham Gibbs in one of his "53 Interesting Ways ..." books: if you provide copious and thorough handouts, what is to motivate the student to attend the lecture when one student can attend to "pick up the handouts"?

• Chapters from books: this is expensive for a large group of, say, 200. It may be cheaper for the library to buy multiple copies.

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Distribution and Timing

• In advance?

Do the students need to prepare by reading the material in advance of the session? 'If so, hand it out the previous week do not use up precious lecture time on having students read long or complex handouts. If read in advance, students can/should bring questions to the session that they want answered.

• During the session?

If you want the students to read a short handout during the session which supplements the content of the lecture/session, time the distribution carefully (you don't want to compete for their attention while you are making key points). Make sure that at least they do read it by posing some questions or small group activities which relate to the passage. This will help test their understanding.

• At the end of the session?

If you delay the distribution till the end of the session, or give it to students to take away to read, how will you know if it ever gets read? Consider posing some specific questions which the students should be prepared to answer the following week. Advantages: supporting detail can be covered which was omitted from the session; provides further tasks for the students to undertake (reading, answering questions) again this helps to test understanding. Finally, only you can decide when is the optimum time to distribute the handout, bearing in mind the comments made above.

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Types of Handouts

• Uncompleted or gapped handout: this is a handout with gaps which students fill in.

Advantages:

• the handout contains key points which will be the same for all students;
• the student has to listen actively to complete the notes;
• it spares student tedious notemaking and thereby should generate greater concentration on the lecture;
• partially provides correct information but relies on the students completing the information either from the lecture itself, or from further reading thus removing the passive element in a situation where all the information is provided.

Examples:

• complete the plotting of a graph
• complete the labelling of a diagram (Note: complicated diagrams are best provided on a handout rather than an OHT)
• under a heading, ask students to complete half a dozen lines of notes.
• incomplete calculations which the student must finish.
• complete a flow chart for a process.

• Skeletal notes: literally the bare bones of a session (key statement, a definition, a diagram) with gaps/spaces and omissions to be completed by the student. The advantages are similar to the gapped handout.

• Worksheets: questions, problems which the student must answer or solve.
  • Laboratory sheet: a set of instructions to be followed.
  • Briefing sheets: this could cover how the students are to approach a case study, a role play or simulation.

  N.B. the first may be done on an OHT if not too complicated. The advantages of these three examples are that all students have the same information and it can be referred to as necessary.

• Assessment criteria: guides to the assessment for a particular module. If you are including self or peer observation among your assessment methods, students will need information on the agreed criteria.

Advantage:

• essential information is given to all students and is available for reference.

 

• Information sheets: there are several areas of the institution where a guide would be useful, e.g. administration of the course (term dates, semester dates, assessment hand-in dates etc.); a teaching scheme for the module; computer and library information - the list is a long one!

Advantage:

• essential information is given to all students and is available for reference.

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General Principles on the Production of Handouts

• Reading handouts: give students activities to complete or questions to answer whilst reading (this helps concentration), e.g. list four points X makes about Y; identify two/three key issues in this section; what further questions do you need to ask to understand this section/para/chapter?
• Use the what, how, why, when and where questions as appropriate.
• Avoid long, dense handouts. Make them look attractive: leave spaces etc.
• Make sure the appearance of the material is up to standard. Try to keep handouts as concise as possible.
• If, after considering the alternatives suggested, you find it necessary to photocopy substantial extracts from books, have you remembered to check the issue of copyright? If you think you may be infringing the law, consult the guidelines which are displayed by photocopiers.
• Print size: use the smallest print size which is manageable for the average reader.

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Alternatives to Handouts

• Library: would it be better (and cheaper in the long term) for the library to buy more copies of key texts rather than photocopying whole chapters of books etc.? Some copies can be reference only, or one week loan.

• Internet and Website: have you the skills to put your lectures or materials on the web so that students can access these at their leisure, and repeatedly if necessary? Much administrative information could be put on the web and updated as necessary.

• Email: is it worth sending vital information to students via Email? Are there enough resources to implement this together with the internet and web?

• Module guide: if there is really no alternative to handouts, can these be collected and put into a form of guide? Should students be charged for this? (After all it is taking the place of a conventional "text" book

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References:

• Gibbs G, Habeshaw S et al (1995) 53 Interesting things to do in your lectures (TES)
• McShane, Dalene (1998) Presenting Information Visually (EIC Guide)