Much of what has been written about improving lecturing is summarized, and strengths and weaknesses of this approach are identified. Lecturing is defined as teaching by the spoken word with emphasis on the teacher talking and the student listening. Instructional goals that are met by lecturing include: communicating the intrinsic interest of the subject matter; covering material not otherwise available; organizing material in a special way; conveying large amounts of information; communicating to many listeners at the same time; modeling how professionals in a particular discipline approach a question or problem; permitting maximum teacher control; minimizing threat to the student; and emphasizing learning by listening. Disadvantages include: the lack of feedback; student passiveness; maintaining attention; the tendency to forget the lecture material quickly; the underlying assumption that all students learn at the same pace and level of understanding; inappropriateness of lectures to higher levels of learning and to complex, detailed, or abstract material; the need for the lecturer to be an effective speaker; and the emphasis on learning by listening. Recommendations are offered for preparation and organization of the lecture, presentation and clarity, stimulation and interest, and feedback and interaction. (SW)