Our school's policy is that sudents get a 10 minute break for every hour of "education". That being said, in a 4 hour class, an instructor must be part chameleon! Incorporate a wide variety of teaching styles ( lecture, discussion, case study, return demo, etc) I try to relate what I am teaching to things they experience in the outside world as well. Like when teaching breast cancer, utilize Angeina Jolie's recent public disclosure about BRCA mutation. Leaning can't be something vague, far away and unreachable.. learning has to be something that the students can wrap their heads around. An internal locus always results in an energized classroom.
