Although lecturing is one of the most popular methods of teaching college material, many University of Memphis students said they think the technique is disengaging and ineffective.
Barbara Bekis, the coordinator of the Educational Support Program at the U of M, said lectures are best when they encompass all three types of learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic, or “hands-on.”
“We pretty much have to, as instructors and professors, ... make sure that there’s something for [students] to see, good things for them to hear, and they have something to do,” Bekis said. “Yes, they do write notes, but how often do we really know that the notes that they take in class are really showing that they’ve gotten the basic information or understanding?”
Students enrolled in lecture-based classes are one and a half times more likely to fail, according to a study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Lecturing is a form of learning that most U of M students have encountered. Despite its use of auditory teaching and sometimes visual aids, lecturing by itself generally lacks exercises for kinesthetic learners. The potency of the teaching style is also dependent on the competency of the lecturer and note-taking skills of the students.
The practice of lecturing has become a staple teaching method for college courses, predominantly in STEM and introductory courses. Characterized by a single lecturer speaking continuously to a group of note-taking students, the format of the method has changed very little throughout time, despite technological additions such as PowerPoints and online materials.
Bekis said the effectiveness of lectures also depends heavily on the preparation of students before class and the studying done after. She said during class, the success of the lecture depends on the effort of the lecturer to incorporate each learning style.
“I believe most classes could be more balanced for all students instead of just presented to benefit one type of student,” Bekis said. “It would be a deliberate effort on the faculty person’s part to make sure that whatever curriculum they are to follow … they come up with as much variety as possible on how to present that material, how to engage the students, how to get students to talk to each other during the class time.”
Daniel Ward, a choral music education major at the U of M, also said the engagement of lectures depends on the lecturer’s methods. Ward said his psychology instructor keeps the class and himself engaged through the lecture by giving his students clickers to answer questions.
“If there’s a way that the professors can involve the students in answering questions or giving presentations or something in addition to the lecture, that could be effective,” Ward said. “Lectures alone without that extra level of engagement can be a bit ineffective.”
Alexis Williams, a journalism major at the U of M who described herself as a “hands-on learner,” said she prefers smaller, discussion-oriented classes over large lectures due to their frequent lack of classroom activity.
“Half of the people in the class don’t even pay attention except the people in the front, and you’ve even got some people in the front that don’t pay attention,” Williams said. “Sometimes a lecture isn’t boring, but I think a small classroom is better because you’ll be more engaged in the subject compared to lectures. Some people fall asleep. You’ve even got some who leave lecture class.”
