RACHEL EMERSON
Columnist
We are all very aware that lecturing is the most used method to teach at the collegiate level, but how much are we actually learning with it?
You walk into a classroom, sit down, check your text messages or social media, or maybe you start conversing with some classmates around you, possibly about an assignment that’s due, an upcoming test or it could just be about that really good episode of “The Walking Dead” last night. Then your professor walks in and hushes the class, directs you to the black, white, or smart board and lectures for an hour and a half. Eventually, you lose focus, and suddenly your mind is somewhere else, like what you may want to eat for lunch, one of the many theories you have about who “-A” is on “Pretty Little Liars,” or why giraffes don’t yawn, elephants can’t jump even though they have four knees and cows sleep standing up. You just happen to tune in right as the professor addresses the homework assignment, which you won’t understand because you zoned out in the middle of the lecture. This is a feeling we all know a little too well, am I right?
Imagine that instead of lecturing for the entire class, the professor had explained it as simply as possible, then proceeded with a demonstration and ended the session with a hands-on project to reflect what had been taught. This would essentially allow students to learn the same lesson in three different ways: listening, watching and doing. Not everyone learns the same way, so I think that this would be the best way to ensure that everyone in the classroom effectively learned, understood and retained the information being taught.
Don’t get me wrong, I understand that sometimes it is necessary to strictly by lecture, and I get that it could seem quite “elementary” to teach any other way. Honestly though, I don’t see why it would matter if it gets the point across and helps to improve grades and test scores.
I also understand that not all classes are taught based strictly on lecture at our school. It does happen, though, and it makes it difficult to stay focused. I think for me it also makes it more difficult to study because I look at my next-to-perfect notes and try to retain it all, and when I do happen to remember enough information and ace the test, I don’t often remember it long afterwards. Even when I go over my notes on a nightly basis, I still have a hard time retaining everything well enough to test over it.
I’m sure some of you feel the same way I do, but I’m sure some of you learn better by listening to a lecture and taking notes and studying them. I still think that no matter how many different ways people learn, they should all be taught in a way that helps them to be able to understand and retain what they are learning.