Lecture method - merit demerit

Lecture Method of teaching  - Merits and Demerits

Per se no method of teaching is good or bad. It is those people who teach whether in the field of education of law or any other subject make the difference in the ability of the students who grasp the subject. Certainly there are certain extra ordinary of them who do not need to be ‘taught’. But barring those exceptions, rest of the league have to be introduced to the subject with utmost gentleness and care.

The success of lecture as a method of teaching will therefore squarely hinge over to the on the lecturer who is teaching the subject.

For teaching in the field of law, it is imperative that the teacher should have grasp of both the theory and the practice of law. Although it is not that both are different but the manifestation with which the later projects itself bears the difference.

Understanding both good and bad lectures is important. Here they are...
First the bad lectures and then the good lectures...

Bad Lectures


- Talks too much about himself
- Spends talking about things extraneous to lecture.
- Does not come prepared
- The lecturer is not clear about the subject himself.
- Is too generalized in topics required technical approach.
- Remains annoyed with people who question or point flaws.
- Brags about his achievements.
- Tells or reminds students about how much he is helping them.
- Expects too much from others and prepares too little for himself / herself.
- Frequently gets annoyed or angry in class without any provocation or indiscipline from students.
Due to our lack of concern of our apprehensions of our career objectives being unnecessarily getting into controversies, we are sometimes mum or silent spectators to the fracas of bad lecture during the class.

The traits of bad lecture had been provided from somebody who has witnessed the lectures and here is his description provided:

Here is an example of how a lecturer may screw the subject. Peculiar characteristics of such lecturers are that they boast too much about themselves and they are too focused on their attributes of intelligence and wit which is totally lacking. So when the lecturer says that he is too good in the subject or how people of high profile are in touch with him or that he is being called to various places to speak then that posits a first sign of lecturer’s inability and parade of his ignorance on  the subject.

Such lecturers mostly they spend first one or two lecturers talking about the course and the college activities and other lecturers. They even try to glorify the subject and explain you how ‘hard’ the subject is. They then will proceed to explain you that the exams are nearly intimidating. These lecturers often come late but they insist you to submit your assignments in time. They expect all sorts of qualities that they do not have but which you should have. For example I had recently attended a lecture by a boy who had just completed his masters degree, for the sake of convenience we can all him Mr. Aimless. Mr. Aimless had been first teaching the subject of Judicial process in the class. So when he started off the subject he started by saying that the Judicial Process was a very tough subject. It was concerned with Roscoe Pound, Protagoras, Salmond, Socrates, Cicero and on and on he went to mention the names and only the names all those jurists. Then the rest of his speech (constituting 99 percent of the time) was something like this:

You know that the judicial process is indeed a very tough subject. But if you understand the meaning of two words you can in fact go straight to the exam to write the answers. Your general knowledge about the politics in this place or any other field will be good enough to explain the subject. You do not have to worry about what they ask since you have to present your views on the subject. Then you can also criticize Kant and tell how you differ from Kant. For example, take judicial process as a measure of social change, you can say that the municipal law needs to be changed. This is because there is lot of corruption and the roads are not clean. You know Mr.xxxxx when he was a member of the municipality he had made tall promises but did not actually abide. Next time when he came in our colony we taught him a good lesson. This is a process of social change...[he was known to have spent all of his session talking all this stuf of this sort.]

Same way this very Mr. Aimless had been allotted a subject on Intellectual property next semester. Since he had nothing to do with the subject, every time he would come to class and address something like this:

You know that intellectual property is about intelligence. We don’t have much of it so we are always copying. Last week ___ movie had been released. When I went to the market I was surprised to see that the movie that had just been released was being sold in CD and they were just costing Rs.30. Now if that is going to happen what is the police doing. We as lawyers should do something about all this. [...His examples of movies, picnics, parties were endless]

Then he would teach Exim Policy like this:

In Exim, foreign trade is very important. Therefore custom department plays a huge role. There are very big ports like Mundra and Kandla. Ships are very important. Ships travel throughout the world. There is a Merce line ship which is the largest ship in the world. Even tug boats look like babies against the ship. I have seen the ship and taken its photos. If you go to Mundra port they take x-rays and in a picnic when one of my friends tried to take a picture of the port, our entire trip had been cancelled. [...his meaningless chatter continued on and on...]

The teaching of Insurance would be like this:

Insurance from accidents:

The course contents required teaching of Fatal Accidents Act and the Personal Injuries Compensation Insurance Act. This is what had been taught:

Accidents are very fatal. Fatal accident means an accident that kills somebody. Last time on xyz Road when I had been traveling I saw that a car had crashed behind the tractor.... I had taken a relative to a public hospital and I fought with the doctor who admitted him... [This sort of teaching continued for all the term]


Then in case of Banking law, here is a brief abstract of some notes I had taken during the class. The lecturer was Mr.Ass Con:

You cannot close the bank account after opening it. VC is illegal ... the word ‘bank’ is a copyright word. Cost is increasing, vegetables are costly...getting a government job is a very good idea – you keep getting increments and you don’t have to worry about rising prices...India is the top class banking in world, we are number 1....in Gujarat people use nationalized bank and in Kerala private banks are used....ICICI is a private bank and it is so powerful that even if does not use the word ‘private limited’ nobody can do anything. ..more ATM will lead to more electronic transfers. E-transfers means that the need to print actual money will lessen and due to this the inflation will go down... 

[now the self applause in banking class.. this consumed about 75 per cent of time.]...
I am very good in the banking subject. I am on panel of 25 banks and all of them pay me 50000 a year. You know that is because of my extraordinary ability . I had drafted a power of attorney that is not accepted in embassies world wide. That is not a small thing. Take interest don’t pass time. Stay back week ends. I used to spend most of my time in library and I used to write novel things. In PHD I had been questioned by a panel of six people and all were impressed...[...self appreciation continued for rest of the time.] you people can’t write a sentence and look at me how have I written 800 pages of thesis...The seniors will simply screw you if you think that things are very easy. .

No offenses intended, but that is what a bad lecture is. Here are some attributes of a good one...

Good lectures:

The lecture can be an immensely effective tool in the classroom, allowing an instructor to provide an overarching theme that organizes material in an illuminating and interesting way. The instructor must take care, however, to shape the lecture for the specific audience of students who will hear it and to encourage those students to take an active and immediate part in learning the material. It is essential to see lectures as a means of helping students learn to think about the key concepts of a particular subject, rather than primarily as a means of transferring knowledge from instructor to student.
Preparing
During the Lecture
After the Lecture
Links and References
Preparing
Create a comfortable, non-threatening environment.
Introduce yourself and explain your interests in the topic on the first day. Encourage questions from the outset. For example, require each student to submit a question about the course during the first day or week. Students can submit these questions via an online discussion forum, such as that which is available on Blackboard; this assignment can also serve as a way for you to ensure that they have each figured out how to log on to a discussion forum that you are using throughout the course.

Incorporate visuals.

The human brain has independent processing streams for visual and verbal information (Baddely, 1992). Research has shown that dual-channel processing is better than single channel, or that learning can be improved when instruction includes both visual and verbal information (Mayer, 2005). Incorporating visuals into your lecture can help your students learn. However, make sure that each visual has a clear purpose, and design your visuals carefully. For example, reduce or eliminate extraneous information, highlight key phrases or ideas, and place keywords in close proximity to the graphics they describe. Each of these strategies can enhance learning when using visuals (Mayer, 2008).

Reset the "attention clock": Include opportunities for active learning.
Most university classes last 50-90 minutes, much longer than the attention span of a typical student. Sustained attention varies widely, and the quality of attention depends on several factors, including time of day (DeYoung et al., 2007; May et al., 1993), motivation and enjoyment (Freitas and Higgins, 2002), and emotion (Reisberg and Heurer, 2004). However, active-learning activities may "reset" your students' "attention clocks." A recent study of student attention (Bunce et al. 2010) found that students reported fewer attention lapses when instructors were using active-learning methods (a demonstration or a question) compared to those reported during lecture segments. The researchers also found that there were fewer reported lapses in attention during lecture segments in the period immediately following active-learning methods, when compared to lecture segments that preceded these methods. This finding hints at the possibility that active learning may have dual benefits: engaging student attention during the segments when faculty use these methods and "refreshing" attention immediately afterward. (For more information about this study, see our review article on student attention.)
Organize the lecture like a good speech, with a clear structure and “signposts” marking key points and transitions.

As Barbara Gross Davis suggests, you should “prepare your lecture for the ear, not the eye” (104). Use short, straightforward sentences and informal diction. Include transitions and “signposts” that will help your students follow the sequence of your lecture. Plan to summarize and ask questions at several points throughout the lecture to help ensure that students have grasped key concepts.
The lecture should have a clear structure, with a beginning, middle, and end. It should relate back to the previous lecture. The lecture should have an overarching theme or objective that fits the course as a whole.
Prepare notes that will serve as a “road map” rather than a script to be read verbatim.

Notes that are too comprehensive will take your attention away from the students. Instead, write down key concepts and examples, including any essential details such as formulas, dates, or other information. Use color and other cues to mark those points that are most important and to signal when you will use the board or other aids. Experiment with different formats until you find one that works for you. Include notes of moments when you will pause for questions or ask students to solve a problem applying the concept you have just presented.

If you are a professor who is working with Teaching Assistants (TAs), communicate with the TAs frequently to ensure coherence between lectures and TA-facilitated sessions such as discussion sessions, recitations, and office hours.
It is essential that TAs understand your expectations of their roles in assisting with the teaching of the course. Consider defining clear objectives for the time that they spend with students in discussions, recitations, and office hours. Speak with them often about how to use this time to help students learn the material and about any problems that develop. Ask TAs to share their impressions of where students are getting lost or otherwise struggling with the material; students may be more likely to ask a TA for help if they are hesitant about approaching a faculty member.

Review and practice the lecture before class begins.

After writing the lecture, leave at least 30 minutes before your class to organize your thoughts and gather any material you need. Practicing the lecture will help you identify points where you will want to slow the pace, pause, or offer a summary or a question.

If you plan to use audiovisual aids or instructional technology, do so with care and preparation.

Use audiovisual aids and instructional technology only when doing so contributes to student learning. Seek out any training you need to master the use of equipment and technology. Seek out advice from The Teaching Center and your colleagues on why and how you might integrate technology with more traditional tools to improve student learning. Practice using these tools so that you can integrate their use smoothly into the lecture. If you are using PowerPoint, be careful to limit the amount of information you include on each slide so that your lecture, rather than the PowerPoint, is the focus. (For additional guidance on using PowerPoint and other visual aids, see Improving Presentation Style.) If you are teaching in a University-managed classroom, you may call The Teaching Center at 935-6810 to schedule a multimedia training session.


During the Lecture
Interact with your students.
Arrive to class early, especially on the first day, and greet students who are already in the room. Students will feel more comfortable asking you questions and will feel more engaged in the topic of the course if they have an opportunity to interact with you in this way. If time does not permit for students to approach you for questions before or after the lecture, encourage them to see you during office hours.

The more an instructor interacts with the students during a lecture, the more active the learning will be. The judicious use of questions throughout a class session can move the lecture forward, engage the students, increase the use of higher-order thinking processes, and make the lecture more interesting.
Provide students a clear sense of the day’s topics and their relation to the course as a whole.

Write an outline on the board before class begins. This strategy will help students organize the material you are presenting. An outline can also help students when they are studying to identify ideas and connections that they did not grasp during the lecture itself.

Take time at the beginning of class to connect the day’s ideas, concepts, or problems to material that you presented in the previous class and to the overarching themes of the course.
Show passion for the subject.

Tell students what you find fascinating about what you are teaching. If you are teaching a course that you have taught many times, recall what is interesting about the subject to someone learning about it for the first time. Find new applications and examples that will enable you to communicate why the topic should be studied and understood.

Focus on communicating with your audience: speak clearly, so that all students can hear you.

Project your voice. When lecturing in a large room, use a microphone. Ask students to tell you if they cannot hear you; some may feel too intimidated to speak up unless you ask. Speak with an animated tone, but more slowly than you would in an informal conversation. (See Improving Presentation Style).
Use gestures, eye contact and movement around the room to engage student attention.
Make eye contact with students in all areas of the room, not just with those students who routinely answer your questions or otherwise appear engaged.
When asking questions, do not be afraid of silence.

Give students 5-10 seconds to think and formulate a response. If 10-15 seconds pass without anyone volunteering an answer and the students are giving you puzzled looks, rephrase your question. Do not give in to the temptation to answer your own questions, which will condition students to hesitate before answering to see if you will supply “the answer.” Patience is key; do not be afraid of silence. The longer you wait for students to respond, the more thoughtful and complex their responses are likely to be.

Demonstrate respect for, and interest in, student ideas and questions.
Make it clear that you are interested in what and how students are thinking about the material. Show that you value their questions and insights by referring back to these responses later in the lecture or on a subsequent day. This strategy is especially important in a large group. It is common for students to be very sensitive to an instructor’s reaction.
Return to top.
After the Lecture
Rethink, retool, revise.

Each time you deliver a lecture, you learn something about how best to present the material. Jot down brief notes on how each lecture went and use these as the basis for improving your presentation skills, rethinking the material included, rewriting the lecture, or developing ideas for future teaching and research projects. Include these notes with your lecture notes so that they are readily accessible the next time you teach the course.

Speak with your colleagues about their approaches and ideas. Stay abreast of new scholarship on teaching and teaching with technology. Arrange to have one of your classes observed or videotaped so that an observer can help you evaluate what went well and what you can do to improve student learning. To schedule a class observation or videotaping, contact The Teaching Center at 935-6810.

Lectures are the major teaching method employed in many academic departments and schools. As you reflect on how best to prepare and deliver lectures, keep in mind that a primary goal should be to foster critical thinking and active learning.


Demerits of Lectures

Notwithstanding the apparent benefits detailed above, newer approaches to teaching and learning, such as problem-based learning, are increasingly being introduced on the grounds that, even for an equivalent investment of staff time, the learning outcomes of students are far improved. The use of techniques that aim to involve a greater amount of student involvement is of course nothing new. Tutorials, seminars and other variations on student-centred learning have long been used to complement lectures. However, the justification for abandoning or reducing the number of lectures on a course typically focuses on two criticisms: that lectures are a poor medium, first for conveying information and second for developing student understanding.

Conveying information to students

Are lectures an efficient means of conveying information to students? According to Miller (1956), the average number of items that can be held in short-term memory is 7 (±2). Therefore, if students do not have significant time to process new information one of two things happens, either previous information is displaced or the new information is lost. Lectures which proceed quickly simply do not give students sufficient time to process information. Similarly, the ability to concentrate for an hour or so while taking adequate notes is not something that can be taken for granted. Indeed, listening and note taking can be mutually exclusive activities, especially for more inexperienced students. It cannot be assumed that an hour-long lecture will result in an equivalent sum of learning taking place within a student’s head.

This problem can be compounded by the problems of a crowded curriculum. As new theories, research findings and policy initiatives emerge, space has to be found within the syllabus to accommodate them, and not always at the expense of existing content. If more and more content is crammed into a series of lectures it may encourage the lecturer to do little else but talk from the front from start to finish. The logical consequence of such practice is that the pace of lectures is forever quickening to ensure that the expanding syllabus is covered. A lecture could hardly be considered successful if it 'covered' the appropriate part of the syllabus and yet students retained little of what was said or were not guided in their private study.

Students are also more likely to remember information when it is structured in a logical fashion and if it is demonstrably meaningful to them. This again highlights the important of context to learning. Students need to comprehend why they are being taught what they are and how they will subsequently be assessed on it.
Developing student understanding
To judge the 'success' of a lecture, it is important to identify its intended learning outcomes. A lecture could hardly be considered successful if it 'covered' the appropriate part of the syllabus and yet students retained little of what was said or were not guided in their private study. Learning outcomes are often specified in module or course descriptors or handbooks. However, caution should be exercised in judging the success of a lecture against them, since these parts of the documents have often been prepared to meet university or QAA requirements, and compliance in this process by lecturing staff does not necessarily mean that the specified learning outcomes are the most appropriate or are even the ones that the lecturer would choose to identify.

In addition, whilst a lecture's success should be judged in terms of what students gain from it, it does not follow that lectures which students consider successful are necessarily good lectures. Students may prefer lectures that allow them to take notes which can be used directly in preparing for examinations or other forms of assessment. If their objective is to maximise marks subject to a time constraint, or to minimise time commitment subject to achieving a target mark, then this will almost certainly be the case. Similarly, a lecture might be very entertaining, and for that reason popular with students, and yet be a poor learning medium for students. Students are also likely to show a preference for the teaching format they are familiar with, as is equally the case with lecturers.

Assessment is clearly an indicator of student learning and hence of the success of lectures. But even if it were possible to separate the contribution of lectures from other learning media to assessment performance, the assessment itself may not capture the extent to which students have acquired and developed an understanding of the subject matter. To gauge this it is necessary to consider a theory of learning first developed by Marton and Säljö (1976a, 1976b) and since elaborated by Ramsden (1992), Biggs (1987, 1993) and Entwistle (1981). In these studies an important distinction is made between surface, strategic and deep learners. Surface learners are characterised as focusing on memorising words, formulae and theories rather than building relationships and connections. Surface learning is encouraged by:

• A heavy workload;
• An excessive amount of course material;
• A lack of independence;
• Assessment methods that emphasise recall and create anxiety;
• Poor or little feedback on progress; and
• A lack of interest in the subject.
Deep learners seek to relate theory to practice in a range of different contexts. They are able to organise their impressions into a coherent whole rather a set of disassociated facts. Deep learning is encouraged by:
• A choice over content and study methods
• Teaching methods that build on existing knowledge and experience
• Active involvement in their learning
• Long-term engagement with the subject

Strategic learners will adopt whichever approach they believe will maximise their grades. If they believe, rightly or wrongly, that the form of the examination rewards memorisation of disparate facts, they will adopt a surface approach. If they believe that the examination will reward a holistic understanding of key ideas and how these apply in different circumstances they are more likely to adopt a deep approach.

Most students cannot be so readily pigeon holed, displaying characteristics from two or more categories at any one time and may change their preferences over time. Nonetheless this theory exemplifies the potential shortcomings of a wholly didactic model where it is assumed that what is not said is not learnt. The purpose of this chapter is not to debate at length the merit of this models (further reading references are provided at the end), but to establish that the intention of any economics course should be more than simply to allow students to adopt surface-learning strategies that promote the accumulation of transient non-contextualised knowledge.

Finally there is the issue of the diversity of ability and prior experience of students. This is especially a problem at level 1, where lecture groups tend to be larger, where some students are new to the subject and others have A' level Economics and/or Maths or equivalent, and where exit routes can vary from Single Honours Economics degrees to degrees where no further economics will be studied beyond level 1. How can a traditional lecture cope with diversity? To which students should the lecture be pitched? What back-up support will be necessary for the weaker students and what additional learning activities will stretch the stronger students?