Do students really learn nothing from a lecture?

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Students do not necessarily learn nothing from a lecture, but it may not be the most effective method of learning and information retention.

For those who require additional information

While it cannot be said that students learn absolutely nothing from a lecture, research shows that it may not be the most effective method of learning and information retention. Studies have shown that lecturing alone does not create effective learning and that students who listen to lectures without active engagement often do not retain the information.

One quote from Maryellen Weimer, Professor Emerita of Teaching and Learning at Penn State University, summarises this well: “Students forget most of what they hear in their lectures and remember surprisingly little of what they see and read.”

Here are some interesting facts on the topic:

Lecturing as a teaching method has existed for centuries, with evidence of it being used in ancient Greece and Rome.
Since the 19th century, there have been criticisms of the lecture format, with it being called “passive” or “outdated.”
In recent years, research has shown that active learning strategies, such as discussions, group work, and problem-solving, lead to greater retention of information and overall academic success.
Despite this, lectures remain a popular teaching method, with many universities continuing to rely on them as a primary mode of instruction.

It should be noted that while lectures may not be the most effective method of learning for every student, some learners may benefit from them more than others. It also depends on the subject matter – for example, a lecture on history may be more effective than one on mathematics.

Here is a table comparing the benefits and drawbacks of a lecture format:

Benefits	Drawbacks
Can present a large amount of information in a short amount of time	Encourages passive learning
Easier to prepare and deliver than other teaching methods	Can be monotonous and boring
Allows students to take notes and review material later	May not allow for interactive learning or critical thinking
Effective for transmitting factual information	Does not cater to different learning styles
Can be delivered to large groups of students	Does not necessarily lead to retention of information

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Associated video

Erling Kagge, a Norwegian adventurer and author, shares in this TEDxUniversityofStAndrews video the value of silence according to his personal experiences. Kagge believes that silence is a luxury that can transform our perceptions of the world around us and that we can all find it within ourselves. He emphasizes that the pauses between sounds and moments of silence are just as significant as the sounds themselves, and that silence can help individuals gain new perspectives. Kagge notes the importance of silence in activities ranging from running to cooking to studying, and he believes that it is a quality that can unlock new ways of thinking.

Some additional responses to your inquiry

The study showed that students fared worse on tests if they were taught by lectures alone. That finding does not suggest that “learning from lectures” is a complete illusion — only that students don’t learn as much, or as well, as they do from active-learning strategies.

The user query is a question that can be answered with a yes or no, followed by some explanation. No, students do not learn nothing from a lecture, but they may learn more from active learning strategies. However, students may feel that they learn more from lectures, even though they score higher on tests after active learning sessions. One reason why lectures may be less effective is that students get bored and distracted after about 15 minutes.

When the results were tallied, the authors found that students felt as if they learned more from the lectures, but in fact scored higher on tests following the active learning sessions.

Yet it also found that students tended to feel they learned more from listening to a polished lecture. None of that should have been very notable. By now, many studies have demonstrated the superiority of active-learning strategies in the college classroom.

Classroom lectures can be long, boring and ineffective, and Khan Academy founder Salman Khan says they have no place in the education. He points to research that shows that most students get bored and distracted after about 15 minutes, and suggests alternative methods of instruction.

You will most likely be intrigued

Are lectures an effective way to learn?

Instructors can use lectures to help students easily acquire knowledge of terms, basic facts, and simple concepts. Lectures are as effective, but not more effective, than other methods in transmitting simple information (Bligh, 2000). The lecture method may match students’ expectations of student and teacher roles.

Is it normal to not understand lecture?

Yes – it’s completely normal, because the lecture is only part of the lesson. If you read the material beforehand, try to understand it as well as you can, note your own thoughts and observations, prepare your questions, and show up to class, then you get the lecture and the opportunity to ask your questions.

How much do students remember from lectures?

Response to this: To summarize the Learning Pyramid – learners retain approximately: 5% of what they learn when they’ve learned from lecture. 10% of what they learn when they’ve learned from reading. 20% of what they learn from audio-visual.

Why is lecturing ineffective?

Answer: Lectures are not engaging. Lectures are often long and monotonous, making it difficult for even the most dedicated students to engage. They cause students to quickly grow bored and tune out and they also don’t leave room for questions, making confused students even more likely to shut down.

Why should students learn more during a lecture?

Learning more during a lecture saves students time. You can facilitate active learning activities (that they may not do in their own study sessions) which promote deeper and longer-term learning . Learning as they go encourages a lot more questions that students otherwise may not ask and may struggle with by themselves.

Do physics students learn better by listening to a lecture?

As an answer to this: Not surprisingly, the study found that physics students performed better on multiple-choice tests if they were taught via active-learning strategies than by lecture alone. Yet it also found that students tended to feel they learned more from listening to a polished lecture.

Do classroom lectures have a place in education?

The answer is: Classroom lectures can be long, boring and ineffective, and Khan Academy founder Salman Khan says they have no place in the education. He points to research that shows that most students get bored and distracted after about 15 minutes, and suggests alternative methods of instruction.

Is learning from lecture an illusion?

And therein lies the trouble: Lecturing is always going to come up short when you assume that students will learn as much from being told how to solve a problem as from trying to solve it. But it’s a big leap to claim that any learning from lecture is an illusion.

Why should students learn more during a lecture?

Response: Learning more during a lecture saves students time. You can facilitate active learning activities (that they may not do in their own study sessions) which promote deeper and longer-term learning . Learning as they go encourages a lot more questions that students otherwise may not ask and may struggle with by themselves.

Does active learning debunk the illusion of learning from lectures?

In reply to that: A pioneer in work on active learning, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics Eric Mazur hailed the study as debunking long-held beliefs about how students learn. “This work unambiguously debunks the illusion of learning from lectures,” he said.

Should physics be taught via lectures or active learning?

The answer is: Not surprisingly, the study found that physics students performed better on multiple-choice tests if they were taught via active-learning strategies than by lecture alone. Yet it also found that students tended to feel they learned more from listening to a polished lecture. None of that should have been very notable.

Is learning from lecture an illusion?