New Perspective on Lecturing in Teaching
Lecturing is a contentious subject lately, with some teachers arguing that it should be abolished in favor of more active learning methods. However, calling for an end to lecturing overlooks its advantages and nuances, writes Joshua Eyler, director of the Center for Teaching Excellence and adjunct associate professor of humanities at Rice University, in a recent Inside Higher Ed op-ed. Lecturing means different things to different faculty members. For most teachers, it does not mean continuous talking but rather a mix of content delivery and activity, according to a recent survey administered by Eyler. “Relatively short lectures with interspersed activities are very useful, particularly if our goal is to provide students with context or describe a scholarly debate in our field or the like,” Eyler writes.
