Faculty Development

Though no longer used to spread the content of a single book, lectures are generally used to teach new knowledge and skills, promote reflection, and stimulate further work and learning.

In the appropriate context, and assuming a certain quality standard, the lecture is an effective means of teaching. The main benefits of lectures are that:

• they are an effective way of providing information that is not available from other sources
• they can be cost-effective for transmitting factual information to a large audience
• they provide background information and ideas, basic concepts and methods that can be developed later by private study, or in small tutor-supervised group activities
• they can be used to highlight similarities and differences between key concepts
•  they can be a useful way of demonstrating processes.

(Bligh, 2000)

The main disadvantages of lectures are that:

• lecturing tends to place the audience in a passive role. People may be busy taking notes but usually have little time to reflect, question or analyse and synthesise ideas
• lectures are not an effective method for changing attitudes or encouraging higher-order thinking
• lecturing doesn’t encourage the audience to move beyond memorising the information presented and long-term retention may be poor
• lecturing reproduces a power differential in which the lecturer is guardian and gatekeeper of knowledge and the audience are the recipients of whatever the lecturer chooses to reveal
• lectures are not suitable for a wide diversity of ability.

While we tend to assume that a lecture is the only way to teach a large body of people, and equally we tend to rule out the possibility of delivering a lecture to a small group, by no means is either always the case. There are a number of effective methods of teaching large groups, and a skilled lecturer can adapt the format to accommodate relatively small groups – yet it will still be recognisably a lecture.

There are a number of sound reasons for choosing the lecture, among them (starting with the most pragmatic):

• when there is no workable alternative due to size of group, venue, etc.
• when the programme stipulates it, such as at a conference or as part of an undergraduate programme
• when part of the purpose is to set guidelines for assignments, exams, etc.
• when the aim is to present broad outlines of a subject and factual information
• when the aim is to illustrate process and/problem-solving strategies
• when you want to model academic practice you wish to encourage
• when you are invited.

A good lecture at the right time:

• facilitates learning of the key basic principles of the subject
• fits coherently into the overall teaching programme
• is relevant, well presented and holds students’ attention
• is organised into a logical structure
• supports and builds on previous learning
• is stimulating and provides food for thought.