Moving From Lecture to Learning

Think of something you’re really good at.  Something that is important in your career and something you are proud of. It could be your ability to manage a classroom well. It could be that you have found the key to get children to begin reading. Maybe you are great at making videos. Whatever that thing is, take a minute to think about how you learned to be good at this thing.

Chances are you are like everyone else who went through this exercise and the word “lecture”or “note taking” aren’t top of mind as the answer to that question. That’s because, as renowned Harvard Professor Eric Mazur explains to us, lectures alone are an ineffective way to support learning. So ineffective that he actually gave up lecturing several years ago when he came to this realization.  

Mazur explains that students don’t need to come together to watch someone talk and furiously copy down notes. Today a speaker can provide lecture notes, transcript, presentation materials, and video for review. A great example of that is CS50. Technology has changed our access to information. Ignoring that fact, or worse, trapping students in their teacher’s past by putting structures in place that ban technology is a disservice to students.  

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