Lecture
Imke Buß; Jutta Rump; Janina Kaiser; Melanie Schiedhelm; Petra Schorat-Waly
a) Description of the method
The lecture is a teaching format that is usually used at universities in courses with many students. Most of the time it is lecturer- and instruction-centered.
What is it good for?
The aim of the lecture teaching format is predominantly the presentation of knowledge (structured knowledge and overall contexts). It is particularly well suited when there are no textbooks or other instructional materials, or when there is an overabundance of instructional materials, when these materials are difficult to access, or when they are not available in a form that is understandable to the students in question. Dubs (n.d.) mentions the following quality approaches of a lecture: 1) limitation of the content selection to the essentials (no completeness should be aimed at), 2) a red thread and thus an easily recognizable structure, and 3) linkage to previous knowledge of the students. The goal can be to promote further independent working out and classification of contents through overview-like knowledge with selective deepening. In large groups (about 50 people or more), lectures are predominantly lecturer-centered and do not involve students very much. Possibilities for activating the students during the lecture are individual or small group work to deepen a problem or to discuss a topic. Feedback can also be solicited through voting tools (e.g., PINGO) as part of digital elements. Short reading tasks promote attention and lead to active acquisition of learning content. This can promote retention of learning content. However, lectures are not action-oriented even when students are activated. This means that the application and independent reflection of the learning object (action orientation) is hardly promoted by lectures.
Procedure
When planning the entire semester, the learning objectives must first be specified and compared with the students' prior knowledge. The previous knowledge can be e.g. inquired by the production of a Mindmap in the plenum, by accomplishing quizzes or tests. As a rule, students' prior knowledge varies - supplementary literature to catch up on prior knowledge can therefore improve the introduction for some students. The content structure of the course is accompanied by the question of how the learning materials are designed. Presentations support the classroom sessions, but are usually not suitable as sole learning materials due to their selectivity and their formulation in keywords. A script or selected texts help the students to follow up the events and to acquire the knowledge through repetition and application processes. Application is an important element in the overall design. If the learning objectives include not only knowledge and understanding aspects, but also application and reflection, the course must provide space for the implementation of such student activities. Applications in the course itself or supplementary exercises or tutorials can support this.
(abbreviated presentation)
Group size
Suitable for large groups of about 40-50 or more. In smaller groups, interactive event formats or the integration of interactive elements in lectures are more advisable.
Time required
Preparation of the presentation and study-related learning materials (scripts, selection of appropriate texts).
Room equipment
Lecture hall with good acoustics and lighting.
Materials
lecture notes or appropriate texts, materials and resources suggested in step 4.
b) How does & the lecture promote the following diversity dimensions?
Prior subject matter experience & Prior knowledge
Prior subject matter experience and prior knowledge are not easily accommodated in a large group lecture. With the help of a self-test on the individual learning level, they can be queried in advance. If a very heterogeneous level of knowledge is identified, personal advice can be given to students to identify discrepancies, additional material to acquire the necessary prior knowledge and appropriate literature can be offered. Students with similar levels of knowledge can work collaboratively on the appropriate topics. In order to involve students with professional experience in the lecture, they could bring their practical examples into the course, e.g. as cases.
Core competence independent work & Learning
Independent work and learning is not promoted much by using this classical lecturer-centered method. Learning processes in this format are especially repetition and application processes based on scripts, scientific articles or assignments.
Study motivation
It is essential for learning progress by attending a lecture that the students know the goals of the course. Thanks to transparent goals, it is easier for them to follow the structure of the lecture ("red thread") and they can learn in a more goal-oriented manner. It is important that teachers also inform students why this course content is being taught (So what?). For extrinsically motivated students, a test at the end of a learning section, for example, would be a possible learning incentive. More intrinsically motivated students benefit from e.g. self-study tasks, opportunities to deepen or analyze issues within and outside the course.
Academic & social integration
Academic and social integration are poorly supported here. However, since learning can be understood as a social process, interaction among students and with instructors is helpful to the learning process. Phased work in small groups or office hours offered by instructors can support social or academic integration. It should be noted that not every interaction has a positive effect on integration. Meaningful, differentiated topics help avoid boredom, and high social skills and consideration of student diversity reduce exclusion.
Time & location restrictions
Time and location restrictions are unavoidable in lectures due to the fixed timing. Here, the problems arising from individual restrictions can be reduced by the availability of texts or scripts, explanation of critical points (screencast) or use of an e-learning platform.
Literature
Dubs, R. (o.J.): Well structured and targeted. Tips for preparing and conducting lectures. In: New Handbook of University Didactics (E. 2.5).
Pfäffli, B. (2005): Teaching at universities. A didactics of higher education for building knowledge and competencies. Bern, Stuttgart, Vienna: Haupt Verlag.
Citation
Buß, Imke; Rump, Jutta; Kaiser, Janina; Schiedhelm, Melanie; Schorat-Waly, Petra (2017): Lecture. In: Rump, Jutta; Buß, Imke; Kaiser, Janina; Schiedhelm, Melanie; Schorat-Waly, Petra: Toolbox for good teaching in a diverse student body. Working Papers of the Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences, No. 6. www. hwg-lu.de/arbeitspapiere
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