Reading of:

Gehlen-Baum et al. (2014) Technology Use in Lectures to Enhance Student Attention.

Cornell University Resource: Getting Started with Moving the Lecture Outside the Classroom [Online]

Teaching formats and strategies: As ways of countering the passivity of learning inherent in traditional lectures, the research article ‘Technology use in lectures to enhance students’ attention’ and piece on ‘Getting Started with Moving the Lecture Outside the Classroom’ set out different approaches. Both seek the active participation of students within the lecture space, but through different methods. In the first article, mobile devices are used to provide interactivity between the students and to provide responses to the lecturer. One of the positives highlighted by the research is that more students can respond to the lecturer’s questions removing ‘production blocking’, whereby only one student responds which therefore inhibits other students from providing their own responses. Whilst educational technology bend the use of mobile devices to the purpose of learning, I imagine the type of interactivity mediated by technological devices does not promote a lively, collaborative environment.

Here is where the second article seems to me to be more interesting and aligned to methods that I explore in my own teaching practice. The lecture is presented as prep work prior to students entering the teaching space, freeing the it up for social interaction directed towards learning between students and the lecturers. This also uses technology via various online tools, but it allows for understanding of the information presented to be reflected on in advance of the class and to be discussed in a group setting encouraging debate. It is a more active and cooperative form of learning which I think would offer a more engaging form of learning to traditional lectures.