Editing Lecture (section)

==Research==
[[File:Hogarth lecture 1736.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.3|[[William Hogarth]]'s 1736 [[engraving]], 
''Scholars at a Lecture'']]
Bligh, in ''What's the Use of Lectures?'', argues that lectures "represent a [[Definitions of education|conception of education]] in which teachers who know give knowledge to students who do not and are therefore supposed to have nothing worth contributing."  Based on his review of numerous studies, he concludes that lecturing is as effective, but not more effective, as any other teaching method in transmitting information.  Nevertheless, lecturing is not the most effective method for promoting student thought, changing attitudes, or teaching behavioral skills.<ref>{{cite journal| url = https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/files/?whdmsaction=public:main.file&fileID=8113| title = Natural Learning in Higher Education| author = J. Scott Armstrong| journal = Encyclopedia of the Sciences of Learning| year = 2012| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140916150012/https://marketing.wharton.upenn.edu/files/?whdmsaction=public:main.file&fileID=8113| archive-date = 2014-09-16| access-date = 2014-09-16}}</ref>
Bligh summarises research on memory to show the significance of the meaningfulness of material on retention (Marks and Miller 1964) and the importance of immediate rehearsal of information (Bassey 1968).  He relates his own research on arousal during lectures to suggest a decrement in attention during the first 25 minutes.  Lloyd (1968) and Scerbo et al. (1992) showed that students take less and less notes as lectures proceed. Bligh shows that after a short break filled by buzz group discussion, attention will recover somewhat. 
The largest section of Bligh's book is devoted to lecturing technique, particularly the organisation of lectures, how to make a point, the effectiveness of taking notes, the use of handouts, and ways of obtaining feedback.
Early editions of the book contained a reply paid evaluation card. This research showed that the section on alternative teaching methods within lectures was the most highly praised.<ref name=Bligh>{{cite book|last=Bligh|first=Donald|title=What's the use of lectures?|year=1998|edition=5th|publisher=Intellect Books|isbn=9781871516791|pages=316|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=l-xxxqZXUU8C}} [http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic38998.files/Bligh_Ch1_and_Ch3.pdf Ch.1 and Ch. 3 reprint] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011213244/http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic38998.files/Bligh_Ch1_and_Ch3.pdf |date=2014-10-11 }}</ref>

The conception of the lecture as needing to be a didactic event has been challenged by Meltzer and Manivannan (2002) and Sandry (2005) who maintain that lectures can involve active learning. However, Elliot (2005) sees difficulties in the encouragement of active learning with phenomena such as [[social loafing]] and [[Evaluation apprehension model|evaluation apprehension]] causing audience members to be reluctant to participate. A possible solution to the encouragement of audience involvement in lectures is the use of an [[Audience response#Use in Educational Settings|audience response system]] which allows audience members to participate anonymously.<ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1080/02602938.2015.1024199 | volume=41 | issue=3 | title=Academic integrity: a quantitative study of confidence and understanding in students at the start of their higher education | journal=Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education | pages=482–497| year=2016 | last1=Newton | first1=Philip | s2cid=144164927 }}</ref> 

Shoufan (2020) argues that with a proper usage of learning technology, the lecture can be omitted and completely replaced by learning activities. <ref>{{cite journal|doi=10.1109/TE.2020.2989921 | volume=63 | issue=4 | title=Lecture-Free Classroom: Fully Active Learning on Moodle | journal=IEEE Transactions on Education | pages=314–321| year=2020 | last1=Shoufan | first1=Abdulhadi | bibcode=2020ITEdu..63..314S | s2cid=219501315 }}</ref>

===Advantages===
The effectiveness of traditional lecture is and has been debated. Some advantages of lecturing include: quick exposure to new material, greater teacher control in the classroom, an engaging format, which may complement and clarify course material, and facilitating large-class communication.<ref name=cirtl />  Lecturing also permits the dissemination of unpublished or not readily available material.<ref>{{cite web|title=Advantages & Disadvantages of Lecturing|url=http://www.southalabama.edu/languages/spanish/TRG/TRG/Enhancing_Learning/Lecturing/advantages.htm|website=TeachingResourcesGuide.com|publisher=South Alabama University|access-date=4 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402112936/http://www.southalabama.edu/languages/spanish/TRG/TRG/Enhancing_Learning/Lecturing/advantages.htm|archive-date=2 April 2015}}</ref> Another advantage would be for the lecturer to attract students. A vivid personality with a kind and respectful attitude in the classroom may help to recruit prospective Master and PhD students for a lecturer's own academic research.

===Disadvantages===
There has been much debate as to whether or not lecturing actually improves student learning in the classroom.  Commonly cited disadvantages of lecture include: placing students in a passive (rather than an active) role, encouraging one-way communication, requiring significant out-of-class time for students to engage with the material, and requiring the speaker to possess effective speaking skills.<ref name=cirtl>{{cite web|title=Lecturing: Advantages and Disadvantages of the Traditional Lecture Method|url=http://www.cirtl.net/node/2570|publisher=CIRTL Network|access-date=11 March 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140311181116/http://www.cirtl.net/node/2570|archive-date=11 March 2014}}</ref>

The criticisms of lectures are often summarized by a quote generally misattributed<ref name=notes2notes/> to [[Mark Twain]]:
{{blockquote|College is a place where a professor’s lecture notes go straight to the students’ lecture notes, without passing through the brains of either.<ref name=notes2notes>{{cite web|title=The Professor's Lecture Notes Go Straight to the Students' Lecture Notes|url=http://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/08/17/lecture-minds/|work=Quote Investigator|date=17 August 2012 |access-date=April 19, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502201823/http://quoteinvestigator.com/2012/08/17/lecture-minds/|archive-date=May 2, 2013}}. This source suggests that [[Edwin Slosson]] is more likely the original writer.</ref>}}