Some
lecturers here at the UWI Mona Campus post their slides before class because
they believe that this will advance learning. Others feel that if students
receive PowerPoint slides before the class, then they will not attend or they
might come to class and be disengaged, surfing the net and having a good time
otherwise. But is there a possibility
that having the slides before class might free students to concentrate on what
is happening in class and think in multiple ways about the content that is
being taught?
There
is some evidence that suggests that students do better when they have the
PowerPoint slides and take additional notes during the class time. Marsh and
Sink (2010) did a small study on students who had received advanced copies of
the presentation for their class before actually attending. They examined the
quality of the notes that they took during the class. They also looked at the
quality of the notes that students who did not receive an advanced copy of the
slides took. Further, the students’ performances on course tests were also
investigated.
They
found that students without the slides took more notes but they were basically
verbatim copies of the content of the slides presented during class. Both groups recorded additional information
from lecture and class discussion in equal amounts. Overall, they noticed that the students who
received a copy of the slides as handouts before class performed better than
students who took notes and received the slides after the class.
What do
you think? Make your own case for giving
he slides before or after the class/lecture.
I give my students their notes prior to class. I find that those students who are diligent about the material appreciate receiving the slides in advance. They have time to review the material and prepare questions for discussion in class.
ReplyDeleteIt should not be a concern if students are surfing the internet or distracting themselves in class. We must remember that this is a tertiary level institution and cannot therefore force students to learn. It is up to the student to ensure that they are prepared for class, if they attend their classes any at all. We must give these students the opportunity to make their own decisions in regards to their degree (or "book learning"). If we treat them as adults, then ultimately they will behave as adults; contributing to their "life learning."
I agree fully with your sentiments. releasing the slides/lecture notes prior to class gives students the opportunity to enter class with a greater awareness of the lecture content facilitating a richer learning environment.
DeleteDuring my first year as an undergraduate student, I would always purchase and read my M10A & M10B lecture notes prior to class. If I thought I had a full grasp of the content I would be disengaged in class. If however I had difficulty grasping the material I would be very attentive in class, asking relevant questions to ensure that I mastered the concepts before leaving class. This gave me control over my learning and assisted my scoring very high grades in both classes.
It's good that you give students notes prior to class. Indeed the research is suggesting that this is helpful. I am not sure though that we can continue to take a disinterested approach to whether or not they are engaged. Many of our traditional undergraduates are transitioning to higher education and they are not really adults but emerging adults. Whilst we cannot be helicopter parents or teachers, the demands of the times, in terms of learning and developmental needs might propel us to take more interest in their learning.
DeleteFloyd, I wonder whether we should not be challenging our students to be as enagaged as possible in the classroom? When you know the content and can contribute meaningfully to classoom discussions, you can become a co-facilitator of learning.
DeleteI think I am being misunderstood. I am interested if students are engaged in my class, however if we hope to have graduates who will make great managers and supervisors, we must look at their full development and not just their education. We must allow students to make their own decisions (whether good or bad) and take responsibility for those decisions. If we continue to "baby" students, they will be unprepared for the working world and life in general.
DeleteYes indeed, it is important for students to be engaged. Certainly the full development of the student must be given priority. The idea of making students make their own decision is good and of course taking responsibility is also important. All of these approaches/interventions can be accomplished with due regard to the phase of development of the student and his or her various competencies.
ReplyDelete