When considering only the venue of through which a lecture is delivered, receiving a lecture in-person seems negligibly better than receiving a pre-recorded lecture online (P<.01).

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Analyzes the effectiveness of passive teaching styles (i.e. lecturing or exams) on student learning. 

Efficacy of Traditional Teaching Methods

Figlio, D.N., Rush, M., Yin, L. Is it Live or is it Internet? Experimental estimates of the effects of online instruction on student learning. (2013). Journal of Labor Economics, 31(4).

Is it Live or is it Internet? Experimental estimates of the effects of online instruction on student learning.

1. Provides contact between teacher and student
2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students
3. Encourages active learning
4. Gives prompt feedback
5. Emphasizes time on tasks
6. Communicates high expectations
7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning


Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education 

Live Lecturing vs Recorded Lecturing

The authors hypothesized that highly structured course designs, which implement reading quizzes and/or extensive in-class active-learning activities and weekly practice exams, can lower failure rates in an introductory biology course, compared with low-structure course designs that are based on lecturing and a few high-risk assessments. The experimenters controlled for instructor effects by analyzing data from quarters when the same instructor taught the course, exam equivalence with new assessments called the Weighted Bloom’s Index and Predicted Exam Score, and student equivalence using a regression-based Predicted Grade. The authors also tested the hypothesis that points from reading quizzes, clicker questions, and other assignments in highly structured courses inflate. They found no evidence that points from active-learning exercises inflate grades or reduce the impact of exams on final grades. When controlled for variation in student ability, failure rates were lower in a moderately structured course design and were dramatically lower in a highly structured course design. This result supports the hypothesis that active-learning exercises can make students more skilled learners and help bridge the gap between poorly prepared students and their better-prepared peers.

Increased Course Structure Improves Performance in Introductory Biology

- There is now a great deal of evidence that lecturing is a relatively ineffective pedagoglical tool for promoting conceptual understanding. Some of this evidence is general, showing that learners at all levels gain meaningful understanding of concepts primarily through active engagement with and application of new information, not by passive listening to verbal presentations (Nation Research Council, 1999).
- This study conducted on undergraduate biology students, proposes teaching for conceptual understanding and analytical skills, while encouraging activities over factual knowledge during lecturing. A moderate shift toward more interactive and cooperative learning in class has shown to result in significantly higher student learning gains than achieved using a standard lecture format. 

Teaching More by Lecturing Less

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- Which form of assessment provides the best information about student performance in chemistry examinations?
- Reflections on writing and identity: exploring the role of qualifying exams in the sociocultural development of doctoral students

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