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Speaking for my self, a UK student 14 ish years ago doing Computer Science... I found lectures mostly a waste of time. What I found was that the lecturers were

by alan_cx 14y ago

Speaking for my self, a UK student 14 ish years ago doing Computer Science... I found lectures mostly a waste of time. What I found was that the lecturers were simply presenting the latest chapter from the prescribed text book. So, I ended up reading the chapter the night before and just used the lecture as confirmation of what I thought I had learned by reading. Very occasionally I used the lecture to ask some question, but that was rare. By Year 2, I barely went to lectures and simply studied at home, handed in the required work, then did the exams. Now, I fully accept that what I did does not suit all, in fact I am happy to be considered a minority case, but, and here is the point I'm waffling towards, I did have to question the true value of actual lecturers if all they did was present chapters of a text book. A video on-line might well have been better. Another thing I ended up questioning was the length of the degree course. It could have been very easily done in 2 years, if not less.

Roboprog 14y ago
That was not my experience. I went to a small Cal State Uni campus in the 80s. However, I often had good professors who expected you to read the material before class, so as to have a discussion about it in class, rather than just a talking head in front. While it may not have been a prestigious school, staff spent time on the students.
- alan_cx 14y ago
  I like the sound of that method. I think it would have worked very well for me.
kyllo 14y ago
I think my university recognized this and dealt with it depending on the size of the class as such: Small class (less than 30-40 students): not much lecturing happening, maybe a little bit of PowerPoint but mostly interactive discussion with the professor on the readings Large class (could be several hundred students): twice-weekly lecture by professor on high-level concepts with a little Q&A at the end, then separate twice-weekly small discussion section on the readings with a grad student TA. The model of combining a mass lecture section with a small-group discussion section can scale to MOOCs, that's why they have discussion forums, and people are also forming small study groups on Facebook, Google+, and locally IRL to discuss the materials. It just requires a little more motivation on behalf of the students to form these small groups themselves instead of having them predefined for them.
tjr 14y ago
Some lecturers are truly outstanding, and a joy to listen to. I went to a small undergraduate college, with small class sizes and many passionate, engaging professors, where classes were a mixture of lecture and discussion. But a straight up lecture? I'd rather read a book. And really, even with good lecturers, most of my real learning comes from applying the knowledge somehow: writing computer programs, writing essays, etc.
- patrissimo76 14y ago
  I also went to a small undergraduate college, with small class sizes and many passionate, engaging professors, where classes were a mixture of lecture and discussion. And half of the classes still bored the crap out of me. Even with a great teacher, the speed at which the material is presented is never going to match each person's learning flow. Too slow for things they get instantly, too fast for concepts they have trouble with, and everyone is different. And even debate in a small class is inefficient. Contrast a debate in a 20-person class with a debate in the HN comment threads. The class will sometimes be focused on a thread I'm not interested in. Sometimes I will want to chime in, but others are holding the floor. Time is a scarce resource and 20 students are contesting it. On HN, we can all read and comment simultaneously. No downtime.
  - tjr 14y ago
    I'm sorry you had such a worthless experience. What learning methods seem to work best for you?
- alan_cx 14y ago
  I came across 2 teachers like that at school, but sadly not in any higher education. Obviously this is down to our own experience, and I suppose our own judgements of the lecturers, or teachers. Thinking about it, I think inspirational teachers are more vital in schools. Idea being, once inspired, the kids will drive forwards themselves.

by alan_cx 14y ago

Roboprog 14y ago

That was not my experience. I went to a small Cal State Uni campus in the 80s. However, I often had good professors who expected you to read the material before class, so as to have a discussion about it in class, rather than just a talking head in front. While it may not have been a prestigious school, staff spent time on the students.

alan_cx 14y ago
I like the sound of that method. I think it would have worked very well for me.

kyllo 14y ago

I think my university recognized this and dealt with it depending on the size of the class as such: Small class (less than 30-40 students): not much lecturing happening, maybe a little bit of PowerPoint but mostly interactive discussion with the professor on the readings Large class (could be several hundred students): twice-weekly lecture by professor on high-level concepts with a little Q&A at the end, then separate twice-weekly small discussion section on the readings with a grad student TA. The model of combining a mass lecture section with a small-group discussion section can scale to MOOCs, that's why they have discussion forums, and people are also forming small study groups on Facebook, Google+, and locally IRL to discuss the materials. It just requires a little more motivation on behalf of the students to form these small groups themselves instead of having them predefined for them.

tjr 14y ago

Some lecturers are truly outstanding, and a joy to listen to. I went to a small undergraduate college, with small class sizes and many passionate, engaging professors, where classes were a mixture of lecture and discussion. But a straight up lecture? I'd rather read a book. And really, even with good lecturers, most of my real learning comes from applying the knowledge somehow: writing computer programs, writing essays, etc.

patrissimo76 14y ago
I also went to a small undergraduate college, with small class sizes and many passionate, engaging professors, where classes were a mixture of lecture and discussion. And half of the classes still bored the crap out of me. Even with a great teacher, the speed at which the material is presented is never going to match each person's learning flow. Too slow for things they get instantly, too fast for concepts they have trouble with, and everyone is different. And even debate in a small class is inefficient. Contrast a debate in a 20-person class with a debate in the HN comment threads. The class will sometimes be focused on a thread I'm not interested in. Sometimes I will want to chime in, but others are holding the floor. Time is a scarce resource and 20 students are contesting it. On HN, we can all read and comment simultaneously. No downtime.
- tjr 14y ago
  I'm sorry you had such a worthless experience. What learning methods seem to work best for you?
alan_cx 14y ago
I came across 2 teachers like that at school, but sadly not in any higher education. Obviously this is down to our own experience, and I suppose our own judgements of the lecturers, or teachers. Thinking about it, I think inspirational teachers are more vital in schools. Idea being, once inspired, the kids will drive forwards themselves.