Lecture method
Advantages of Lecture Method
- Gives the instructor the chance to expose students to unpublished or not readily available material.
- Allows the instructor to precisely determine the aims, content, organization, pace and direction of a presentation.
- Can be used to arouse interest in a subject.
- Can complement and clarify text material.
- Complements certain individual learning preferences. Some students depend upon the structure provided by highly teacher-centered methods.
- Facilitates large-class communication.
Disadvantages of Lecture Method
- Places students in a passive rather than an active role, which hinders learning.
- Encourages one-way communication; therefore, the lecturer must make a conscious effort to become aware of student problems and student understanding of content without verbal feedback.
- Requires a considerable amount of unguided student time outside of the classroom to enable understanding and long-term retention of content. In contrast, interactive methods (discussion, problem-solving sessions) allow the instructor to influence students when they are actively working with the material.
- Requires the instructor to have or to learn effective writing and speaking skills.
What are the demerits of lecture method of teaching?
(i) It provides little scope for pupil’s activity.
(ii) It does not take into consideration the individual differences of pupils.
(iii) It is against the principle of ‘learning by doing.’.
(iv) It spoon feeds the students without developing their power of reasoning.
(v) Speed of the lecture may be too fast for learners to grasp the line of thought.
(vi) An average student may not be able to fix up his attention to a lecture.
(vii) A lecture may become monotonous to students after a while.
When to use lecture method
This method can be suitably used:
(i) For Communicating new facts or information to the students.
(ii) For completing the courses in time.
(iii) For reviewing and summarizing a unit.
(iv) For expanding the unit by giving better explanation.
(v) For communicating such material to students which is not available in their text-book.
Method of presenting a good lecture
Following points should be given due consideration:.
(i) Key terms are explained in details.
(ii) Reasonable task units are given.
(iii) Lecture should be delivered sequentially.
(iv) Teacher should prepare brief notes in good language before delivering the lecture.
(v) All out efforts are made to correlate the lecture.
(vi) Teacher should make frequent use of verbal imagery and oral illustrations.
(vii) Lecture should be delivered at proper speed.
(viii) Lecture should be delivered in well modulated tone and voice.
(ix) It should be followed by frequent inspection of student’s notes by the teacher.
