Massive study finds lectures still dominate STEM ed

Marilyne Stains, associate professor of chemistry, watches a class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Stains and her colleagues have authored a new study showing that traditional lecturing remains the most common teaching style for undergrad classes i
Marilyne Stains, associate professor of chemistry, watches a class at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Stains and her colleagues have authored a new study showing that traditional lecturing remains the most common teaching style for undergrad classes i

by Scott Schrage | University Communication

An analysis of more than 2,000 college classes in science, technology, engineering and math has imparted a lesson that might resonate with many students who sat through them: Enough with the lectures, already.

Published March 29 in the journal Science, the largest-ever observational study of undergraduate STEM education monitored nearly 550 faculty as they taught more than 700 courses at 25 institutions across the United States and Canada.

The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Marilyne Stains and her colleagues found that 55 percent of STEM classroom interactions consisted mostly of conventional lecturing, a style that prior research has identified as among the least effective at teaching and engaging students.

Another 27 percent featured interactive lectures that had students participating in some group activities or answering multiple-choice questions with handheld clickers. Just 18 percent emphasized a student-centered style heavy on group work and discussions.

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https://news.unl.edu/newsrooms/today/article/lesson-learned-massive-study-finds-lectures-still-dominate-stem-ed/