Thank you for such a well written post. I certainly agree with the idea of needing to “set students minds on fire” in college lectures, especially when we consider the cost of education and/or the lifetime of debt that is associated with these classes. I am curious to hear if you have any ideas for how to combine individual students circumstances to meet the overall goal of the classroom? Do you have any concrete examples we could work from?

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Thank you for such a well written post. I certainly agree with the idea of needing to “set students minds on fire” in college lectures, especially when we consider the cost of education and/or the lifetime of debt that is associated with these classes. I am curious to hear if you have any ideas for how to combine individual students circumstances to meet the overall goal of the classroom? Do you have any concrete examples we could work from?

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I agree with your concluding comments about appreciating a “GOOD” lecture. I completely agree, and have been trying to figure out how to get that point across in lecture for weeks. I’ve always considered myself lucky that I learn well by the traditional educational structure. I am an auditory learner, and writing information down is the best way I’ve found for me to absorb the information. Since beginning this class, I’ve brought up this subject to many students in my department and they agree with me. I agree that this environment can suffer from a bad lecturer, and I have certainly sat through those classes where time seems to be moving backwards. I only want to emphasize that we shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that a traditional lecture works very well for many students.

I really liked your post. The last point your made is correct. There is a difference of getting degree and working in real- life. I have seen students who was not great in school but is really successful in real life since they worked in their area of interest from the beginning and had imagined themselves working in those areas.

Students are not widgets!
Universities are not corporations!
We should be shouting your post from the rooftops!

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Students are not widgets!
Universities are not corporations!
We should be shouting your post from the rooftops!

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I think you have a very thoughtful comment that some classes seem to fit entirely within Talbert’s purposes of lectures. When I first started to become aware of non-traditional learning concepts such as connected learning, it was difficult for me to get away from this. For example, it seemed difficult to add something like blogging to a freshman math class. As I’ve learned more techniques and innovative ways to non-traditional teaching I think I’ve struggled less with this.

Yep. Lectures are unavoidable, but I can certainly change how I deliver them. With a small class, it’s easy to see who is and isn’t paying attention, in a large class that would be harder. I like what’s been shared in class about using cell phones to communicate with the instructor, but I also think there is an element of self-directed learning that students must do. If a lecture is boring, too bad. My job as an instructor is not always to entertain you, but to give you useful information you can use for the rest of the course.
Life isn’t always interesting, but somehow, as adults, we are expected to make the most of it. I think we coddle students too much at times by treating them not as the adults they are.

"Imaginative learning allows the ability for learners to construct their dreams and goals as well as develop empathy, critical awareness, self-confidence, self-regulation, and self-esteem."
Yes!! I love this! As I said in my last post on summer camp, imagination can be a useful tool in learning especially when there are no grades to worry about.

I agree, making a lecture relatable to the learner does strengthen the connection of the material with the learner in which hopefully those connections will permit recall and transfer.