Do Lectures Still Work in Digital Age?

jeffyoung
Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:04:36 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0L958eM1jE

PowerPoint is boring. Student attention spans are short. Today many facts pop up with a simple Google search. And plenty of free lectures by the world’s greatest professors can be found on YouTube.

Is it time for more widespread reform of college teaching?

[Lecture Fail? - Technology - The Chronicle of Higher Education](http://chronicle.com/article/Lecture-Fail/130085/)

Today, professors are letting students pass virtual notes in class on Twitter. They’re trying “clickers” that turn classrooms into game shows. They’re videotaping their classes to let students watch lecture reruns to help cram for the test, or share the knowledge with the world on YouTube. They’re monitoring how many minutes students spend reading online textbooks to see who needs help.

The Chronicle of Higher Education is putting together a multimedia feature exploring the state of the college lecture, and how technologies point to new models. And we’re looking for student voices to include.

If you’re a current college student, fire up your laptop’s Web cam and record a short “classroom confessional,” letting us know whether your professor’s lectures are boring, inspiring, or something in between. Paint a picture for us—do you find yourself checking Facebook or zoning out in class, or are you sitting on the edge of your seat? Would you rather something more interactive happen in class, or should lectures stick around for the long haul? Please don’t name your professors, and you’re welcome to remain anonymous if you choose.

We’ll feature the best videos on our Web site, and I’ll show some of the clips at a talk I’m giving at this year’s SXSW interactive festival in Austin Texas. Just post your video to YouTube or other video-sharing site, and e-mail a link to jeff.young@chronicle.com.

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