This is my third semester at LSU, and I have come to the realization that lecture-based classes are boring. This isn’t the fault of the professors who teach these classes. It’s the fault of the education system as a whole.
Incorporating different learning styles in the classroom should be normalized by now, and the lack of variety impacts students negatively. It also denies students that learn differently the chance to succeed in the classroom.
There have been studies demonstrating that different learning styles in classrooms are crucial to the comprehension of coursework for all students. Researchers found that both students and education faculty benefit from knowledge of learning styles, as it makes both studying and teaching more specialized and effective.
MORE OPINION: BellyFire Studios offers students ‘a space to explore their journey’ with ceramics
One way to introduce educational variety into classrooms would be allowing the students to lead lectures during class. This approach has been proven beneficial to increasing comprehension among students. Knowing this, why haven’t more professors switched to more student-led lectures?
In 2019, a Harvard professor conducted an experiment that helped prove his theory that active learning is beneficial for students. He stated that students scored higher on assessments after engaging in active learning. The experiment only lasted 11 out of the 15 weeks of class, but imagine how many students could benefit if the switch to active learning was implemented permanently in classrooms.
The learning ability of students was also impacted drastically following the COVID-19 pandemic due to the sudden shift to online learning.
According to a sociological study by David John Lemay, “Students reported increased stress and anxiety and difficulties concentrating, suggesting that the obstacles to fully online learning were not only technological and instructional challenges but also social and affective challenges of isolation and social distancing.”
The study goes on to demonstrate how students were impacted by the pandemic and how it was crucial for teachers to adapt their learning styles during and after quarantine.
All in all, the teaching styles seen in classrooms haven’t changed much since the 1960s when they were embraced as an educational concept. This is astounding, because it has been more than 50 years since then.
I believe that with at least one student-led lecture per chapter, the retention and comprehension of students will increase drastically. LSU should strongly consider implementing a student-led lecture initiative for classes. This will help both students now and those to come.
Lindsay Bickham is a 19-year old mass communication sophomore from New Orleans.
