Lecture is one of traditional forms of teaching. This form can be effective in transmitting large amounts of information to large student audience in a relatively small amount of time. Traditionally lecture is a monologue pronounced by lecturer before a large audience. It is so called one-way movement. Even in his time Mark Twain pointed that professor’s lecture notes go straight to the students’ lecture notes, without passing through the brains of either. Nowadays students are rather often passively attending the lectures. In recent years the prominent scientists of Stanford and other universities expressed their doubts concerning utility of lectures in understanding of their content and expanding thinking. They consider that pronounced changes are needed in medical student education, including a substantial reduction in the number of traditional lectures, so as it is unreasonable waste of class time. They propose a new teaching method named «Lecture halls without lectures». Thus the main disadvantage of traditional lectures is their inability to promote active engagement of students. Due to this lectures can be boring and of low efficiency.
Implementation of multimedia technology in teaching process improved presentation of lectures. Some lecturers are strongly carried away by this form of presentation, and new type of lecturer «visual information givers» was identified. They provide students with full notes and give them time to copy information. But such form of lecture does not involve students in process of thinking.
One of the ways to overcome the student mental passivity at the lecture is interactive form of lecturing. Using the interactive lecture helps students to develop the habits of thinking while listening, applying past knowledge for understanding new information presented in the lecture.
There are different types of interactive lectures. Interactivity can be readily introduced to lectures without a significant reduction in the amount of available lecturing time. Selecting the type of interactivity depends on the content of the lecture and the audience features. It is well known that audience is not homogeneous. Its active part usually occupies the front rows of lecture hall. The involvement in listening and cooperation of the largest part of audience depends on lecturer’s skill. Lecturing is an art that is akin to the performances of artists on stage.
Analysis of information on the usefulness of lectures suggest the following conclusions:
- Lecture is an important part of the studying process. It should not be completely excluded from the learning process. Its share in the resource of time may be decreased if it is reasonable.
- Lectures should be used to present the fundamental issues of the subject.
- Quality of lecturing depends on the content and logical structure of material, the peculiarity of audience, the personality of the lecturer and his experience.
- Lecture should be fruitful collaboration of lecturer and students that is possible in interactive form of lecturing.
The work is submitted to the International Scientific Conference «Actual problems of science and education», Cuba, March, 20-31, 2014, came to the editorial office 03.02.2014.