Lecture: Optional

I've been trying an experiment in my physics classes, making lecture optional. Students who want the lecture on a topic come up to the front of the classroom, and students who would rather learn the material from the textbook read and study it together in groups in the back of the room while I am lecturing up front.

Lecture gets a bad rap, but results in my classroom are clear: lecture is effective compared to unguided learning from the textbook in small groups. The optional-lecture experiment was one piece of a comprehensive lesson plan that also included guided inquiry, active learning, scaffolded problem-solving, and repetition. Within that context, lecture was effective.

Conclusion: Lecture can be enjoyed in moderation as one part of a healthy, balanced diet of learning strategies.