Have you ever been subjected to a lecture-vomit?
In the “sage on a stage” model, the learned expert shares their knowledge through a presentation while the students act as passive recipients. Though used in many classrooms, the lecture-vomit can fall woefully short where learning is concerned.
And the problem? Well, sometimes yoga trainers act like sages on stages. In subjects such as anatomy and philosophy, it’s fairly typical to have the ol’ “let me tell you what I know” expert come in and hold court.
“It’s a point of discipline,” said one (well-respected) teacher than I know, regarding her habit of lecturing students for a couple of hours. “Can they have studentship? Can they maintain focus and receive knowledge?”
It’s true that there is a historical precedent for the “student as vessel” model of learning. In the Upanishads, yoga students have had to prove their merit, often undergoing great tasks to show their teacher that they were ready to learn. However, while a student’s willingness to sit and listen may show discipline, it does not correlate that learning will result.
The sage on the stage model of teaching is an example of what I call “The Great Mistake,” where the emphasis is mistakenly put on the teacher’s performance rather than the student’s learning.
David Merrill, a well-known educational researcher, proposes several “First Principles of Instruction.” One of these principles is called the “application principle” and states that “learning is promoted when learners engage in the application of their newly acquired knowledge or skill [and] application is effective only when learners receive intrinsic or corrective feedback” (Merrill, Prescriptive Principles for Instructional Design). In other words, students don’t learn when they’re bystanders. Students learn by doing. Then getting feedback. And then doing again. Without the application of knowledge, sitting through a lecture is like watching TV. Sure it could be entertaining, but that doesn’t mean anyone is learning.
Fortunately, the solution is easy!
Application.
If you’ve got a lecture or Powerpoint in your hot little paws, consider what you need the students to be able to do as a result of your lecture. What task can you create that have them demonstrate their new knowledge, attitude or skill? Can you incorporate this demonstration of new learning into your lesson plan, and include the necessary time to give the learners feedback?
Presto: the one way lecture street has become a learning superhighway!
If you find yourself with a lecture or Powerpoint on your hot little hands, think to yourself, “How will the students demonstrate their learning to me? And how will I give them feedback?” By focusing on your student’s performance, you will ensure that your educational objectives are hitting their mark.
