Learn before Lecture: A Strategy That Improves Learning Outcomes in a Large Introductory Biology Class

Abstract

Actively engaging students in lecture has been shown to increase learning gains. To create time for active learning without displacing content we used two strategies for introducing material before class in a large introductory biology course. Four to five slides from 2007/8 were removed from each of three lectures in 2009 and the information introduced in preclass worksheets or narrated PowerPoint videos. In class, time created by shifting lecture material to learn before lecture (LBL) assignments was used to engage students in application of their new knowledge. Learning was evaluated by comparing student performance in 2009 versus 2007/8 on LBL-related question pairs, matched by level and format. The percentage of students who correctly answered five of six LBL-related exam questions was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in 2009 versus 2007/8. The mean increase in performance was 21% across the six LBL-related questions compared with <3% on all non-LBL exam questions. The worksheet and video LBL formats were equally effective based on a cross-over experimental design. These results demonstrate that LBLs combined with interactive exercises can be implemented incrementally and result in significant increases in learning gains in large introductory biology classes.

Learning Performance Enhancement Using Computer-Assisted Language Learning by Collaborative Learning Groups

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Redesign of a Large Lecture Course Into a Small-Group Learning Course

“…Active-learning components documented in the literature include use of an audience-response system, small-group discussions, and team-based learning. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Although many of these studies involve undergraduate nonpharmacy courses, the theories related to teaching and learning presented therein were used in the redesign of this selfcare course.…”

inverting the large lecture class: active learning in an introductory international relations course

“…Some studies include general measures of student engagement and reactions, and arrive at similar findings (Bates and Galloway, 2012;Lage et al, 2000;Moravec et al, 2010). First, students tend to prefer ICM to traditional lectures after they have completed an inverted course.…”

“…Carlisle, 2010;Crouch and Mazur, 2001;Smith et al, 2009), although Jensen et al (2015) question whether the learning gains from ICM differ measurably from other active learning techniques. Knowledge delivery during the preparatory phase becomes a much more individualised process and is better able to accommodate different (Bates and Galloway, 2012;Moravec et al, 2010). If ICM is carefully implemented, it offers several advantages over the conventional lecture format.…”