Before the invention of the printing press only the teacher possessed a book. The educational process required the teacher to read to people from the lone book. The educator lectured to students who then attempted to commit the material they heard to memory. Eventually, however, printing presses provided enough books for everyone and students could purchase their own. Teachers no longer needed to read books to students.

Some learning situations require teachers to lecture. However, several problems exist which render the lecture inappropriate for general use. First, only a few people can efficiently process large amounts of spoken information. Many people find they learn better when information is presented visually, tactilely, or in some other way. Second, humans possess relatively short attention spans, usually less than five minutes. Television producers know this and provide short sound and sight bites rather than in-depth analyses of issues. Third, although people learn best what they use, the lecture method does not involve students with the material.

Even though inappropriate, some students prefer the lecture. A few grow accustomed to it during primary and secondary schools and prefer the familiar in college. Others would rather take notes in class than engage their intellects in the learning process. And some want professors to repeat those parts of the texts which will be on exams. I do not believe these reasons warrant using the lecture.

What is it, then, that teachers should do during class if not lecture? Teaching requires teachers to create environments within which students can learn. These environments possess two characteristics. First, teachers must provide students with experiences relevant to the new material. Examples of methods which furnish these experiences include cases and role playing experiences. Second, teachers must present new knowledge in ways which help students link it to information already stored in memory. Teachers must know what their students know then, for example, use question and answer sessions and writing assignments to establish the link. Teaching also obligates teachers to evaluate learners to determine whether that which should have been learned was, indeed, learned.

A long term benefit results when professors create learning environments. College graduation does not end the need to learn. Participation in formal learning environments end but, because their existence demands it, people must spend the rest of their lives learning on their own. If their college professors practiced appropriate teaching methods, graduates understand how to create their own learning environments and lifelong learning results.

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