Learn from lectures

Teachers today use all sorts of different ways of teaching and stimulating learning. They may ask students to research a topic, to work with others in a group, have whole class discussions or show videos to support learning. However, there is still the occasional lesson when the best method of giving information is a talk or lecture. In higher education in particular, lectures are a feature of academic life and the student needs to know how to get the most out of them.

It is easy for students to be distracted and lose their focus when they are faced with lectures, missing out on the opportunity of picking up useful information on a topic. They may also sit there quietly and attentively, listening but without being actively engaged with what is being said. This unit gives students some tips on how they can get the most out of lectures by being actively engaged with the learning.

Learners are encouraged to be prepared for lectures by researching topics beforehand, by looking out for the most important points in lectures, and making notes that can help them to remember the information for use when they need it later.