Learning how to read? the value of lectures in the context of HE English Literature

Abstract

The increasing pace of change in today’s teaching and learning, the challenging employability environments and the plethora of new technologies now at the disposal of teachers may seem to render obsolete the older teaching and learning methodologies. However, this reflective case study suggests that one of the oldest delivery modes of all, the lecture, remains a relevant and potentially valuable way of connecting with and supporting students in their learning, particularly in subjects where students are expected to read at length or otherwise to engage with extended and complex discursive modes. This case study offers evidence and arguments for reconsidering the role of lectures in teaching and learning higher education English Literature, taking as its evidence base levels 4 and 6 undergraduate English Literature modules delivered in 2017-18 and 2018-19 at the University of Greenwich. Rather than dismissing – as does much recent research – lectures as encouraging ‘passive’ learning, this reflective study proposes lecturing as a teaching methodology with unique potential.