Lecturers who sped through dense material, on the other hand, created tension and anxiety. Some said it helped if the professor incorporated material from the reading, others claimed a brief review of the previous lecture or strategically-placed references to overarching themes or course units sufficed for assimilation of new material. Students also praised the use of short intermissions to review material in groups, write down questions, connect current events to the material, or note personal reactions. Students were not, however, enthusiastic about professors who pursued tangents, arguments, and anecdotes at the expense of central points. Students also understood the value of a lecture s performance aspects and its physicality as well.
Lectures provide a regularized encounter with the material.
Attending lecture prompted them to think about the subject in a focused way, and writing notes helped them to process the material. They also noted that a professor s ability to communicate large amounts of information in a concentrated form made the subject matter more comprehensible, especially for novices. The professor provided an active example of learning and processing information that, in turn, helped students digest the material on their own. Students especially appreciated professors who displayed organization, included interactive techniques, and conveyed excitement about their subject. Lectures that combined those qualities prompted them to learn more even if they were not initially interested.