While it is true that some students can succeed in traditional courses, other students may not be able to learn from lecture presentations. By incorporating other teaching styles like collaborative learning, the door is opened for those who are often locked out.
Students come with a variety of skills, backgrounds, and learning styles.
Instructors often attempt to assess students in a variety of ways to get a picture of the students' comprehension. In so doing, the instructor provides an opportunity for those students who have strong mathematical skills to excel and those skilled at prose to also show their competence. The same is true with learning styles. There are a variety of student learning styles. Some of these are compatible with a lecture-based presentation and others are not.