Do lectures truly kindle learning process?

The art of teaching lies in its ability to kindle the intellectual curiosity of the learner. (Anon)

In the last editorial, Omran Bakoush 1 has emphasized the value of bedside teaching in clinical settings. This raises a question whether lecturing is synonymous with teaching? When one of the senior professors was asked about lectures he said, ‘I would rather teach on ward rounds or in a small conference than lecture if that can be arranged.’ This brings out a reflective thought that whether lecturing as commonly carried out is synonymous with teaching. Rather it appears to be a simple method of dispensing information to a large group of people. Learning involves three steps: remembering information, thinking, which is the rearrangement of information, and learning a process to use the information in a thought process until the person becomes fluent. Therefore a true teacher works with individuals and helps them in their efforts to learn how to learn.

Good teachers try to do two things: present concepts with interesting examples and metaphors rather than spewing out hundreds of factors and reveal to the listeners their intense interest in the subject. If the teacher is not excited about the subject he is going to teach then the audience will also be uninterested.

Therefore a feedback from the audience helps to assess: whether the message was well received, whether the content was used by the listener and whether an acceptable degree of understanding of the subject was attained by the listener.

Therefore, learning is the concept that every student must earn from an educational institution. A good teacher must be capable of showing the student how to learn by showing that he or she is still a learner. Medical education is a process of continual learning. The purpose of teaching institution is, therefore, to lead the learners, who initially trust that the institution is there to educate them, to the realization that they must educate themselves.

Dhastagir Sultan Sheriff

Department of Biochemistry

Al Arab Medical University

Benghazi, Libya

Email: [email protected]