Learn before lecture: A strategy that improves learning outcomes in a large introductory biology class

Area of Science:

• Biology Education
• Pedagogical Strategies

Background:

• Active student engagement in lectures enhances learning.
• Large introductory courses face challenges in incorporating active learning without content reduction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effectiveness of pre-class 'learn before lecture' (LBL) assignments in large introductory biology courses.
• To determine if shifting content delivery before class allows for more in-class active learning and improves student performance.

Main Methods:

• Removed 4-5 lecture slides per topic from previous years and assigned the content as pre-class worksheets or narrated PowerPoint videos.
• Compared student performance on LBL-related exam questions between the LBL implementation year (2009) and a control period (2007/8).
• Utilized a cross-over design to assess the relative effectiveness of worksheet versus video LBL formats.

Main Results:

• A significantly higher percentage of students answered LBL-related exam questions correctly in 2009 compared to 2007/8 (p < 0.001).
• Mean performance increase on LBL-related questions was 21% in 2009, versus less than 3% on non-LBL questions.
• Both worksheet and video LBL formats proved equally effective in improving student learning.

Conclusions:

• Learn before lecture (LBL) assignments, when combined with in-class interactive exercises, are an effective strategy for increasing learning gains.
• This pedagogical approach can be incrementally implemented in large introductory biology courses, leading to significant improvements in student outcomes.
• Shifting content delivery to pre-class assignments frees up valuable in-class time for application-based learning activities.