Studio vs Interactive Lecture Demonstration – Effects on Student Learning

Two delivery methods for a course in Genetics and Evolution were compared using preand post-testing of basic concepts to evaluate the effectiveness of each method. The metric , the gain in learning, was calculated as the ratio of the difference between the post-test and pre-test score divided by the difference between the highest possible score and the pre-test score. The first or studio teaching method involved heavy use of team work by students, hands-on exercises, and minimal lecturing; the second or interactive lecture demonstration method met in a large lecture hall and involved posing questions followed by simulations or other demonstrations of results. The instructor, textbook and other course materials, web sites, and tests were very similar for the two methods. The second method resulted in a drop in student learning from = 0.75 ± 0.25 to = 0.46 ± 0.37. The results suggest that studio techniques are more effective means of instruction than interactive lectures.