Printed lecture notes: A case study

ABSTRACTThe lecture notes for a pasture management course were typed, reproduced, and distributed to students at the beginning of each of six consecutive semesters. The printed notes provided a detailed description and justification of management principles and served to facilitate discussion and effective use of visual aids during lecture periods.Evaluative statements were distributed to students to determine their attitude toward the lecture format using printed notes. The percent of students that thought the course was presented in adequate detail increased from 41% for the first two semesters of the study, to 53% for the last two semesters. Fewer students thought the course was too detailed during the last two semesters. Adding a list of learning objectives, more frequent use of instructor‐initiated questions, and reduction of the subject matter presented per lecture during the last two semesters may have caused the more positive student response. More than 80% of the responding students agreed that printed notes were desirable for disseminating subject matter and that they were effective when used in conjunction with slides and transparencies during lecture periods.More than 61% of the students preferred a lecture format using printed notes instead of traditional notetaking. Half of the students preferring printed notes also thought it desirable to read subject matter before it was presented in lecture and to devote some class time to questions and discussion. Instructor‐centered discussion was used frequently during the last three semesters of the study and students chose evaluative responses indicating they were conscious of more questions and discussion in this course than in other courses. Reducing the need for notetaking did facilitate greater attention to the subject matter during lecture periods for 55.8% of the responding students, but the instructor‐centered discussion and visual aids had to be used skillfully to keep students attention and control the pace of lectures.