Class Appeal: Lecture-based vs.

Discussion-based
Alyssa Cooke, Xavier Sann, Stephen Hofschneider

Intro
Purpose & Questions
1.

What is your academic grade level?

2.

What college are you in?

3.

Do you take more classes that are lecture-based or discussion-based?

4.

Why do you like discussion-based courses?

5.

Why do you like lecture-based courses?

6.

Would you prefer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) classes to be lecture or
discussion based?

7.

Would you prefer Arts and Humanities classes to be lecture or discussion based?

Basic Analysis
101 students surveyed
Sophomore, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College
Overall Preference: 44% Lecture-based and 56% Discussion-based

STEM and Humanities Courses

STEM Preferences (All Students)

STEM

Humanities Preferences (All Students)

23% (Lecture) vs 28%

(Discussion)
14%
35%

23%
28%

Lecture-based
Discussionbased
It would depend
on the class
Does not
matter to me

35% (Would depend on class)

Humanities

4% 13%
30%

53% (Discussion) vs 13%

(Lecture)
30% (Would depend on class)

53%

Lecture-based
Discussion-based
It would depend
on the class
Does not matter
to me

STEM class for Discussion-based Students

Discussion-based Students
Reasons for Liking Discussion-based Courses

14%

35%

60

23%

28%

Lecture-based
Discussionbased
It would depend
on the class
Does not matter
to me

Number of Survey Participants

50
40

Humanities class for Discussion-based Students

30
20

5% 5%
10
0

More fun than lecture-based courses

Reasons

28%
61%

Lecture-based
Discussion-based
It would depend on
the class
Does not matter to
me

Lecture-based Students
Reasons for Liking Lecture-based Courses
70

Number of Survey Participants

60
50
40
30
20
10
0

More fun that discussion-based courses

Reasons

Popularity by College

Lecture-based vs. Discussion-based: Popularity by Colleges

W. P. Carey
Herberger
Mary Lou Fulton
Ira A. Fulton
Future of Innovation in Society
Health Solutions
Integrative Arts & Sciences

College

Lecture-based

New College

Discussionbased

Walter Cronkite
Sandra Day O'Connor
Liberal Arts & Sciences
Nursing & Health Innovations
Public Service & Community Solutions
School of Sustanability
Thunderbird School of Global Management
University College

10

Number of Students

15

20

25

30

Popularity by Grade Level

Lecture-based vs. Discussion-based:
Popularity by Grade Level

30
25
Number
of Students
20
15
10
5
0
Freshman

Sophomore

Junior

Senior

Bacc

Grade Level
Lecture-based

Discussion-based

Graduate

In Conclusion...
We found that students generally prefer discussion-based
courses
According to the responses, this would most likely be due to
the fact that students feel that they learn more from both
professors and students over just the professor alone