PEDAGOGY
BIOGRAPHIES
learning approaches, such as problem‑solving, experiential learning, peer instruction and short applied tasks improve knowledge retention, conceptual understanding and overall academic outcomes. Conversely, students in environments dominated by traditional lectures show significantly higher rates of disengagement and, in some studies, reduced success rates. At a time when students expect a clear return on their educational investment, there is a strong case for pedagogical models that offer more interaction, variation and cognitive activity as part of efforts to support stronger learning outcomes. This is particularly relevant in the context of Gen Z’s learning habits and expectations. This is not a call for lectures to be eliminated from the world of higher education, as the format still offers unique educational value that few other forms of teaching can match. It represents a time when whole groups can come together to think collectively, follow a coherent argument and understand complex ideas. However, for the lecture to retain its importance, it must adapt to current expectations. It needs to be designed with greater purpose, encompass interaction and use tools and approaches that speak to learners who are used to a faster, more flexible world. If universities ignore this shift and remain tied to a model built for a different era, student focus will diminish, engagement will drop and the lecture will become increasingly irrelevant. The real risk is not that the lecture is replaced, but that it fades into the background because it no longer speaks to the people in the room. However, through thoughtful change and careful preparation, the lecture can re-establish itself as a significant part of modern education. More importantly, perhaps, the shared, collective nature of the lecture may take on a new relevance for those members of Gen Z (and soon, Gen Alpha) who are more accustomed to time alone in front of screens. Information may be abundant, but a shared intellectual experience is increasingly scarce, making lectures one of the few remaining spaces where students encounter ideas together, see how others think and engage in a form of collective reasoning that no online resource can fully replicate. Such forums will be needed more than ever, not to deliver information, but to create moments of common intellectual experience, challenge assumptions in real time and remind students that learning is also a social, human and communal act.
Soheil Davari is director of accreditations and an associate professor at the University of Bath School of Management. He has more than two decades’ experience in industry and higher education as a consultant and educator, with a background across sectors that include healthcare, logistics and the public sector Oksana Gerwe is MBA programme director and director of accreditation and quality at the UCL Global Business School for Health. A senior academic leader and strategist, she specialises in business education,
management development and the design of innovative, research‑informed programmes
examples in the box out on page 20 represent radical shifts in pedagogy. They simply involve designing with the learner in mind. When a lecture feels purposeful and dynamic, students react with increased focus and curiosity. The objective is not to entertain, but to offer a learning experience that feels active, relevant and worthy of a student’s time. Moreover, contemporary research in pedagogy continues to show that students learn more effectively through active engagement than passive listening. Meta-analyses across both business education and STEM subjects indicate that active
Ambition • ISSUE 3 • 2026 21
Made with FlippingBook - Share PDF online