A Review of Teaching Methods--Lecturing and Facilitation in Higher Education (HE): A Summary of the Published Evidence

Several studies have documented that teaching methods in HE (generally involves work towards a university or college level education), are the most important aspect of a curriculum. This is because they serve as an interface between the learners and the philosophy of the curriculum. It is, however, difficult to define how knowledge is conceptualized and in what way it influences the choice of effective teaching methods in HE. A literature search using the major databases--Medline, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, JSTOR, PsycINF, and Web of Science--was carried out. This research aimed to focus on two important dimensions: lecturing and facilitation, within the same learning and education process, rather than challenging and demanding it, concerning their roles in teaching and learning. This paper shows that in many areas of teaching and learning, the positivist notions of knowledge are not always sufficient or appropriate. The latter has been conceptualized as a "banking" model of learning, where the teacher is an expert and a storehouse of knowledge and this is transmitted (deposited) to the student over time who "banks'' this knowledge. The same considerations apply to teaching and learning, with respect to many areas of "academic" courses, which require the students to explore values. This is where facilitation can be considered an important approach to learning. The context for much of this might be conveyed through a lecture, but to enable the students to develop a deeper understanding and to reflect on their own values, dialogical approaches to learning are needed. It will ensure that the issues are discussed and explored through interaction and the sharing of perspectives, views, and values through which new understandings (learning) can emerge.