Confessions of a converted lecturer: From Teaching by Telling to Learning from Peers

Education is more than just transfer of information, yet in many classes, instructors mostly present material. Few students have the ability, motivation, and discipline to synthesize all the information presented. Yet synthesis is perhaps the most important—and most elusive—aspect of education. I will show how shifting the focus in lectures from delivering information to synthesizing information greatly improves the learning that takes place in the classroom.