Instructor Methods and Curricular Effects on Students’ Value of Lectures

BACKGROUND: Lectures remain a common instructional method in medical education. Instructor methods, curricular factors, and technology affect students’ use of scheduled live lectures that may impact faculty job satisfaction. AIM: This study identified instructor methods and curriculum issues that influenced preclinical medical students’ use of scheduled lectures as well as faculty perceptions of lectures and students’ attendance. METHODS: First- and second-year osteopathic medical students (n = 304) were invited to complete a voluntary, anonymous semantic differential scale, Likert scale, and dichotomous question survey, rating 22 lecturer methods and 9 curriculum factors that influence use of live lectures. Preclinical faculty (n = 35) were also asked to complete a differential scale survey, rating 17 issues regarding live lectures and student attendance. Student and faculty surveys were analyzed using the appropriate central tendency and variability measures. RESULTS: Students that completed the survey (n = 144) rated the ability to explain complex concepts in an understandable manner as “Very Important” and wearing professional attire as “Not Important” for attending lectures, respectively. Availability of recorded lectures, time to an upcoming exam, and unscheduled time gaps between lectures were rated as Very Important curricular factors for attending lectures. Faculty completed the survey (n = 21) and agree that lectures should continue as a major mode of instruction, while the majority reported spending over 9 h preparing new lectures. CONCLUSIONS: Faculty lecture methods and overarching curricular decisions greatly impact students’ attendance of live lectures. Regardless, most students and faculty believe that scheduled lectures should continue as an option for students who prefer to attend live lectures.