Handouts or no handouts - that is the question. Active learning in teaching

Medicine (Perspectives on Learning) 2022-04-13

Abstract

With readily available software presentation programs teachers have the ability to easily provide extensive handouts to the students. Furthermore, the posting of handouts on-line utilizing course management systems has become, in many cases, a standard expectation by students. Most students believe that handouts are important to learning because they will help them to recall what the lecturer have said during the lecture. Handouts also free them from writing notes during the lecture and instead allow them to concentrate on listening, as it is may be difficult to listen to a lecturer whilst writing. While technology has certainly benefited all of us by allowing the easy dissemination and collection of information to and from others, I question whether providing handouts really facilitates students’ learning? When students are provided all the information and not directly involved in the process of identifying, collecting, and organizing the information through the process of note taking is active learning diminished?