University of Virginia Library

Too Lengthy Lectures

Now that the first semester with no Saturday
classes is nearly ended, there are very few
people, students or faculty, who would not
agree that school without Saturday classes is
preferable to school with them. At the same
time, however, there are few who would not
agree that the 75-minute classes which replaced
them are something less than satisfactory.

The problem is that even the most interested
students seem unable to stay interested,
listen diligently, and take notes
carefully for that length of time, in small
classes as well as in large ones. Perhaps the
desks are too hard, or the air becomes too
soporific, or the students are too used to
getting out of class after 50 minutes -
whatever the case, the phenomenon is so real
that we wonder if the last portion of many of
the 75-minute classes is of much value at all -
it is fascinating to watch students begin to
fidget, daydream, doodle, or read after about
45 minutes as if an audible signal had
alerted them all simultaneously.

Indeed, we wonder if the last portion of
many of the 75-minute classes is not of
negative value as students become irritated
and anti-responsive because of the length of
the classes. Some professors encourage the
blockage such irritation causes by insisting on
talking all 75 minutes even if what was
planned for the class is completed in less time.

In spite of these difficulties, however, we
feel that it is still preferable to avoid Saturday
classes. So we offer two suggestions for
improving the situation. The obvious solution
is to revert to having three 50-minute classes a
week, but all on weekdays. Individual professors
could meet their classes on Tuesday
and Thursday as scheduled and hold a third
one at another time suitable to everyone, as is
now done for discussion sections in some large
classes.

A more workable answer, however, would
be to use the 75-minute periods allotted for
the classes, but not for one marathon session
There are five extra minutes between classes
on Tuesdays and Thursdays; this time could
easily be used to allow a break during the
classes. Five minutes to stand up and move
around a little before the last 20 minutes of a
class could make the all-important difference
in a student's ability to concentrate on one
subject for such a long period of time. The
only alternative would be to provide presentations
fascinating enough to hold his attention
for 75 minutes, but we are convinced that
nothing short of films or similar devices could
do that.

We urge professors who teach 75-minute
classes to consider these suggestions carefully,
because they are currently wasting about 45
minutes of their time and their students' time
a week in terms of productivity per minute in
class. We also recommend the matter to the
consideration on the curriculum evaluation
committee, for the present arrangement can
only decrease the quality of education at the
University.