Why Have Classes?

Why offer classes? The reasons should be obvious. Our entire educational system is structured around the class model. How else are students to learn what they need to know if we don’t schedule classes? That is where the subjects are taught. Isn’t that where the learning takes place?

Most of the real learning takes place outside of the classroom. Students are exposed to what they need to know during class. They may even have opportunities to practice applying their new knowledge while in class. But only with repeated use does one truly learn a subject and its required skills. The repetition needed for learning usually takes place outside the classroom.

So students do most of their learning outside their scheduled classes, but they still need to attend class to discover what it is they need to know, right? Not necessarily. It has been over 30 years since I attended a college course, but I have certainly continued to learn. I read books and periodicals, access audio and video resources, search the internet, speak with colleagues, attend workshops and conferences, journal, write, present, and teach.

OK, but classes are needed to teach students how to learn, right? Well, that is certainly one approach to learning to learn, but there are other ways to learn the art of learning.

If we are able to learn outside the classroom, then why does our educational system revolve around offering subject matter through classroom teaching? Efficiency. One instructor can expose any number of students to course material at one time. It seems to work. Or does it? Are students actually learning or are they simply meeting requirements for a grade? I never have students ask me what they can do to learn more about a subject. I do have students ask me what they can do to improve their grade.

And look at how the typical classroom is arranged; rows of seats facing front. All eyes and ears are on the instructor. What the teacher has to say is the focus of the class. This establishes a passive role for students. I have experimented with my own classes. When I have students seated in a circle facing each other, whether in small groups or as an entire class, the level of energy and participation increases. When I remove myself from the circle, the students begin to explore the subject with each other rather than relying on me for answers. They begin to become engaged with the subject. The opportunity for students to explore a subject with their peers is what I find to be the most valuable aspect of having classes.

Holding classes is an efficient way to teach. The challenge is to make those classes an effective way to learn.