Implementing Interactive Lectures in Large Physics Classes: An Action Plan for a Bangladeshi College Context

Student enrolment at the tertiary level in Bangladesh is increasing to support the rapidly emerging economy. Due to limited budget allocation, insufficient infrastructure support, and a high teacher-student ratio, class sizes have expanded significantly, raising a serious pedagogical issue: conventional lecture-based approaches, commonly used in Bangladeshi contexts, are failing to meet students' demands for conceptually rich, complex subjects like Physics, leading to rote learning, limited conceptual understanding, and a decline in student interest. Considering the limitations of the Bangladeshi tertiary-level college system, this study explores the prospect of Interactive Lectures (IL) as a paradigm-shifting approach for large Physics classes. This study highlights a significant gap in pedagogical practice in Bangladesh by critically reviewing the existing international literature on IL methods, including technology-enhanced Audience Response Systems (ARS), interactive lecture demonstrations, and peer instruction. Through a critical examination of current teaching practices and contextual challenges, including examination-driven curricula, inadequate infrastructure, and excessive faculty workload, the author proposes an integrated action plan that includes pre-class, in-class, and post-class activities using available technologies. The study concludes that, despite systematic challenges, implementing IL can create a more active, student-centered learning environment, potentially reversing the trend of disengagement in science education and better aligning with the objectives of Bangladesh's National Education Policy (2010).

Interactive Lecture, Physics Education, Large Classes

1. Ahmed, S. (2019, May 2). Higher education and its purpose for Bangladesh. The Independent. http://www.theindependentbd.com/printversion/details/197907 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Al Faruki, M. J., Haque, M. A., & Islam, M. M. (2019). Student-Centered Learning and Current Practice in Bangladeshi College Education. Journal of Education and Practice, 10 (13), 95-107. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Armstrong, J. S. (2011). Natural Learning in Higher Education. https://repository.upenn.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1151&context=marketing_papers [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Banu, M. (2011). The role of practical work in teaching and learning physics at secondary level in Bangladesh (Master’s thesis, The College of Education, University of Canterbury, New Zealand). https://ir.canterbury.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/10092/6291/Shailasthesiswithchangesaccepted.pdf? sequence=1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Beatty, I. D., Leonard, W. J., Gerace, W. J., & Dufresne, R. J. (2006). Question driven instruction: Teaching science (well) with an audience response system. In Audience response systems in higher education: Applications and cases (pp. 96-115). IGI Global. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Bligh, D. A. (2000). What’s the use of lectures. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Bligh, D., & Cameron, B. J. (2000). What's the use of lectures?. The Canadian Journal of Higher Education, 30(1), 192. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Brame, C. (2013). Flipping the classroom. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/flipping-the-classroom/. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. Bruff, D. (2009). Teaching with classroom response systems: Creating active learning environments. John Wiley & Sons. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Bunce, D. M., Flens, E. A., & Neiles, K. Y. (2010). How long can students pay attention in class? A study of student attention decline using clickers. Journal of Chemical Education, 87(12), 1438-1443. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Choudhury, S. K. (2009, April). Problems and prospects of science education in Bangladesh. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1119, No. 1, pp. 83–84). American Institute of Physics. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Chowdhury, R., & Sarkar, M. (2018). Education in Bangladesh: Changing Contexts and Emerging Realities. In Engaging in Educational Research (pp. 1–18). Springer, Singapore. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Crouch, C. H., & Mazur, E. (2001). Peer Instruction: Ten years of experience and results. American Journal of Physics, 69(9), 970–977. doi:10.1119/1.1374249 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Crouch, C. H., Watkins, J., Fagen, A. P., & Mazur, E. (2007). Peer instruction: Engaging students one-on-one, all at once. Research-based reform of university physics, 1(1), 40–95. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Deslauriers, L., Schelew, E., & Wieman, C. (2011). Improved learning in a large-enrollment physics class. science, 332(6031), 862-864. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. deWinstanley, P. A., & Bjork, R. A. (2002). Successful lecturing: Presenting information in ways that engage effective processing. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 2002(89), 19-31. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Drinkwater, M. J., Gannaway, D., Sheppard, K., Davis, M. J., Wegener, M. J., Bowen, W. P., & Corney, J. F. (2014). Managing active learning processes in large first-year physics classes: The advantages of an integrated approach. Teaching and Learning Inquiry, 2(2), 75–90. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Eison, J. (2010). Using active learning instructional strategies to create excitement and enhance learning. https://www.witc.edu/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Elhabashy, A. E. (2019, May). Pedagogy in Large Classrooms: Best Practices. The 2019 IISE Annual Conference and Expo, Orlando, FL, USA. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333320643_Pedagogy_in_Large_Classrooms_Best_Practices [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Ericsson, K. A., Krampe, R. T., & Tesch-Römer, C. (1993). The role of deliberate practice in the acquisition of expert performance. Psychological review, 100(3), 363. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Gibbs, G. (1992). Control and independence. In Teaching large classes in higher education: How to maintain quality with reduced resources, edited by Gibbs, G. and Jenkins, A., 37–59. London: Kogan Page. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Hake, R. R. (1998). Interactive-engagement versus traditional methods: A six-thousand-student survey of mechanics test data for introductory physics courses. American journal of Physics, 66(1), 64-74. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Holbrook, J. (2005). Report on organizing the ROSE survey in Bangladesh. http://www.uv.uio.no/ils/english/research/projects/rose/partners/bangladesh/reportbgd.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Hossain, F. M (2017, January 27). Science Education Waning in Bangladesh. The Daily Sun. https://www.daily-sun.com/arcprint/details/201342/Science-Education-Waning-in-Bangladesh/2017-01-27 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Hossain, M. M., & Khan, A. M. (2014). Higher education reform in Bangladesh: An analysis. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(9), 423–423. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Interactive Lecture. (n. d.). Retrieved April 14, 2020, from Central Michigan University website: https://www.cmich.edu/office_provost/CIS/Pages/Explore%20Teaching%20and%20Learning/Exploring%20Instructional%20Methods/Interactive-Lecture.aspx [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Iraj, S. (2017, May 18). Science Education. The Independent. http://www.theindependentbd.com/magazine/details/95053/Science-Education- [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Jawitz, J. (2013). The challenge of teaching large classes in higher education in South Africa: a battle to be waged outside the classroom. DOI:10.18820/9780992180690/09 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Kay, R., LeSage, A., & Knaack, L. (2010). Examining the use of audience response systems in secondary school classrooms: A formative analysis. Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 21(3), 343–365. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Knight, J. K., & Wood, W. B. (2005). Teaching more by lecturing less. Cell biology education, 4(4), 298–310. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Kopf, S., Scheele, N., & Effelsberg, W. (2005). The interactive lecture: Teaching and learning technologies for large classrooms. https://madoc.bib.uni-mannheim.de/866/1/Kopf2005a.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Kuh, G. D., Kinzie, J., Schuh, J. H., & Whitt, E. J. (2011). Student success in college: Creating conditions that matter. John Wiley & Sons. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. Lasry, N., Mazur, E., & Watkins, J. (2008). Peer instruction: From Harvard to the two-year college. American Journal of Physics, 76(11), 1066–1069. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Leshner, D. & Obando, J. (2017). Interactive Lecture Strategie. https://dcs.rutgers.edu/active-learning/teaching-tools/interactive-lecture-strategies [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Lubienski, S. T. (2000). A clash of social class cultures? Students' experiences in a discussion-intensive seventh-grade mathematics classroom. The Elementary School Journal, 100(4), 377–403. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. Lynch, R. P., & Pappas, E. (2017). A Model for Teaching Large Classes: Facilitating a" Small Class Feel". International Journal of Higher Education, 6(2), 199–212. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Macdonald, H., Teed, R., Hoyt, G. & Imazeki, J. (n. d.). Interactive Lectures. https://serc.carleton.edu/introgeo/interactive/index.html [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Mazur, E. (1997). Peer instruction: a user’s manual, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Meltzer, D. E., & Manivannan, K. (2002). Transforming the lecture-hall environment: The fully interactive physics lecture. American Journal of Physics, 70(6), 639–654. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Meltzer, D. E., & Thornton, R. K. (2012). Resource letter ALIP–1: active-learning instruction in physics. American journal of physics, 80(6), 478–496. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Michael, J. (2006). Where’s the evidence that active learning works? Advances in Physiology Education, 30(4), 159–167. doi:10.1152/advan.00053.2006 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Middendorf, J., & Kalish, A. (1996, January). The “change-up” in lectures. In Natl. Teach. Learn. Forum (Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 1–5). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Milner-Bolotin, M., Aminov, O., Wasserman, W., & Milner, V. (2019). Pushing the boundaries of science demonstrations using modern technology. Canadian Journal of Physics, (999), 1–8. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. MoE (Ministry of Education, Bangladesh) (2010). National Education Policy, 2010. Dhaka: Government of Bangladesh. http://www.moedu.gov.bd/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=122&Itemid=426 on 14.07.2015. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Moll, R. F., & Milner-Bolotin, M. (2009). The effect of interactive lecture experiments on student academic achievement and attitudes towards physics. Canadian Journal of Physics, 87(8), 917–924. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Monem, M., & Muhammad, H. (2010). Higher Education in Bangladesh: Status, Issues and Prospects. Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences (PJSS), 30(2). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Mulryan-Kyne, C. (2010). Teaching large classes at college and university level: Challenges and opportunities. Teaching in Higher Education, 15(2), 175–185. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Nagashima, Y., Rahman, M., Josh, A. Z., Rashed, S., Dhar, S. S., Nomura, S., Rahman, M. A. & Mukherjee, H. (2014). A Study on National University and Affiliated Colleges in Bangladesh (Report No. 65). http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/942041468209656122/pdf/844280NWP0BD0U00Box382120B00PUBLIC0.pdf [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Prodhan, M. (2016). The educational system in Bangladesh and scope for improvement. Journal of International Social Issues, 4(1), 11–23. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

50. Rahman, T., Nakata, S., Nagashima, Y., Rahman, M., Sharma, U., & Rahman, M. A. (2019, March). Bangladesh Tertiary Education Sector Review: Skills and Innovation for Growth. World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/31526/Bangladesh-Tertiary-Education-Sector-Review-Skills-and-Innovation-for-Growth.pdf?sequence=1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

51. Riley, C. K., & Myers, B. D. (2014). Incorporating interactive teaching approaches in the tertiary science classroom: Benefits, challenges and deterrents to use in a Jamaican university. Science Journal of Education, 2(5), 146–151. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

52. Sarkar, M., & Corrigan, D. (2014). Bangladeshi Science Teachers' Perspectives on Scientific Literacy and Teaching Practices. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 12(5), 1117–1141. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

53. Schell, J. (2013, August 23). The 6 most common questions about using Peer Instruction, answered [weblog post]. https://peerinstruction.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/the-6-most-common-questions-about-using-peer-instruction-answered/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

54. Schell, J., Lukoff, B., & Mazur, E. (2013). Catalyzing learner engagement using cutting-edge classroom response systems in higher education. Cutting-edge Technologies in Higher Education, 6(1), 233–261. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

55. Schmidt, H. G., Wagener, S. L., Smeets, G. A., Keemink, L. M., & van der Molen, H. T. (2015). On the use and misuse of lectures in higher education. Health Professions Education, 1(1), 12-18. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

56. Sharma, M. D., Johnston, I. D., Johnston, H., Varvell, K., Robertson, G., Hopkins, A., Stewart, C., Cooper, I., & Thornton, R. (2010). Use of interactive lecture demonstrations: A ten year study. Physical Review Special Topics-Physics Education Research, 6(2), 020119. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

57. Šlekienė, V., & Ragulienė, L. (2010). The learning physics impact of interactive lecture demonstrations. Problems of Education in the 21st Century, 24, 120-129. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

58. Sokoloff, D. R., & Thornton, R. K. (1997). Using interactive lecture demonstrations to create an active learning environment. The Physics Teacher, 35(6), 340–347. doi:10.1119/1.2344715 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

59. Tanahoung, C., Chitaree, R., Soankwan, C., Sharma, M. D., & Johnston, I. D. (2009). The effect of interactive lecture demonstrations on students’ understanding of heat and temperature: a study from Thailand. Research in Science & Technological Education, 27(1), 61–74. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

60. Tapan, M. S. M. (2010). Science education in Bangladesh. In Y.-J. Lee (Ed.), World of science education: Science education research in Asia (pp. 17–34). Rotterdam, Netherlands: Sense. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

61. The World Bank (n.d.). School Enrollment, Tertiary (% Gross). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.TER.ENRR?end=2019&start=1970&type=points&view=chart [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

62. Wang, A. I., & Tahir, R. (2020). The effect of using Kahoot! for learning: A literature review. Computers & Education, 149, 103818. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

63. Weimer, M. (2011). 10 Benefits of Getting Students to Participate in Classroom Discussions. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-and-learning/10-benefits-of-getting-students-to-participate-in-classroom-discussions/ [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

64. Wolfman, S. A. (2002, February). Making lemonade: Exploring the bright side of large lecture classes. In Proceedings of the 33rd SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education (pp. 257–261). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

65. Yvonne, S., & Snell, L. S. (1999). Interactive lecturing: strategies for increasing participation in large group presentations. Medical Teacher, 21(1), 37-42. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• A Comparative Study on the Thermal and Electrical Conductivity of Common Materials
• Thickness Dependent Thermoelectric Properties of Pb0.4In0.6Se Thin Films Deposited by Physical Evaporation Technique
• Optimization of a Patch Antenna Using Genetic Algorithm
• Kinematic Constraints On Brown Dwarf Atmospheric Variability And Evidence For Bimodal Formation From Multi-Survey Analysis
• Reservoir Characterization through the Application of Petrophysical Evaluation of Well Logs of Animaux Field, Niger Delta Basin, Nigeria