Oral presentation in class, teacher vs. student: effects on the retention of group knowledge

Abstract

Introduction: The oral presentation in class is a valuable tool for the individual student, which allows him to share knowledge and demonstrate understanding of a topic. The quality and effectiveness of the presentation can vary widely depending on various factors, such as experience and communication skills. On the other hand, the teacher has greater experience and knowledge in the subject they teach due to their academic training and practical experience, as well as a greater ability to explain and teach knowledge in an effective and structured way. These differences in the level of knowledge between teacher and student sometimes represent a problem regarding group learning on the subject that is being exposed.

Objective: Characterize the differences between the oral presentations of teacher and student over group learning, with the purpose of identifying areas in which teaching methods can be improved.

Methods: 140 second-year students of the General Physician career participated, randomly assigned to two experimental conditions (teacher vs. group vs. student vs. group), which were subjected to learning and test tests. Subsequently, the cognitive load, performance and efficiency were measured.

Results: Learning is superior when the teacher gives an oral presentation of a complex cognitive task if performance is measured in transfer problems. On the other hand, learning is better when the student gives the oral presentation if the performance is measured in retention problems.

Conclusions: The oral presentation given by the teacher has a positive effect on deep group learning of complex cognitive tasks.