Demographics could determine which universities revive large-scale in-person lectures once the defeat of Covid-19 makes them a viable proposition.

Australia¡¯s Curtin, Murdoch and Victoria universities?intend to permanently dispense?with face-to-face lectures, particularly those involving gatherings of 100 or more people. But the University of Sydney has no such plans, according to deputy vice-chancellor for education Pip Pattison.

Professor Pattison said Sydney would host fewer lectures in the future. ¡°But I don¡¯t think there¡¯s much of a will here to get rid of the lecture altogether,¡± she told?Times Higher Education.

¡°A really good lecture is a fine thing. To take it out of the suite of options doesn¡¯t seem wise. For a person who does it well, it¡¯s very efficient because you can inspire hundreds of students at once.¡±

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She said the university¡¯s emphasis over the past half-decade had been on ¡°more interaction in class, more collaboration, more experiential work and better digital resources so that people don¡¯t waste class time talking about things they can read¡±. Experience acquired during campus lockdowns would accelerate the change, spawning a ¡°more diverse set of designs for teaching¡± than in pre-pandemic times.

¡°There won¡¯t be this formula of lectures plus tutes [tutorials], or lectures plus labs plus tutes, that we¡¯ve had pretty universally across the entire suite of offerings. We¡¯ll hopefully get to a point where we¡¯re more thoughtful about the formats we use, and the reasons for using them.¡±

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But Murdoch¡¯s pro vice-chancellor for education, Kylie Readman, said lectures had a less assured future at universities with high proportions of socioeconomically disadvantaged or mature-aged students.

¡°Saying to someone: ¡®Don¡¯t work, put your kids in childcare, pay for parking to come and listen to me talk for two hours¡¯ ¨C that¡¯s not a good-value proposition for someone who¡¯s already thinking: ¡®I¡¯m the first in my family to come to university and I¡¯m not sure this is right for me.¡¯

¡°It¡¯s great to have a lecture but if only seven people come to it, is that really the best use of a lecturer¡¯s time? Is that the best use of our space? Is that the best use of our timetable?¡±

Professor Readman said student profile would largely determine which universities revived large-scale lectures. ¡°Sydney has a completely different set of drivers to us, and a different set of expectations around how students will behave.

¡°Some [of our] students prefer face-to-face lectures. They like the structure. But they¡¯re not the majority, and those people can also access other forms of learning. People who have caring or work responsibilities can¡¯t.¡±

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Class size could also determine the fate of face-to-face lectures. Professor Readman said Murdoch had drawn the line at groups of 100 people. ¡°That¡¯s the number our safety manager said he felt comfortable with.¡±

Professor Pattison said that while Sydney¡¯s lecture theatres had capacity for about 500 students, online lectures could handle twice as many ¨C although larger groups necessitated better systems for handling students¡¯ questions. ¡°You might need someone to help you [answer questions] after class if you don¡¯t get to them all.¡±

While remote lectures also offered ¡°valuable¡± savings in electricity and space, she said students were still drawn to campus for the company and atmosphere. ¡°They¡¯ll even come and listen to lectures online, in the room next door.

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¡°I think we¡¯ll see a lot of conversions of lecture theatres into other kinds of student spaces ¨C multi-tiered group work or quiet study spaces. There¡¯s going to be increased demand for informal learning space and reduced demand for lecture theatres.¡±

Victoria University, which has committed to small-group learning as part of its ¡°block teaching¡± approach, said Covid-19 had accelerated the conversion of its lecture halls into informal learning spaces.

The associate provost of teaching and learning, Trish McCluskey, said the pandemic had enabled builders to ¡°get stuck in¡± to their work. ¡°Trying to get renovations done when students are on campus is a nightmare.¡±

Edith Cowan University has promised face-to-face delivery this year and says size will not be a factor. ¡°We are committing to on-campus teaching for the 2021 academic year,¡± said the deputy vice-chancellor for education, Angela Hill. ¡°This includes lectures, workshops and tutorials.¡±

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She said the emphasis would be on collaborative learning in both large and small groups. The university was investing in a ¡°new generation¡± of learning spaces to cater for both sizes, at the library in the main Joondalup campus ¨C where building is under way over the summer break ¨C and in the new?City campus?scheduled to open in 2025.

john.ross@timeshighereducation.com ?