Does anyone still want to go to lectures? Student perceptions of the face-to-face lecture in an Irish university

Lectures have been part of the University tradition for centuries and remain an integral part of Higher Education in Ireland. However, in recent years the place of the lecture has been questioned, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study conducted amongst Arts students in the University of Galway sought to establish whether students still valued the face-to-face lecture as part of their University education, and how they felt this learning experience could be enhanced for them in the future. The study revealed a very clear desire amongst students to maintain the face-to-face lecture as a feature of their University education. The reasons cited are related overwhelmingly to the opportunities afforded by the lecture as a social space. Students expressed a strong desire to be able to interact within the large lecture but our findings also showed that students wish to be able to do this in a ‘safe' way. Tools such as the Vevox polling tool were cited as mechanisms to facilitate ‘safe’ participation in the lecture and to comfortably share their opinions and ideas. Above all, our study highlights that future research needs to focus more on developing face-to-face lecture as a safe interactive social space.