On my first day of classes at Vanderbilt, I not only walked into my first college class but also my first real lecture. From the time I was in third grade, I attended an alternative school model where we did all of our academic learning using online AI educational apps. Because of that, I’ve long been told that lectures are an ineffective way to learn compared with this independent learning style of my childhood.

After a semester at Vanderbilt, where I spent most of my time in introductory classes located in big lecture halls, my suspicions of how inefficient lecturing can be have been confirmed. In any given lecture, you can spot disengaged students online shopping or playing computer games. There has to be a way to improve classes and engagement, especially at a school like Vanderbilt — a leader in training teachers nationwide.

Researchers who study learning will teach you that there are two types of learning: passive and active. Passive learning is teacher-centered, where students receive information without an active response, similar to some of the introductory lectures here at Vanderbilt. Active learning is student-centered, where students actively engage with the content they are learning. One study found that students who learned through active learning “saw a 13x increase in learner talk time, 16x more nonverbal engagement, and test scores 54% higher when compared to passive learners in a traditional lecture setting.” It makes perfect sense that when actively learning, whether it be through answering questions, participating in discussions or writing, students retain information better than if given no reason to engage with the material.

By the time students reach college, though, they tend to prefer learning passively, even when they know that active learning is more effective. Ultimately, it’s easier to be lazy and sit bored in a lecture hall for an hour than to focus and struggle through content in a way that leads to actual learning. The fact that school trains us to prefer easier, passive learning to active learning prepares us terribly for a world in which we must actually learn and accomplish on our own, not just receive orders. College and education as a whole should primarily aim to teach us how to learn on our own, not how to sit and passively consume information — a skill that will not be valuable in a future career.

So, what am I proposing we do instead? I believe college classes should lean into active learning strategies and new technology to aid learning as much as possible. Especially with the internet and new technology like generative AI at our fingertips, there is no reason why education should not adapt. These technologies are being put to use every day in the workplace, so teaching students to use them should be a focus of education to prepare students for the skills they will need.

For those concerned that it isn’t possible to learn through technology, I point to my own education. I did all of my learning from third grade to high school graduation through online educational apps — think KhanAcademy or iXL — and other online resources.

But, don’t just take my word for it. Harvard actually conducted a study where they used AI tutors to teach an introductory physics class; the AI-supported method was “surprisingly more effective” than the traditional lecture model. Why exactly was this data shown? Well, AI can adapt to each student’s individual needs and ensure mastery, whereas professors in traditional lectures aren’t able to adjust their lesson for each student. AI can provide personalized feedback to students, quiz students to adapt the teaching based on their answers, build study guides and even explain topics in creative ways.

You might be wondering: If AI can teach better than a professor, what is the point of even being at a university? Well, the analysis of the Harvard study addresses this question.

“If AI can be used to effectively teach introductory material to students outside of class, this would allow ‘precious class time’ to be spent developing ‘higher-order skills, such as advanced problem-solving, project-based learning, and group work,’” the article reads.

AI can help students learn faster and more efficiently, allowing for more active learning in class and direct engagement with the professor and other students. Professors still play an essential role in education as unique experts in their fields. Instead of spending their time lecturing to students who either aren’t paying attention, are struggling to understand the material or who already understand it, professors can instead work with students, answer specific questions and lead discussions.

So, why abandon the educational model that we’ve had for centuries? Well, as someone who has experienced both passive and active learning models, I strongly believe that education is so much more effective and enjoyable when students are actively engaged. There’s a reason why so many students are already burnt out by school by the time they get to university: School trains us to passively consume information instead of truly engaging with the content we are learning and making use of it. Gabby Unangst writes that students who learn passively struggle to use the skills they learn in the real world and they are “perceived to be less capable of comprehending and using reading materials.” Passive learning can hurt students’ ability to learn, so it may lead students to feel unmotivated in school.

The lecture model inadequately prepares us for the future. College should teach students how to learn, not just how to listen to someone explain something. The confidence and practical skills from active learning are essential to successful careers. When students graduate from university, they should feel confident using technology and active-learning strategies to teach themselves new skills needed to achieve their goals.