Analysing the Effectiveness of the Delivery of Learning Materials to the Fourth Year Real Estate Class at University of Botswana

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyse the effectiveness of the delivery of learning materials to fourth year real estate class. This was based on the research problem derived from the literature that low retention of learning materials by learners is attributed to the challenges that human beings face in absorbing what they have learnt through listening. The study wanted to establish if what students learn through listening, reading, visualisation and demonstration can be remembered in a class exercise. This was conducted based on the above learning materials to establish the level at which they recalled what they had learnt using different methods of pedagogical mode of instructions.Design/Methodology: Learning materials were presented to the class for the past two weeks for twelve hours session using different pedagogical methods. In week one, students were given learning materials in form of a presentation covering the skills of listening and visual images. In week two, the learning materials was delivered using reading notes and demonstrations with examples. Based on the literature reviewed, on how to prepare a good oral presentation, it identified the level of absorption by learners through listening to be around 40%, reading about 30% and seeing around 60% to 80% and demonstration about 30% and that the amount of data that they are likely to remember will be in that range. These models were used to assess the learning achieved by the learners. An exercise was administered to 24 students in a class of 27 students to test and validate what the above theories had indicated in the literature.Findings: It was discovered that on the question that was prepared based on the listening theory, students did not do well because their ability to recall what they had listened was constrained as per what the theory stated. Only about less than 42% of students were able to retain what they had listened and read to during the delivery of the lecture. On the visualisation theory, about 75% were able to remember what they had seen with their own eyes and the images that were presented to them. Finally, 92% were able to remember what they had demonstrated in class in form of an example.Practical implications: When using pedagogical strategies, lecturers should be cognisant of the blended learning by varying the teaching styles so that learners have a higher chance of remembering what they were taught in class. Students have a higher tendency to remember materials that involved them in demonstrating how the concept was done than listening to the lecturer. Lecturers should develop learning materials that will help students understand without much difficult.Value of the study: The study identifies deficiencies in the pedagogical model of delivery of learning materials and how the assimilation of materials can be improved through blended learning.