Lecture system is outdated. I think, in time, we'll be seeing a lot more portfolio and project-learning - partly to increase actual learning and minimize rote learning, cheating, and external motivation/rewards (e.g. grades) which jeopardize learning.
I'm not saying that they're aren't charismatic and dynamic instructors in secondary or higher ed who are able to captivate students and get them to actually learn because they do exist. I student taught with a nationally-recognized high school history teacher who was featured on a PBS documentary series. However, for every charismatic and dynamic instructor like him how many duds or uninspiring instructors are there? Usually too many.
The problem with learning is not one of the delivery or presentation or content/material. The real problem with learning rests with motivation. Most effective learning arises when we are internally motivated. And despite the evidence to support this argument, external motivation (external grades/rewards/punishments) remains the primary method of learning in primary, secondary, and higher education.
Is is possible for a dynamic and charismatic instructor to foster internal motivation or self-motivation? Yes. I saw this happen with my mentor who was featured on the PBS documentary. He had very high expectations and did not settle for second best, period. Many students were scared of him and couldn't hack it.
Still, his way of teaching only worked to a point. The students had to come half-way and be willing to go on the journey to learning with him. They had to have a spark or an eagerness to learn if you like. Without it, the mentor said it was a bit pointless and spinning the wheels. He told me that he usually cherry picked a few kids in each class (usually the ones from broken homes, on welfare, lived in the projects, etc. - yet were bright enough to succeed) who could pull themselves up from their bootstraps and get switched on through learning.
Students have to feel in control or have some autonomy over their learning. If not, they're not going to be motivated no matter what. This is a major stumbling block with formal instruction today at all levels where kids have no choice over the content or subject that they learn or the format it is delivered in.
