Despite research showing that lecture-based instruction in large university courses often hindered student engagement and critical thinking, ______ th...
GMAT Expression of Ideas : (Expression) Questions
Despite research showing that lecture-based instruction in large university courses often hindered student engagement and critical thinking, ______ this traditional teaching approach continued to dominate higher education for decades. Universities cited budget constraints and limited classroom space as primary reasons for maintaining the lecture format, even as educational theorists advocated for more interactive methods.
Which choice completes the text with the most logical transition?
for example,
nevertheless,
therefore,
in particular,
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Create Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| 'Despite research showing that lecture-based instruction in large university courses often hindered student engagement and critical thinking,' |
|
| '[MISSING TRANSITION]' |
|
| 'this traditional teaching approach continued to dominate higher education for decades.' |
|
| 'Universities cited budget constraints and limited classroom space as primary reasons for maintaining the lecture format,' |
|
| 'even as educational theorists advocated for more interactive methods.' |
|
Provide Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Despite research showing lectures were ineffective, universities continued using them for practical reasons while educational theorists pushed for better methods.
Argument Flow: The passage sets up a contradiction between research evidence and actual practice in higher education. It then explains this gap by citing practical constraints universities faced, while noting that experts were advocating for change throughout this period.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- Looking at our passage analysis, we have a clear contrast situation
- The first part presents research showing lectures are bad for students
- The second part tells us lectures continued dominating anyway
- We need a transition that shows this contradiction - that despite evidence against something, it kept happening
- The right answer should signal 'even though the evidence said one thing, the opposite occurred'
for example,
✗ Incorrect
- 'For example' introduces a specific illustration of a general point
- This doesn't fit because the second part isn't an example of research hindering engagement - it's showing the opposite happened
nevertheless,
✓ Correct
- 'Nevertheless' means 'despite that' or 'even so' - perfect for showing contradiction
- This creates the exact logical relationship we need: 'Despite research showing lectures were bad, they continued anyway'
therefore,
✗ Incorrect
- 'Therefore' shows cause and effect - that something happened because of what came before
- This would suggest lectures continued BECAUSE research showed they hindered engagement, which makes no sense
in particular,
✗ Incorrect
- 'In particular' specifies or emphasizes a specific aspect of what was just mentioned
- This doesn't work because we're not getting more specific about research findings - we're showing what happened despite them