Jonathan Thornburg [remove -animal to reply]
Jan15-09, 06:00 AM
Tne New York Times has just published a nice article on Harvard's
recent dramatic changes to the way introductory physics is taught,
emphasizing much less "professor lecturing" and much more student
interaction. The article points out that traditional physics lectures
turn out to induce remarkably little student learning when understanding
of underlying concepts is tested (as opposed to "plug and chug" problems);
the newer teaching methods seem to be much more effective.
The NYT story is at
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/us/13physics.html?em=&pagewanted=print
It's also reprinted in the International Herald Tribune (which is
more accessible sans advertising & cookies) at
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/13/americas/college.php
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=19307333
--
-- From: "Jonathan Thornburg [remove -animal to reply]" <jthorn@astro.indiana-zebra.edu>
Dept of Astronomy, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the
powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral."
-- quote by Freire / poster by Oxfam
recent dramatic changes to the way introductory physics is taught,
emphasizing much less "professor lecturing" and much more student
interaction. The article points out that traditional physics lectures
turn out to induce remarkably little student learning when understanding
of underlying concepts is tested (as opposed to "plug and chug" problems);
the newer teaching methods seem to be much more effective.
The NYT story is at
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/13/us/13physics.html?em=&pagewanted=print
It's also reprinted in the International Herald Tribune (which is
more accessible sans advertising & cookies) at
http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/13/americas/college.php
http://www.iht.com/bin/printfriendly.php?id=19307333
--
-- From: "Jonathan Thornburg [remove -animal to reply]" <jthorn@astro.indiana-zebra.edu>
Dept of Astronomy, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
"Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the
powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral."
-- quote by Freire / poster by Oxfam