"What is the sound of one person lecturing?
or
I czasownik but do they czasownik?"
Brett Ellman
Department of Physics
Kent State University
Abstract
Some facts of life:
- On average, students taught the way we were taught elementary physics do not learn very much.
- Some physicists have figured out what is wrong and ways to fix it.
- There is reasonably good data to back up their conclusions.
- We can realistically implement these techniques at KSU, in our College/University Physics courses.
- We can treat teaching much as we do research - we can try new things and test to see if they work.
- I am very far from an expert in these matters but - here goes nothing.
To begin, I will try to convince you of the first point, depressing as it is. With the last point in mind, I will then describe one or two of the easiest, most important techniques to improve the learning of students in these classes. My approach will be practical and, I hope, divested of the pseudo-scientific mumbo-jumbo sometimes associated with the subject. I will also point out some rather unique challenges of the KSU environment, including our dependence on qualitative courses (e.g., 7 Ideas) for our bread and butter, as opposed to the "usual" situation whereby intro. quantitative courses bring in the FTE's.
P.S. - What does " czasownik" mean? Well, the same as dysgu, lar sig, and mengajar. A free muffin at the talk to the first person who knows.