Re: [Phys-l] Lecture vs Advocacy

["John Clement" <clement@hal-pc.org>]

There is evidence that extraneous detail blocks learning, and inhibits
transfer.  Your getting pumped really has little effect on the learning.
Malcolm Wells was one of the most effective teachers, and one of the first
to achieve really high FCI gain.  But the videos of his classes are
BOOORING.  There is no research based evidence that being exciting is
necessary.  Obviously you should not be disinterested, but beyond that it is
what you do to get the students engaged that counts, not how much you are
engaged.

The Modeling program which achieves high gain has few presentations, and
they can all be done with a simple board.  Again it is not what YOU present
that counts.  It is what the students DO that counts.  Low key and to the
point with a coherent curriculum and student engagement works much better
than high key with the usual fragmented curriculum and low engagement.

Can anyone find any research at all that shows that the instructor
engagement improves the learning?????  Feynman tried it and failed.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> As a current student I can tell you that the one most important factor
> that will help your students learn is your enthusiasm.  If you think that
> what you are teaching is cool, like really and truly FUN STUFF, then it
> will come through in your voice.  Another thing that is evidence of you
> thinking what you're talking about is cool is when you can come up with
> real world examples of how it is applied every day.  I know this isn't
> possible with all physics, but if you can explain a phenomenon or an
> everyday occurrence and make me go, "Really?" then I just bought a ticket
> to the rest of your lecture...as long as you keep up your energy level.
> I'm not saying you need to be jumping around, you don't want to be crazy,
> but talk to me about physics the same way you would talk to me about why
> your favorite sports team is taking it home this year, or how your dive of
> the great barrier reef went, whatever gets you pumped! Please keep in
> mind, it is impossible to fake this excitement (un
>  less you're a really talented actor, but lets face it, probably not), so
> don't try to act excited if you aren't, you'll be pulling the wool over
> exactly nobody's eyes.  Instead, try to get excited about it like you were
> when you first learned it, remember what that revelation was like and
> where it led to!  One last thing...if you are using overheads when the
> rest of their teachers are using .ppt presentations it makes you look like
> you are either lazy or just don't care (and if you don't care then why
> should I??).  This may not be true, maybe you just aren't good with a
> computer, but not in our eyes, we are stocked full of judgment and ready
> to give some to you!  If you don't know how to make a .ppt then talk to
> your TA or any of your students...we ALL know how to make one and will
> probably do it for nominal amounts of extra credit.  Before having someone
> make one, please familiarize yourself with what a good presentation looks
> like.  Ask the students if there is a prof on c
>  ampus who usually has good .ppt presentations, sit in and watch a
> lecture, then go watch one of the normal ones...you'll see the difference.
> (Colors, movement, videos, etc. vs. Same color, text is plain font, just
> appears, etc.)
>
> Ok, that was more than my fair share of opinion.  Educators of
> Physics...get PUMPED!!
>
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