Re: [Phys-L] Edu Videos

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

This is all opinion, without any experimental evidence.  Yes, it looks
reasonable nice..., but the PER research shows it doesn't work well.  The
analogy of the weeds is just a platitude.  Teaching is an experimental
science and not just something that can be decided by logic.  Pure logic
ruled natural science for thousands of years, but with Galileo's experiments
the logic had to be changed.  The same is true of education.  We have taught
traditionally because it made sense.  But now we have experimental evidence
that must be used.

Notice here I am attempting to use refutational text, because I can't force
people to try things.  I can't teach pedagogy over the web by the methods
that research shows are most effective.

The best order of presentation is something akin to Modeling which
experimentally shows good gain and can improve student thinking.
-exploration
1.  Have the students come up with the relevant variables
2.  Have the students predict what the graphs might be
3.  Have the student do an experiment where they determine the equations.
- concept development
4.  Group discussions of the results and concept explanation.  A minilecture
can be used here.
- application
5.  Applicaion problems where the students have to use the model.  The
students then explain the applicatins and ask questions of each other using
white boards.

The conventional approach starts with 4 by having the teacher give the
concept.  It ignores the early part which is the exploration.  The work of
Lawson, Renner, Karplus... (JRST) came up with this as "the learning cycle".
They found that it improved student thinking.  They also showed that all 3
phases are necessary, exploration, concept development, and application.
While it is possible for formal operational students to vary the order, they
found that all 3 phases are needed.

Shayer, Adey, & Yates do something similar in Thinking Science which has a
large success rate and improves performance in science 20% gain, math 29%,
and English 15%.

My platitudes: When the sewer breaks plumbers start in the muck.  When
mowing the lawn you have mow the high weeks and not just the low grass.
Keeping students in line is like herding cats or turkeys, but turkeys are
easier.  (Believe me as I have had experience in both)  [;}>>

John M. Clement
Houston, TX

> Details matter.  One hugely important "detail" here is the 
> /order/ of presentation.
>
> The conventional and reasonable approach is to present the 
> right answer first.  Thought-provoking contrasts come later.
>  1) Here is the highway.  
>  2) Look what a nice highway it is.
>  3) Look at all the places this highway will take you.
>  4) et cetera
>  11) BTW, over there by the side of the road there is a ditch full
>   of poisonous thorny weeds.  Don't go there.
>
> Nobody with any sense /starts/ in the weeds.