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Re: Discovery Learning

Follow up question...

Do you determine the worth of the new technique based on what the survey
tells you, or based on your experiences with it?

In other words, why do you teach the way that you teach?



"An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made in a
very narrow field."

- Niels Bohr


-----Original Message-----
From: Forum for Physics Educators [mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu] On
Behalf Of Charles Bell
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 11:44 AM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Discovery Learning

Well I do love to try new approaches. Every new approach that comes
along
always seem to be accompanied by a survey that says the "new" method
improves student retention and participation. How much of all of it
should
one really believe?

This is the fallacy of all the soft skills stuff.

Is it just glitter? a new fad?? One study says it one way. Wait a while
and another study will say the opposite or advocate some other new
thing.

People like variety. MacDonald's still is selling hamburgers, but its
amazing how the same old chunk of ground up meat has come to be stuck on
a
bun in so many ways. Thicker, wider, with this, with that.... The more
you
give, the more is expected, and even more desired. I suspect that Neils
Bohr, whom you quote, knew that as well.



At 11:06 AM 12/12/2003, Matt Harding wrote:
Do you try these things because they work, or do you try them because
they're new?

Cheers,
Matt



"An expert is a man who has made all the mistakes which can be made i=
n a
very narrow field."
=20
- Niels Bohr


-----Original Message-----
=46rom: Forum for Physics Educators [mailto:PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu] On
Behalf Of Charles Bell
Sent: Friday, December 12, 2003 9:36 AM
To: PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu
Subject: Re: Discovery Learning

Hello all,

I teach adults at a nuclear power plant and follow this list as a fel=
low
physicist interested in other instructors experiences.
Its refreshing to hear the discussions. I have experienced many, many
waves
of the new ideas in teaching methods over the years.

Novelty is what I would answer to this question. The discovery learni=
ng
is
a novelty for a while (year or two). Then its not so novel any more a=
nd
people (that's us instructors) drift right back to the traditional
lecture.

The students I teach are no different than the students in colleges a=
nd
high schools. I taught a few years of night classes at the local juni=
or
college to get some "fulfillment" and new experiences.

Something different is what people want. That different always has to
change. Variety is what is required.
That takes time to develop the repertoire.

I could list dozens of new things done over the years and how they ca=
me
and
went all about the same way.

I thought a few years ago that dynamic Power Point presentations with=
a
video projector was the way to go. Everyone gets excited about it at
first
and all will claim it to improve learning. Because it was different i=
t
worked. After a few dozen power point presentations you will find tha=
t
the
observers tend to tune out because its not interesting anymore. Dimmi=
ng
the
lights to see the presentation encourages nodding off.

I've used "Advanced Learning" techniques and found that they also wor=
k
for
a while. In fact the establishment will revolt about it after a while=
.
I've had mobiles hanging off the ceiling, pretty color pictures on th=
e
walls, colored highlighters, scented highighters, virtual photo tours=
,
pleasant background "learning" music, throw toys, nerfballs, drinkin=
g
birds. mind maps, board games..............

They all worked.

FOR AWHILE.


The smart ones will learn without you doing anything.


At 07:53 AM 12/12/2003, you wrote:

On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 18:24:11 -0800 MICHAEL HORTON
<<mailto:scitch@verizon.net>scitch@verizon.net> writes:
If all you want them to do is remember the concept for
a day or two then lecture is fine. If you want to remember it lon=
ger
then
there must be some connection in their mind between that concept =
and
something
memorable. That memorable thing could be a mnemonic, a lab, an
activity, a video, prior knowledge, whatever. The point of my
project
is to see > if things that are learned via discovery last longer th=
an
things
learned traditionally.

Throughout our lives, we have been lectured that that lectures
do not enhance learning. If this is true, then
why are lectures still used as the primary teaching tool
in almost all high schools, colleges, and universities
throughout the entire world?

Why do so many educators abandon "discovery learning" within a year =
or
two after it has been introduced?