Re: [Phys-l] Lecture vs Advocacy

[curtis osterhoudt <flutzpah@yahoo.com>]

The most striking illustration of Clement's points that I've seen is a series of three lectures by C.V. Boys on soap bubbles. Of course, I didn't attend the originals, but their record is collected in
Soap-bubbles
and the forces which mould them, Being a course of three lectures
delivered in the theatre of the London Institution on the afternoons of
Dec. 30, 1889, Jan. 1 and 3, 1890, before a juvenile audience. 
    Note that many of Amazon.com's copies are of Cornell's version, which can be found (and read) here: http://dlxs2.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=math;cc=math;view=toc;subview=short;idno=cdl448. 

   So far as I can tell, there was little give-and-take in the lecture, but the simple subjects, the demonstrations shown, and the way in which Boys worked through the reasoning is fascinating. I suspect that almost anyone---adult or child---today would be captured in rapt attention, as long as his cell phone doesn't ring, nor does he feel "embarassed" to be at such a venue.

   

/************************************
Down with categorical imperative!
flutzpah@yahoo.com
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----- Original Message ----
From: John Clement <clement@hal-pc.org>
To: Forum for Physics Educators <phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu>
Sent: Sunday, May 4, 2008 7:27:01 AM
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Lecture vs Advocacy

This experience is precisely an illustration of the problem.  Anyone who
already has an understanding of science and is interested in it would have
their attention captured by the name Faraday.  But those who have no
interest will pass over it.

Lectures have some value when the audience is interested and attuned to what
is being said, but in general this is not the case.  Lectures also do not in
general change paradigms, or misconceptions.  Interactive lectures do a
better job as long as the audience goes along with it.  Essentially the
misconception needs to be brought out, and then refuted by strong evidence.

There is some evidence that a video of a give and take conversation where a
misconception is refuted works better than a straight lecture.  But the
conventional straight lecture does not work well at all.  Only the deserving
who are interested in and already know something about the topic might gain
from it.  The uniformed who need education the most will usually gain
little.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX


> I was driving a trailer to a horse show yesterday. NPR was tuned;
> Click And Clack had finished and a comedian's talk show was running.
>   Feldman is not a particular enthusiasm of mine.
>   But he does invite an eclectic variety of guests to interview.
>
>      I was not paying much attention. The guest mentioned Faraday.
>   I have his experimental researches. Then my attention was quickly
> riveted.
> The guest - Johnson - mentioned a gas lantern with a polarizer placed
> before a big electromagnet.
>
>   Faraday looked through another polarizer - as it might be, a pair
> of sunglasses,
>   as Johnson put it, to extinguish the lantern's light.     When he
> switched on the
> electromagnet, the lantern reappeared. I knew about that. You knew about
> that
> effect too -  the rotation of the polarization plane of light by a magnet.
>
> Johnson was talking about his book - Ten Beautiful Experiments - and I was
> shocked how powerfully this commentary differed from my received opinion
> about the inadequacy of the lecture method.
>     As far as I can tell, lectures do not generally convey enthusiasm,
> insight
>   and pleasure: but advocates overcome our barriers with just these
> virtues.


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