Re: [Phys-L] book versus video versus lecture

[Tom Sandin <sandint@ncat.edu>]

I find that some students can parrot statements such as "Same-sign 
charges repel and opposite-sign charges attract" without being able 
to actually say which direction the force is on a particular charged 
object. I start out General Physics II with lots of direction 
questions. We have just so much time in class so my web site for the 
course, phys242.ncat.edu, has a directions tutorial followed by 
videos I obtained about the vector-product right-hand rule. Since 
I've posted those videos, student ability to use that right-hand rule 
(needed throughout the course) has definitely improved.
Tom Sandin


At 8:18 PM -0700 1/9/14, John Denker wrote:
> Some questions:
>
> I am still stung by the contrast:
>
>  *) Many people -- including many on this list -- are using
>   textbooks that contain hundreds or thousands of physics
>   errors (not counting typos and other trivialities), yet
>   nobody seems to care.
>
>  *) If some non-scientist puts out a video that explains
>   a true observation using logic that is arguably not 100%
>   rigorous, then OMG it's a scandal.  Panic.  Hair on fire.
>
> I considered the hypothesis that in certain situations,
> people care more about the video, because it is easier
> to get a certain type of students to watch the video than
> to read the book.  (For other types of students, completely
> different considerations apply.)
>
> Then I got to thinking, everybody likes to emphasize the
> importance of active engagement.  "Lecture" is a curse
> word in PER circles.  On the other hand, what could be
> more passive than watching a video?  Why is not a video
> in every way worse than a comparable lecture?
>
>   I can understand that a good lecture is better than
>   a bad lecture, and watching the video of a good
>   lecture might therefore be /relatively/ better than
>   a lousy in-person lecture ... but to those who insist
>   that all lectures are bad as a matter of principle,
>   I ask again:  Is not watching Salman Khan on video
>   in every way worse than watching him in person?  If
>   not, why not?
>
> Let's see if we can steer this in a constructive
> direction.  Suppose you had a class where the students
> were highly active and highly engaged.  Now suppose we
> wanted to design a short video about log/log paper or
> something similar.
>  *) What should be on the video?
>  *) How should the video be used?
>   -- Should students watch the video in class, or at
>    home, or ????
>   -- How does it integrate with discussions and
>    exercises and other stuff that's going on?
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