Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

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



I think video based courses can be just as effective, or even more effective
than live lectures, if they are "well done" and the students are motivated
to learn the material. Here are three different examples of video courses I
consider "well done".

1) Many years ago our engineering manager wanted the department to become
more proficient in digital signal processing. He made arrangements with MIT
to rent a video course they had which was based on the text by Oppenheim and
Schafer, "Digital Signal Processing". The presenter was the first author
Professor (and nationally recognized expert on digital signal processing)
Alan Oppenheim. We were each given a copy of the text and a workbook which
had the video lecture material already written down for us (i.e. we were
given the lecture notes) and homework problems to do. Professor Oppenheim
closely followed his text and started each lesson with the blackboards all
filled in. No time was wasted writing something on the board, and we
students didn't waste our time (and divert our attention) by taking verbatim
notes. The workbook contained generous margins where students could enter
individual remarks, if desired. We had a senior engineer, already
proficient in the subject matter, who watched the video with us, answered
any questions after the video was finished, graded the homework, and was
available during the week for further questions. To me this was a "perfect"
course. The lecturer was the man who wrote the text, the lectures tightly
followed the text, students could spend time during the lecture listening
rather than trying to copy notes, a live expert was on hand to answer
questions, and graded homework provided feedback on how we were doing. The
convenience of taking this course also helped. It was given after work in
the cafeteria. Just walk down the steps and start learning! It worked well
for me, and others, because we were motivated to make use of the opportunity
we were given.

2) Not so many years ago, my wife and I contemplated a trip to Italy and
decided to take a crash course in beginning Italian. We ended up taking a
video course from the local community college. Convenience was now a major
factor in our decision, since we could take the course at home on our
computers. The college purchased the course from a third party provider who
employed top notch teachers in their video courses. Our instructor was
well-recognized for his knowledge of the Italian language and his teaching
ability. He was located in Italy while we were taking the course and
answered our questions, usually the same day, by email. Again, this
well-organized course had graded homework (by a computer with multiple
choice questions) and a chance for feedback from the instructor (admittedly)
by email. Again, we were motivated to learn.

3) I have an interest in music and through the years have taken several
"music appreciation" courses from The Teaching Company. The instructor,
Professor Robert Greenberg, is a very talented teacher as well as an
acknowledged expert in the history of music and music theory. I think so
much of his presentation style that I have imitated some of his teaching
techniques in physics course that I have taught. So, again, we have a
well-organized course, taught by a knowledgeable and talented instructor in
a very convenient format (just watch at home in your free time), and a
motivated student. No homework was assigned, but the objective of this type
course was more enjoyment than mastery of the subject matter.

So, I think video courses with the features exhibited by the above three
examples are just as effective, or even more effective, than a live lecture
course. As education costs continue to rise, why not do something like the
Teaching Company does? Namely, hire the best instructors in the country to
make a set of video courses in their field of expertise and then distribute
these courses, for a fee, to colleges which want them. When the college
presents such a course an "onsite" instructor (who might be online) is
provided to answer questions and collect and grade homework and exams. Why
not have the very best in the nation (or world) prepare a course in their
field of expertise which can be used at any college. The individual
colleges fill in the details, with "onsite" instructors who primarily act to
facilitate rather than deliver the course? Seems to me this type of
arrangement would be an improvement over many of our present live lecture
courses with the added important potential to lower college tuition costs.
I realize this sounds very much like the MOOC type of course, but I am
talking about such video courses being available at any college by students
at any college. For example, Yale students take some video courses taught
by Harvard professors, and vice versa, simply because the individual
professors involved are the ranking experts as well as the recognized best
instructors for that type of course?

Don

Dr. Donald Polvani
Advisory Engineer, Retired
Northrop Grumman Corp.
Physics Instructor, Retired
Anne Arundel Community College
Arnold, MD 21012