Friday, August 5, 2011
Week 5 - Post 1 - Dr. Mazur Video
Dr. Eric Mazur is a professor of physics at Harvard University. Even though he received positive end of the term student evaluations throughout his early teaching career, he realized that students were not necessarily assimilating information, but just memorizing facts. After reflecting on his own teaching practices he discovered that he should focus less on what he should teach and more on how to teach it. He also realized that traditional lectures merely transfer information but do not help students learn. In an effort to find ways to improve science education, he developed the peer instruction model. This model gives students more responsibility for gathering information. Using peer instruction students are asked a question, given time to think and answer on their own, discuss with peers, answer again, and are then given an explanation. This seems to be a much more effective and active way of processing information. I can remember trying to study by looking back at college lecture notes and I could barely remember taking the notes even though less than a month went by. I think this is because I didn’t connect the information to any prior knowledge or personal experience but wrote it down in the hopes of making sense of it later. This connects to what Dr. Mazur noticed from his own educational experiences.
I found the use of technology in Dr. Mazur’s 90’s classroom to be very interesting. When students were on step 3 of the peer instruction model, they answered by pressing a button on a remote that distributed all student answers to the professor’s laptop. This reminded me of a part in the A Portal to Media Literacy Video by Dr. Michael Wesch which showed how using technology can allow every student to be accountable for their learning. Students also receive immediate feedback with the peer instruction model because the professor can see how many students are having difficulty with concepts. I also found it interesting when Dr. Mazur said that student perceptions of how they learn are determined by their former educational experiences. Some students might have resistance to a new style of education and feel like they are teaching themselves instead of getting information from the professor. I can really relate as I felt this way several times when I first started the online PSU masters program. Since much of my course work was based on my own reflections to readings and peer discussions, I questioned how much I was actually learning. I soon realized that I was gaining more through this method than I had from the four years of college lectures. I just had to readjust my perception of education.
I love the value that is placed on peer teaching in this video and that Dr. Mazur believes the better you know something, the harder it is to teach it. He also pointed out that students often go to other students with questions before asking the professor. This happens at all levels if students are given the opportunity to communicate with each other during work time. In my Montessori classroom, students are encouraged to teach and help each other. It is one of the greatest benefits of the multi-age classroom. It is not only very powerful for students to learn from each other but also for students to know that they can teach another student. I think students can sometimes communicate an idea more clearly because they newly understand the information and are less intimidating to a student having difficulty. Of course, it is very important at all grade levels to establish a community of respectful learners so that everyone’s input is well received and valued.
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I agree with you when you said you could hardly remember taking the notes in lecture. Me too. The lectures were just that. Me listening, professor talking, and that was it. Where was the learning? I am such a hands on person, I needed to do something. I need to talk things out. I love this style of teaching and I use it in my own class a lot. I require students to consult with each other about problems before asking me. It makes them more prepared to handle other larger issues outside of my classroom. They become confident in themselves. I can see how it is different to begin to own your education, like the PSU masters program often puts a lot of the process back on the student.
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