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Peer Instruction and Just in Time Teaching Marion Birch & Niels Walet School of Physics and Astronomy. Peer Instruction. Eric Mazur – Harvard University Peer Instruction: A User’s Manual Pearson-Prentice Hall, 1997 Lecture notes narrative. Why Use Peer Instruction?.
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Peer InstructionandJust in Time TeachingMarion Birch& Niels WaletSchool of Physics and Astronomy
Peer Instruction • Eric Mazur – Harvard University Peer Instruction: A User’s Manual Pearson-Prentice Hall, 1997 • Lecture notes narrative
Why Use Peer Instruction? • Traditional lectures – not most effective way of teaching • Transcription of lecturer’s notes • Attention fade • Two way communication • Small groups - Q & A • Large groups - ? • Students teach one another
Benefits • Instantaneous feedback • Active vs. passive learners • Anonymous voting • Everyone can participate • Deeper conceptual understanding • Pre-reading - challenge understanding • More responsibility for own learning • Breaks up lecture • Improved attendance • Fun
Cons • Cover less material in lecture • More background noise (Ref: Douglas Duncan, University of Colorado) • Takes time to produce good thought provoking questions – but databanks do exist (Harvard, Edinburgh) • Does not meet students’ initial expectations
What is Just in Time Teaching? Developed in the States Content decided at last minute Determined by what the students are struggling with Electronic assignment – submitted a few hours before the class Feedback Loop
Blackboard E-Learning MaterialTalklets and Physlets On-line Assignments – Mastering Physics http://www.masteringphysics.com
Outcomes Successes Better exam performance 95% submission of on-line assignments Favourable feedback re’ talklets
Weaknesses • Need more choice in the JITT workshops • Need to improve targeting of known issues (post-Newtonian thinkers) • Engagement with JITT sessions limited to fraction of students
Positive Comments • The interactive lecture was a really good idea. It helped to be able to get direct feedback about questions and also to be able to discuss ideas with fellow students. • Clicker questions kept the lecture interesting and helped me to understand material and spot problem areas. • Clickers make lectures more enjoyable and interactive. I find it beneficial and more intellectually stimulating to be able to participate in lectures. • I found the clickers really enhanced my learning as areas that weren’t understood were picked up on. • Clickers were a good idea: they showed how many people understood something; often people won’t put their hands up to show they don’t understand something. This was an anonymous way of doing this.
Negative Comments • Clickers waste a lot of time. Could have gone through things in more detail in this time. • A lot of extra work was needed outside of the lecture. • ‘I expected that you would teach me . I didn’t expect to have to learn!’ – Ref: Duncan, Colorado University.