Re: L5-To lecture or not to lecture?

[Jim Green <JMGreen@SISNA.COM>]

At 12:38 PM 01-12-99 -0800, you wrote:
>  I have been experimenting with different teaching methods for four
> years at a community
> college. Some of my experiences with active learning were just as
> negative as Ludwik
> Kowalski's, but I've reached different conclusions.
>
>  (1) Students enjoy a having a variety of activities, especially during
> classes that
> are 1.5 hours or longer.

There is a body of research (with a fancy title) that would indicate that
doing ANYTHING constantly for more than 10-20 min is mind numbing.  _I_
find the time period to be 7 min (because that is the time between TV
commercials -- and children's brains have been attuned to this period -- I
am serious here)  The class participant needs to have a periodic brain
download where the material "heard" is shifted to a different part of the
brain so it can be understood and, perhaps, even remembered.

You will notice that even on PBS' Sesame Street that there are
"commercials" of a sort "sponsored" by one or two letters and/or numbers --
this for the above strategy.

Even in a interactive presentation, one needs to do something different
every seven minutes - like work a problem or do a demo.

The PER people know more about this.  Dewey, comments???



Jim Green
mailto:JMGreen@sisna.com
http://users.sisna.com/jmgreen