Most recent public comments by George Tillerson https://nowcomment.com/users/620 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=3061 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=3061 Including questions during class lectures really creates collaboration among the students. When students disagree on an answer, or when neither of the students are confident in their answers, debate arises, which is healthy in a college lecture hall environment. The more students engage with each other, the more they learn from each other. Student don't have to just learn from the professor, but can learn equally as much form their peer sitting right next to them. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:14 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=3060 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=3060 As you see at 1:21, the use of an IClickr to answer the questions Mazur gives displays the use of technology for feedback. Each year, I see more and more professors converting to new technologies in order to make student feedback simpler. This process is easy for Mazur as well with the feedback results graph that is shown at 1:25. Technology allows the results to automatically be transformed into a graph, making it easier on Mazur's part to decipher the responses in the class. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:14 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=3059 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=3059 The question that Professor Mazur puts on the board at 1:07 is the ideal type of question, especially for a large lecture class studying physics. There is a paragraph in the beginning (with a large font size) where the first sentence explains the situation, and the second sentence actually asks the question. There is an image underneath for those who are more visual learners, and then four answers that really make a student think because essentially there are only two choices: net force and net torque. Including a net force and a net torque or neither a net force nor a net torque really forces the students to think and contemplate even more about their answer. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:14 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3008 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3008 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:13 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3007 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3007 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:13 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3006 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3006 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:13 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3002 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3002 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3001 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3001 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3000 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=3000 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2996 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2996 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2994 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2994 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2992 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2992 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2990 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2990 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2989 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2989 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2988 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2988 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2984 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2984 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2983 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2983 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2982 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1805?scroll_to=2982 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 19:23:21 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2758 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2758 NowComment would work well with peer instruction. Along with lecture slides and notes, the professor could upload questions so students can discuss and collaborate with each other if they don’t understand or have questions of their own. You’re right, anonymity may be a problem though. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:12 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2757 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2757 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:12 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2756 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2756 Good point. If your peers are just as confused – if not more – than you are about the material, then what would be the benefit of collaborating with them? You may hash out ideas and brainstorm, but ultimately learning and understanding the material may not occur. There have been many times when my professors don’t get close to finishing the lecture during the given class time because of going on tangents or answering questions. So I don’t know how cutting the lecture time in half and adding time for discussion and collaboration would work. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:12 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2755 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2755 You’re right. During class and office hours is not enough access to the professor. In my experiences, you have to set-up a meeting during office hours, so many times that’s not even option. What about graduate teaching assistants? I have found them very useful in helping me understand material and giving opinions on study strategies. Wed, 31 Jan 2018 11:22:06 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2754 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2754 Wow, great point made. So do you go with more students asking questions or the non-anonymity route? It is virtually a fact, more students will ask questions if their identity isn’t made public. But I do agree that it makes it seem wrong to ask questions, but in large lectures, the professor may not even know the name of every student. So he might not have the luxury of saying “Bill and Sarah had these questions.” Anonymous seems the best choice with large lectures. Wed, 31 Jan 2018 11:22:06 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2753 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2753 I agree. Most classes nowadays are all about doing well on the test. I find myself memorizing pages-upon-pages of material just to put it down on paper for an hour. After the test, I essentially forget everything I “so-called” learned. Even though peer collaboration takes more time than lecturing, I think it is valuable and necessary in the college setting. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:12 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2752 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2752 I don’t think learning how to ride a bike is comparable to learning a complex subject like Physics. One reason you don’t forget how to ride a bike is because not only is it cemented cognitively at a young age, but also physically; there is no physical aspect when it comes to schoolwork. Really learning and understanding theories, concepts, laws, etc., is far beyond the scope of riding a bike. We also learn how to ride a bike usually before age 10 because it is rather simple. The understanding of Physics, Calculus, Chemistry, etc., come later when our brains have matured. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:12 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2751 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2751 Even though IClickr is a good way to have students answer questions and be engaged, what about the students who choose the answer B every time just for the fun of it? This would create bias in seeing what the class as a whole understands. In my experience, there are many students who simply don’t care for student engagement, so they act as influential outliers by choosing random answers. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:12 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2750 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2750 I agree that forming teams and doing in class activities assist in making students more engaged. However, would this concept work with classes larger than 200? I think a professor would have a tough time controlling the class and making sure that students are actually participating in the activity or assignment. Wed, 31 Jan 2018 11:22:06 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2739 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2739 Instead of the questions being anonymous, is it too much trouble to have each student voice their questions and problems one-on-one (online)? Are the questions graded, or just to help the students understand the material? Wed, 31 Jan 2018 11:22:06 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2738 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2738 I've used IClickr in some of my classes as well. We had daily quizzes where we would input our answers electronically to the smart board, and your grade would suffer if you did poorly, meaning reading and being prepared before class was necessary. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:11 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2737 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2737 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 11:22:06 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2736 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2736 Wed, 31 Jan 2018 11:22:06 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2735 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2735 For many of my classes, it is a requirement to read the chapter and lecture notes online before class in order to be prepared. I think this is critical to the learning process because if you go to class with no idea what the lecture is on, you won’t have any idea what the professor is talking about – especially with material as complex as physics. In one of my classes last semester we had daily “mini-speeches.” The professor would pull a name from a hat randomly and we would have to answer the questions he gave, and he would grade our responses out of 20 points. We had three of these throughout the semester so you never knew when you would be called. It forced me to read and be prepared before class. Reminds me of this approach. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:11 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2734 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2734 Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:11 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2733 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2733 I attend a large institution and have been enrolled in several large lecture classes. As the weeks go on, fewer students attend these classes simply because the material isn’t engaging. When professors just lecture for an hour, there is no opportunity for students to use critical thinking skills and be actively engaged in the lecture. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:11 -0500 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2732 https://nowcomment.com/documents/1844?scroll_to=2732 I often left large lectures feeling as though I did not learn anything. I may have taken several pages of notes, but that doesn’t mean I understood what I was writing down. Giving questions during the class, allowing the students to discuss together and then answering the question via technology is the ultimate learning experience. Thu, 12 Dec 2013 01:31:11 -0500