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The point isn't necessarily to flip your classroom but simply acknowledge that students learn best in very different ways (I don't mean auditory, visual, etc—studies have shown that those don't really impact students too differently). What I mean by that is one student might genuinely want or need a lecture to understand the information. Other students, however, might not. Many students, myself included, would much rather learn the subject material on their own because (1) they learn it better when they're the ones working it out for themselves and (2) this provides in-class time for them to do in-depth analysis of the information learned and truly learn it (not forgetting it after the test).
So what does this mean for practical implication?
When you look at classrooms, you see professors almost always teaching through just one style, and it's almost always the lecture-based approach. Maybe it's because of physical class restraints, maybe something else. But that doesn't change the fact that it happens. A simple baby step I think the formal education world needs is more options. Maybe some students are able to work in groups with a TA discussing the learned material while the professor lectures to the other half of class. Maybe some students are lecturing to other students while a TA or prof watches over them to make sure they don't miss any big pieces of information.
I'm not saying you have to implement these ideas in your classes or even this class, but rather I'm hoping to stir up some thoughts about how the style used by many could be improved. When a system is so commonly used that people no longer question its effectiveness, that is the most important time to do so.
Anyway, this has been super long but I hop[e] you enjoyed reading it :) These ideas are ones I hope to explore in my education program here. If you ever want to talk more about them, please let me know!
See you tomorrow,
Matt
It's very interesting to me that this sort of teaching is new(or at least not practiced enough) to deserve a term. My experience in the classroom has usually been led by discussion. This could have something to do with my attendance to "Magnet Programs." Although i don't think this is it entirely. It is really the mindset of the teacher. It does take a lot out of you to have a class that discussion is a main aspect of. Firstly you need a willing student group. This is a problem throughout all levels of education. Elementary school kids might not have the attention, Middle Schoolers might not care enough to seriously participate, highschoolers might recognize the importance of their education but remain apathetic because of pressure to "fit in," or simply because teenagers have a lot on their minds. At the college level i assume many have been brought through an education system that requires you to put your own thinking on the backburner so lecture feels more natural and than the new experience of open dialogue. I can see how this would cause some people to feel last. I haven't personally run into these problems as much as others due to the fortunate nature of my education. I live in maryland that tends to have a phenomenal education system and i guess i have self selected to be in classes with other people who WANT to learn or who are at least CURIOUS and willing to push themselves. That said discourse is gonna be an essential part of education in an effort to prepare prospective employees to compete in the workforce. Not only does facilitating discourse lead to a wider exposure of perspective but it helps people to critically think. Honestly discourse serves different purposes for different cases. In a math of physics class it is to develop a better understanding of the information presented. In a history or philosophy class it serves to deepen understanding, yes, but more than that it helps develop your own beliefs and ideas. If we go back to when i said firstly, secondly facilitation is a skill. It requires either a natural intuition or extensive training(really combination of both) to facilitate a conversation. It also take confidence and framing to achieve self facilitation. For example a socratic seminar is a great example of how students can self regulate to achieve a conclusion that is more complex than they could on their own. I could go on and on but for the sake of conciseness ill stop here.-Fabrizio
ReplyDeleteYeah there are a lot of other alternatives that simply aren't being explored...ad it's unfortunate because we'll never know exactly how they work and/or are better if we don't test them out. I'm glad you've had good experiences—I really don't know much about Maryland's educational system. Also I think even if a bunch of self-selected students are together (in an honors course or something similar) it's still really easy for everything to go downhill.
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