Presentation Date:
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Location:
WHA Fulbright Junior Visiting Faculty Development Institute, University of Texas, Austin (Austin, TX)
Presentation Slides:
How can I help my students learn in ways that pique their interest and enrich their subject matter understanding? We will explore this perennial question by considering an innovative, research-based teaching method called Peer Instruction (PI). Originally developed by Dr. Eric Mazur to address major gaps in students' conceptual knowledge of physics at Harvard University, this interactive pedagogical method is now widely used in classrooms at hundreds of institutions across the world. PI leverages the power of social learning and the latest advances in instructional technology to confront students' misconceptions and activate their minds while providing instant feedback to faculty. We will discuss the research supporting PI and the Next Generation of PI -- a new, highly-advanced social learning system we are currently piloting in the Mazur Group.