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Workshop

The scientific approach to teaching: Research as a basis for course design, at EDUVATE Forum, University of Pretoria (Pretoria, South Africa), Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Discussions of teaching -- even some publications -- abound with anecdotal evidence. Our intuition often supplants a systematic, scientific approach to finding out what works and what doesn't work. Yet, research is increasingly demonstrating that our gut feelings about teaching are often wrong. In this talk I will discuss some research my group has done on gender issues in science courses and on the effectiveness of classroom demonstrations.
Peer Instruction, at EDUVATE Forum, University of Pretoria (Pretoria, South Africa), Wednesday, May 30, 2012:
talk_1822.pdf
The basic goals of Peer Instruction are to encourage and make use of student interaction during lectures, while focusing students' attention on underlying concepts and techniques. The method has been assessed in many studies using standardized, diagnostic tests and shown to be considerably more effective than the conventional lecture approach to teaching. Peer Instruction is now used in a wide range of science and math courses at the college and secondary level. In this 2-3 hour long workshop, participants will learn about Peer Instruction, serve as the "class" in which Peer Instruction is... Read more about Peer Instruction
Educating the Innovators of the 21st Century, at University of Pretoria (Pretoria, South Africa), Tuesday, May 29, 2012:
talk_1925.pdf
Can we teach innovation? Innovation requires whole-brain thinking — left-brain thinking for creativity and imagination, and right-brain thinking for planning and execution. Our current approach to education in science and technology, focuses on the transfer of information, developing mostly right-brain thinking by stressing copying and reproducing existing ideas rather than generating new ones. I will show how shifting the focus in lectures from delivering information to team work and creative thinking greatly improves the learning that takes place in the classroom and promotes independent... Read more about Educating the Innovators of the 21st Century
The scientific approach to teaching (Using Data to Debunk Teaching Myths), at Supporting Active Learning & Technology in Science Education Workshop, Dawson College (Montreal, QC, Canada), Wednesday, May 23, 2012:
talk_1935.pdf
This is a unique opportunity to hear Professor Mazur talk about the use of data to make decisions about our classroom practices. Dr Mazur will show how the same scientific approach used in laboratories can be used to inform teaching pedagogies in our classrooms. Consistent with his active learning message, the exact content of the workshop is, well... up to YOU!

Register and fill the survey. Dr Mazur will design his active learning workshop around YOUR questions and concerns about active learning and will show that...

Read more about The scientific approach to teaching (Using Data to Debunk Teaching Myths)
Peer Instruction: Real strategies for your classroom, at Dr. Edwin Hodge, Jr. Institute for Teaching and Learning, Thiel College (Greenville, PA), Thursday, May 17, 2012:
talk_1940.pdf
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 by thousands of instructors across the world. PI leverages the power of social learning and the latest advances in instructional technology to confront students'... Read more about Peer Instruction: Real strategies for your classroom
Peer Instruction, at University of Groningen (Groningen, Netherlands), Wednesday, May 9, 2012:
talk_1932.pdf
The basic goals of Peer Instruction are to encourage and make use of student interaction during lectures, while focusing students' attention on underlying concepts and techniques. The method has been assessed in many studies using standardized, diagnostic tests and shown to be considerably more effective than the conventional lecture approach to teaching. Peer Instruction is now used in a wide range of science and math courses at the college and secondary level. In this 2-3 hour long workshop, participants will learn about Peer Instruction, serve as the "class" in which Peer Instruction is... Read more about Peer Instruction
Confessions of a converted lecturer, at University of Groningen (Groningen, Netherlands), Wednesday, May 9, 2012:
talk_1933.pdf
I thought I was a good teacher until I discovered my students were just memorizing information rather than learning to understand the material. Who was to blame? The students? The material? I will explain how I came to the agonizing conclusion that the culprit was neither of these. It was my teaching that caused students to fail! I will show how I have adjusted my approach to teaching and how it has improved my students' performance significantly
Unlocking the secrets to student success: Real strategies for your classroom, at Second Program on Innovative Teaching and Learning: Chile, LASPAU-Affiliated with Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), Friday, May 4, 2012:
talk_1937.pdf
Improving student success is one of the most pressing issues in higher education across the world. Too often, despite succeeding in secondary classrooms, students are entering college underprepared to engage in the rigors of undergraduate study, which results in a number of consequences for institutions. High drop out, failure, and withdrawal rates limit students’ abilities to take full advantage of their college experience and reach their highest potential. Failing to intervene in the success problem has substantial cost implications for institutions, instructors, and societies within... Read more about Unlocking the secrets to student success: Real strategies for your classroom
Rethinking student learning evaluation in higher education, at Second Program on Innovative Teaching and Learning: Chile, LASPAU-Affiliated with Harvard University (Cambridge, MA, USA), Wednesday, May 2, 2012:
talk_1938.pdf
Open the doors to any classroom across the globe and you will observe an almost universal model for the evaluation of student learning. Instructors stand at the front of a lecture hall, teach content, students (at least we hope) attempt to learn that content, and then instructors evaluate that content learning through traditional assessments such as multiple-choice exams, quizzes, or research papers. Most of these conventional approaches to evaluation are one-dimensional and not aligned with overarching learning goals that relate to competencies students actually need to progress successfully... Read more about Rethinking student learning evaluation in higher education
 Liderando la Innovación en la Educación Superior en la República Dominicana: The Cycle of Innovation in The Dominican Republic, at Encuentro para la mejora e innovación en la enseñanza en República Dominicana (Santo Domingo, República Dominicana), Tuesday, April 17, 2012:
talk_1926.pdf
In this workshop, we demonstrate the cycle of innovation for teaching and learning improvement in Dominican higher education, resulting from a year-long initiative sponsored by Ministerio de Educación Superior, Ciencia y Tecnología (MESCYT) y la Fundación INICIA.

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