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2012

Serendipity and the quest for new materials, at 9th Science and Technology in Society Forum (Kyoto, Japan), Monday, October 8, 2012:
talk_2019.pdf
Throughout history, the development of new materials and serendipity have been tightly interwoven. I will illustrate the need for exploration and risk-taking with two anecdotes
Peer Instruction: Engaging Students in the Classroom, at MECESUP Program on Innovative Teaching and Learning, Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), Wednesday, October 3, 2012:
talk_1999.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: Engaging Students in the Classroom
Flipping the STEM class: giving students ownership of their learning, at LASPAU Webinar, Harvard Universtiy (Cambridge, MA), Tuesday, October 2, 2012:
talk_2000.pdf
In this webinar I will discuss how I have "flipped" my introductory science class -- moving what is done in a traditional lecture class outside class, and moving the practice that is usually done by the students outside class into the classroom. In order to give students ownership of their learning I have combined a number of research-proven techniques in the classroom and have replaced most summative assessment by formative assessment.
Promoting ownership of learning with authentic assessment, at Allen ISD/November Learning Webinar, Harvard Universtiy (Cambridge, MA), Tuesday, October 2, 2012:
talk_2013.pdf
In this webinar I will discuss how I have "flipped" my introductory science class -- moving what is done in a traditional lecture class outside class, and moving the practice that is usually done by the students outside class into the classroom. In order to give students ownership of their learning I have combined a number of research-proven techniques in the classroom and have replaced most summative assessment by formative assessment.
Rethinking Student Learning Evaluation in Higher Education, at Program on Innovative Teaching: Chile, LASPAU-Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), Tuesday, October 2, 2012:
talk_2015.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
Flipping your syllabus from teacher to student centeredness, at Program on Innovative Teaching: Chile, LASPAU-Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The syllabus is the blueprint for learning in higher education; it narrates the story of the larger learning experiences instructors and students should expect to encounter as they navigate the terrains of a course. It also represents the "logic" or "theory" of a course: If instructors and students use the syllabus as a guide, engage seriously in the content and activities laid out, then learning experiences should occur. Innovative syllabi bring together and make clear instructors' expectations for student learning (Learning Goals), the evidence and performance tasks (Evaluation Plans)... Read more about Flipping your syllabus from teacher to student centeredness
Peer Instruction, at Turning Technologies Learning Forum, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH), Friday, September 28, 2012:
talk_1998.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 Learning Forum, Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH), Friday, September 28, 2012:
talk_2005.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
Flip the classroom and catalyze the learning, at EDUCAUSE webcast (Cambridge, MA), Thursday, September 27, 2012:
talk_1997.pdf
Thanks to the availability of web based lectures and information sources, the "flipped classroom" model is becoming increasingly popular. Students watch lectures at home at their own pace, leaving classroom time for learning activities. A lot of effort has gone into the out-of-class component, leaving the harder part -- the in-class component -- to the instructor. Over the past 20 years, instructors world-wide have begun to adopt Peer Instruction to get students to think in class. With the advent of new technology the process can be significantly improved. A new data-analytics driven audience... Read more about Flip the classroom and catalyze the learning
The scientific approach to teaching: Research as a basis for course design, at Department of Physics and Astronomy Seminar, Youngstown State University (Youngstown, OH), Thursday, September 27, 2012:
talk_2003.pdf
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.

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