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Roettger's Astronomer's Education Notebook
An online notebook for astronomers and space scientists wanting to become involved in science education.

Lecture Mode

Collected notes on improving the lecture-mode class, particularly Introductory Astronomy.

Index:
The Participatory Lecture from Darrel Hoff
Notes from Zeilik
Color Astronomy demo/interactive

The Participatory Lecture from Darrel Hoff

The following is a summary and excerpts from "The Participatory Lecture" by Darrel B. Hoff, JCST, March 1980. (Interpretation, including any mistakes, is mine - E. Roettger)

Assuming you're stuck with a large, lecture-style Introductory Astronomy course, how do you overcome student passivity, and get the students to practice some of the processes of science?

Once or twice a week, have students divide into groups of 3-5, designating a group recorder-reporter. Confront students with a phenomenon, possibly in photographs, slides, graphical information, a film segment, or a demonstration. Give them 10-15 minutes to discuss certain questions (you design the questions to stress one or more aspect of the scientific process), then have them report. Use this to uncover misunderstandings and figure out where to start to amplify the concept.

Hoff noticed animated discussions, more spontaneous questions, better attendance, and increased numbers of students approaching the instructor. He also notes:

1. "Do not attempt to use the approach on extremely esoteric phenomena far removed from the students' experience unless something tangible can be put in their hands."
2. "Emphasize which processes are involved by means of the questions posed, or by an outright listing after the segment is finished."
3. "Do not use the method at every lecture if you still wish to cover all the material for your course; some of it usually will have to be sacrificed."
4. "Value all the answers and responses given. You may be surprised at the level of understanding exhibited by students. 'Obvious' regularities in data, or 'obvious' correlations in phenomena are not that obvious to many students. Therefore, it is tempting to devaluate wrong respnses. This will quickly destroy the rapport necessary to continue the method."

Notes from Zeilik

(This is a placeholder until I find my notes from his poster at the 1995 ASP symposium. It involved collaborative work in lectures, including group grades.)

Color Astronomy demo/interactive

Edna DeVore does an activity where participants use diffraction gratings and colored filters (squares of theatrical gels taped to a card) to look at things at the front of a classroom. It's quite impressive to look at slides of certain astronomical objects (particularly nebulae) through the colored filters. I have the draft of a write up available.

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Created 24 September 1995, last revised 15 June 1997

URL: http://www.nthelp.com/eer/AENlecturestyle.html