Scientifically Thinking…

Originally posted in my first blog 5-24-06 

Physics: I don’t post “lecture notes” on the class web site… Not only do I not often “lecture,” but when I do, it’s a flexible, feedback-driven collection of examples, models, illustrations (and the occasional definition). Preparing for exams, I’m reminded again of how little reflection, reorganizing, questioning, connecting students do with “notes.” In fact, that’s the reason I started facilitating in-class “review” sessions — to teach them how to “study” for a test by making mind maps/connecting notes to their own existing mental structures & understandings. 

So I question: have a student enter notes in a class wiki vs. on paper? (rotate role?) Encourage student participation & peer discourse in connecting concepts from all the non-lecture activities (& links to relevant reference sites)? NOT a blog — not centered on one person’s interpretation of the notes (though students could keep notes in blogs, but it’s still not a user-friendly environment for all the quick sketches, diagrams, graphs)… Our class “study” sessions generate amazing conversation as we argue over the relative importance of ideas in a unit & how they all relate… Start with the face-to-face to model the kinds of conversation & feedback, but gradually back off the classtime offered…

If we take this just a little further, I post assignments (or links to them) then the students & I are constructing the online course as the year progresses…