Comments on: Switching http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/ Sun, 06 Jul 2008 05:36:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Lecture One - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-104670 Lecture One - Asymptotia Wed, 16 Jan 2008 02:00:10 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-104670 [...] So it is that time. A new semester is upon me, and a totally new course to deliver. Today was my first day back on campus after the break (at least during a regular working day). [...] [...] So it is that time. A new semester is upon me, and a totally new course to deliver. Today was my first day back on campus after the break (at least during a regular working day). [...]

]]> By: Finally - Asymptotia http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-98900 Finally - Asymptotia Thu, 20 Dec 2007 03:11:59 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-98900 [...] Well, it’s been a crazy week here in my corner of the universe. I’m still trying to find the time to break off from several things in order to update you on things from last week and the week before. Meanwhile, new things have this way of happening anyway, and sometimes I’d like to mention them too. So it is with teaching matters. Two Fridays ago was the last lecture of my electricity and magnetism class. We’d done magnetization, they’d waded through another couple of class worksheets I prepared for them on the topic, we’d remarked upon similarities and differences with respect to polarization in the electric case, and with a few hints about what phenomena were to come when they do electrodynamics (the second part of the course - we’d strictly been dealing with statics) a feeling of some sadness came over me as I said the last words of the class. I’d liked this group. They got it. I was going to take them out of their comfort zone and get them to work a bit harder and stretch themselves a bit harder, and the benefits (I hope) became apparent to them when they could see further, run faster, and jump higher (with respect to their abilities as physicists, I mean). (See some earlier thoughts on that here, as I prepared to start teaching the class.) They responded well by not whining about the extra effort required, but instead rolling up their sleeves and having a go, with good humour, a good sense of camaraderie, and remaining reasonably engaged and interactive right down to the very last lecture. They got it. I love it when that happens. [...] [...] Well, it’s been a crazy week here in my corner of the universe. I’m still trying to find the time to break off from several things in order to update you on things from last week and the week before. Meanwhile, new things have this way of happening anyway, and sometimes I’d like to mention them too. So it is with teaching matters. Two Fridays ago was the last lecture of my electricity and magnetism class. We’d done magnetization, they’d waded through another couple of class worksheets I prepared for them on the topic, we’d remarked upon similarities and differences with respect to polarization in the electric case, and with a few hints about what phenomena were to come when they do electrodynamics (the second part of the course - we’d strictly been dealing with statics) a feeling of some sadness came over me as I said the last words of the class. I’d liked this group. They got it. I was going to take them out of their comfort zone and get them to work a bit harder and stretch themselves a bit harder, and the benefits (I hope) became apparent to them when they could see further, run faster, and jump higher (with respect to their abilities as physicists, I mean). (See some earlier thoughts on that here, as I prepared to start teaching the class.) They responded well by not whining about the extra effort required, but instead rolling up their sleeves and having a go, with good humour, a good sense of camaraderie, and remaining reasonably engaged and interactive right down to the very last lecture. They got it. I love it when that happens. [...]

]]> By: Chris Tunnell http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74356 Chris Tunnell Mon, 27 Aug 2007 20:13:53 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74356 So the solution? 5 times a week :) So the solution? 5 times a week :)

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74355 Clifford Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:54:56 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74355 Usually I give a five minute break to allow everyone to walk around a bit although sometimes I do forget and probably have at times run a not so good 1 hour and 50 minutes.... but at other times I think it has worked very well. It is also an issue of who the lecturer is, and what the material is.... In a more advanced class, trying to show some topics or a development of a proof or argument in depth can suffer from not having enough time to smell the roses all in deep inhale, as opposed to little shallow sniffs three times a week.... -cvj Usually I give a five minute break to allow everyone to walk around a bit although sometimes I do forget and probably have at times run a not so good 1 hour and 50 minutes…. but at other times I think it has worked very well. It is also an issue of who the lecturer is, and what the material is…. In a more advanced class, trying to show some topics or a development of a proof or argument in depth can suffer from not having enough time to smell the roses all in deep inhale, as opposed to little shallow sniffs three times a week….

-cvj

]]> By: Chris Tunnell http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74353 Chris Tunnell Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:51:00 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74353 Well, if you teach more interactively, then I can see why it would be useful. I think I'm more talking about the case where it's a painful monotonous lecture and the one thrill of it is that an hour is less than an hour and a half. Though I do thing in hyper-interactive classes where the students are willing to put in a lot of work, the extra class a week allows for the instructor to correct the students three times a week when they get stuck instead of two. I can see where you're coming from though. I guess it's just a style and preference thing, but personally I find that there is an exponential increase in the amount of effort that's required to keep my attention for long periods of time (I do fresh-air breaks while working). Well, if you teach more interactively, then I can see why it would be useful. I think I’m more talking about the case where it’s a painful monotonous lecture and the one thrill of it is that an hour is less than an hour and a half. Though I do thing in hyper-interactive classes where the students are willing to put in a lot of work, the extra class a week allows for the instructor to correct the students three times a week when they get stuck instead of two.

I can see where you’re coming from though. I guess it’s just a style and preference thing, but personally I find that there is an exponential increase in the amount of effort that’s required to keep my attention for long periods of time (I do fresh-air breaks while working).

]]> By: Clifford http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74349 Clifford Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:28:01 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74349 Hi, Thanks! I've had other students disagree on this point. i think it depends upon whether it is a long solid class for two hours or whether it is broken up in some way. I think the longer session allows one to run a more interactive class, which ultimately can be more useful. Too much interaction in a 50 minute class leaves one with not much time for introducing material, and so a lot of lecturers can be tempted to end up sprinting too much (and I've done it too). It's a delicate balance... It's good to hear other opinions, so thanks. -cvj Hi,

Thanks!

I’ve had other students disagree on this point. i think it depends upon whether it is a long solid class for two hours or whether it is broken up in some way. I think the longer session allows one to run a more interactive class, which ultimately can be more useful. Too much interaction in a 50 minute class leaves one with not much time for introducing material, and so a lot of lecturers can be tempted to end up sprinting too much (and I’ve done it too).

It’s a delicate balance… It’s good to hear other opinions, so thanks.

-cvj

]]> By: Chris Tunnell http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74347 Chris Tunnell Mon, 27 Aug 2007 19:21:31 +0000 http://asymptotia.com/2007/08/27/switching/#comment-74347 I understand the desire to have Tuesday/Thursday classes in order to free up one's schedule, but it's harder to learn that way. I don't think I'm alone when I say that an hour and a half is a long time to follow a continuous story. One runs into the same problems that I find at big physics meetings, which is it's hard to focus on each and every talk, and once you get lost you have to wait for the next talk to "recalibrate". I have always enjoyed having more time in between lectures because it reduces the damage of getting lost (not the type of lost a single question can answer). Summary: Tuesday/Thursday lectures sound better for the professor, but not the student. I understand the desire to have Tuesday/Thursday classes in order to free up one’s schedule, but it’s harder to learn that way. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that an hour and a half is a long time to follow a continuous story. One runs into the same problems that I find at big physics meetings, which is it’s hard to focus on each and every talk, and once you get lost you have to wait for the next talk to “recalibrate”.

I have always enjoyed having more time in between lectures because it reduces the damage of getting lost (not the type of lost a single question can answer).

Summary: Tuesday/Thursday lectures sound better for the professor, but not the student.

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