The scientific approach to teaching: Research as a basis for course design
Eric Mazur
Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Area Dean of Applied Physics Harvard University
Abstract
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