Hi On Fri, 13 May 2005, Richard Hake wrote: > ABSTACT: Assuming that "teaching performance" is gauged by *student > learning* and not *teacher behavior*, I discuss: five INDIRECT and > therefore problematic measures of teaching performance: (1) Reformed > Teaching Observation Protocol (RTOP), (2) Student Evaluations Of > Teaching (SET's), (3) Course Exams or Final Grades, (4) National > Survey Of Student Engagement (NSSE), and (5) Student Assessment Of > Learning Gains" (SALG). These are contrasted with a DIRECT measure of > teaching performance (i.e., student learning) pioneered by physics > education researchers: pre/post testing with valid and consistently > reliable diagnostic tests based on thorough qualitative and > quantitative research by disciplinary experts.
I wonder what physics would look like today if the early scientists followed Richard's advice for research on university teaching? That is, it does not matter what the mechanisms are that intervene between releasing the ball and it contacting the ground. All we need and want to know is how long it took ... end of story. The rest (forces, resistance, ethers, etc) is irrelevant junk. Many who study university teaching (sadly, not all, and for them I have no sympathy) are interested in the intervening processes and the impact of teaching behaviours. As one of numerous examples, how does the degree and clarity of organization in lectures influence the semantic network that students form of the material. To ignore these questions is, I think, not characteristic of scientists in the best sense of the word, and is likely to keep educational and psychological science back in the equivalent of the early days of natural science. Best wishes Jim ============================================================================ James M. Clark (204) 786-9757 Department of Psychology (204) 774-4134 Fax University of Winnipeg 4L05D Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2E9 [EMAIL PROTECTED] CANADA http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~clark ============================================================================ --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected] To unsubscribe send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
