As shown by Alan van Heuvelen, we know that interaction among students during lecture is possible and beneficial. We also know from Jim Minstrell that students build associations that are extremely context dependent. These associations are not necessarily wrong, but situations that an expert might view as similar, students might not. Using Extended Scenario, we attempt to take advantage of these results to accomplish specific constructivist educational objectives. The course enrollment is approximately 30 per year.
Homework is assigned weekly, and exams are given twice during each semester and once at the end.
Lectures are not lectures in the traditional sense. The entire class time is spent discussing questions posed using the Classtalk system. The system displays a particular question, and students are given a few minutes to discuss it with their neighbors. Sometimes the class is asked to predict what the histogram will look like. Then the histogram is shown, and the next question is asked.