I have successfully implemented a number of methods for actively engaging the students and getting them to observe, think, and interact with their peers, in spite of the large class size and a large classroom designed for a lecture-style format. I believe that such teaching methods have huge advantages over the lecture-only format, especially in classes with diverse student populations and students with many different learning skills and strategies. As my teaching evaluations attest, students respond eagerly to this approach. They should leave college with an appreciation for science and an openness and enthusiasm for continued learning. In my classes, I follow a Less is More approach, where I cover fewer key concepts in greater detail, in order to more effectively teach thinking processes and convey how science actually works.
Most students look forward to coming to class because it is fun, stimulating, and engaging.
My classes encourage natural curiosity, questioning, and free exploration of alternative ideas. This process lets them remain curious, pose questions, suggest alternative explanations, and devise possible tests and predictions. A discussion of these student-derived questions and explanations lets me introduce terms and concepts only after the students actually have the need for them. Also, the students will then have a personal framework into which they can attach their new knowledge. If you ask industry representatives what is the most important skill that our students need to improve, it is writing.