This post really resonated with me, and I am glad to share it on my own Physics Education blog along with a few comments of mine. I started following a similar approach back when I was a teaching assistant for various physics, mathematics and computer science courses during my undergraduate and graduate studies, and to this day I am strongly convinced that this is a great way to enhance the students' learning experience. Personally, I think that this approach is applicable both for large enrollment courses (such as Dr. Toggerson's 600-student lecture) and smaller classes.
This blog is a platform for discussions on physics teaching in higher education. What are effective teaching strategies and creative ways to arouse students' enthusiasm for physics? A special focus lies on condensed matter physics and materials science. Most of the content is based on my personal experience, but I also try to offer a broader perspective of physics teaching.
Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Post-lecture emails to students
Monday, November 13, 2023
"Any questions? No? Great, let's move on." -- Wait time and awkward silence in the classroom
I have no doubt that every educator is familiar with the following situation:
"Are there any questions?"
"What is a harmonic oscillator?"
"What is the difference between a metal and an insulator?"
etc.
We ask an (open-ended) question to engage our students and start looking around at their faces in the lecture hall or classroom. Most students seem to look down at their desk or simply stare into space. After what feels like eternity, we decide to break the awkward silence and answer the question ourselves -- or, in the case of the "Are there any questions?"-question, we would say something along the line of "No? Great, let's move on to the next chapter."
Some reflections on peer review
Peer review is a fundamental pillar of the dissemination and validation of scientific knowledge. A considerable portion of this process oper...
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This is a slightly modified version of an article that has appeared in the most recent Newsletter (September 2023 issue) of the IEEE Magnet...
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Over the course of this semester, I am taking over the advanced physics lab course at our Institute of Physics at Goethe University Frankfur...
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A few days ago, I came across the following blog post by Dr. Brokk Toggerson, a physics lecturer from the University of Massachusetts, Amher...