Active Engagement Works: "Improved Learning in a Large-Enrollment Physics Class" : Uncertain Principles

Active Engagement Works: "Improved Learning in a Large-Enrollment Physics Class" : Uncertain Principles: So, they showed that there are better methods than the traditional lecture. Haven't we known that for decades? How does that get into Science? Well, this is an exceptionally clean test, with all the sorts of controls you would want for good science. They took two sections of a huge introductory class, about 270 students each, and for a one-week period, they had one section taught by the regular professor (a highly regarded lecturer) and one section taught by a post-doc trained in a new teaching method. They covered the same material, using many of the same in-class examples and "clicker" questions, and at the end of the week gave both sections a short exam on the material just covered.

And the results were impressive? Very. The students from the experimental section got an average score of 74% on the test, compared to 41% for the control section.