Inductive Teaching

“To state a theorem and then to show examples of it is literally to teach backwards.”

– E. Kim Nebeuts

Scientific discovery is inductive

• In the history of science and technology, theory often comes after the observation. Oftentimes, mis-concepts form earlier than the correct concepts.
• Example: before Nobel Laureate Dan Shechtman, many others (including another famous Nobel Laureate before Shechtman) did not think quasicrystalline materials existed
  

Traditional instruction

New inductive teaching

How learning works:

• Students come to the classroom with preconceptions about how the world works.
• If their initial understanding is not engaged, they may fail to grasp the new concepts and information that are taught.
• Or they may learn them for purposes of a test but revert to their preconceptions outside the classroom.
  Reference: National Research Council. 2000. How People Learn, The National Academies Press.

The Good, Bad & Ugly

• Good: facts can strengthen the correct concepts, adding to previous conception
• Bad: Wrong conceptions are surprisingly common
• Ugly: Misconceptions can easily outlive your lecture if students not engaged

• How to uncover misconceptions?
• How to repair if teaching by telling does not work
• Technical and attitude issues

Activities:

• Do not reveal the answer, post the questions first
• Give students time to work on the problem before giving out the answer
• Let them work in groups and check with each other
• For abstract concepts, think of a simple demo or explanation that students can relate to
• Choose counter-intuitive questions

• Dismiss the idea – this will not work, it is a waste of time
• Too much preparation time
• Not enough time left to cover the content

Reference: Laws, P., Sokoloff, D., & Thornton, R. (1999). “Promoting Active Learning Using the Results of Physics Education Research.” UniServe Science News.