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Susan Dobra accidently sent this to me rather than to the list so here it is for the rest of you. Rob Irish ******************************************* > i would say that in any discipline--literature or composition or > thermodynamics--there are concepts to be mastered. the question is, how do > we facilitate this mastery? explaining the concepts in lecture format--what > george hillocks calls the "presentational" mode of instruction--is one way. > peer group activity and structured, interactive problem-solving--hillocks' > "environmental" mode--is another. hillocks' research on written composition > found the latter to be over 4 times as effective in pre- to post-test mastery > as the former--for composition. i don't know if there's any research about > this for other disciplines. > > the "straw" nature of strictly presentational lectures is worth noting, but > even in its more enlightened forms, "lecture" is still largely defined as the > teacher doing most of the talking, with a small percentage of the braver > students (less likely women and people of color, according to the research) > speaking up from time to time to ask questions and discuss points. it's fine > to redefine "lecture" among ourselves, but let's be clear that among most of > our colleagues across the disciplines who are not privy to our current > conversations, the word carries a lot of traditional baggage. i would suggest > using a different word to define the kinds of interactive, large-group > strategies that have been brought out in this discussion. > > a "quick tap of the chisel" is surely necessary from time to time, even in > the most interactive classroom. but the "sculpting" metaphor is ultimately > opposed to social constructionist pedagogies, no? the "clear reading" we > present to our students all too easily becomes, in their minds, the WAY IT > IS--set in stone, so to speak, apart from any participation of theirs. > --susan dobra >