5 ms·

Flip the classroom, make students learn the material on their own (Using AI or whatever resources they want to use) and then in-classroom time is divided on wor

Flip the classroom, make students learn the material on their own (Using AI or whatever resources they want to use) and then in-classroom time is divided on working on problems (without AI assistance which can be controlled in this environment) and quizzes/exams (again without AI). We don't need lectures anymore, they are an incredibly ineffective way to learn.

theamk 4mo ago
I had some "reverse classroom" classes back in college, and it was the best kind of class for me. Read the papers on your own time before class, and spend class discussing and in tests. It did, however, absolutely require everyone to prepare for every class. Some people complained a lot about this, which might be why this was not as popular as more common lectures.
- kajman 4mo ago
  I worry the sort of core classes that are in massive lecture halls (and everyone remembers hating) would be more of a "blind leading the blind" situation if run like this. Maybe not with lavish funding and small classes. I had a couple classes like you describe, but they were on specific topics I was very interested in near the end of my undergrad program.
libraryU 4mo ago
I had a chat with my state legislators to streamline education; shift all public school and university funding to libraries staffed by SMEs Mandate N hours year of and guided group work for under 18s Mandate N hours for becoming an SME for roles that require such Break the pipeline from the factory era of linearly pumping out kids who are just smart enough to run the machines
- idiotsecant 4mo ago
  Guided group work? Have you ever learned anything in a group project other than how lazy half of your group is? Just because an idea is different doesn't mean it's good
mmarian 4mo ago
Yep. I've been using AI to teach myself system design and it's been a god send. Was struggling with other courses because I couldn't have it tailored to what I wanted.
gchallen 4mo ago
Lectures have been an incredibly ineffective way to learn forever. Faculty continue to lecture, and we continue to build lecture-style classrooms, further enshrining this poor approach. Active learning works, and yet both faculty and students dislike it. Faculty like to talk and pretend they're teaching, and students like to listen and pretend they're learning. All to say—I wish it was this easy to change the academy. But it's not.
- aunty_helen 4mo ago
  15 years later I can still remember parts of my lectures that were interesting. The only thing I remember about studying is those now banned little energy drink shots.
  - the_mar 4mo ago
    they banned energy shot drinks?!
    - aunty_helen 4mo ago
      Not sure about state side. But it my country they started enforcing the 32mg/100ml caffeine limit. Which was an effective ban.
- senshan 4mo ago
  > Lectures have been an incredibly ineffective way to learn forever. Mainly due to shortage of very good lecturers, no? I can not see a better way to cultivate the professional pride than to attend lectures of truly remarkable professors. The style, the manner, the attitude go much beyond the dry proofs. I'm an applied math major.
  - gchallen 4mo ago
    You're describing your response to a performance, not to a learning opportunity. Is it fun to watch a great performer? Sure. Is that an effective way to learn? No. Does lecturing have a place in disseminating ideas? Sure. I love that scene from Oppenheimer when he attends Heisenberg's lecture, being exposed to cutting edge ideas directly from the mouth of a truly remarkable professor. Watching that gave me a better appreciation of lecturing's original purpose and historical importance. But that's very different from teaching well-understood concepts and skills.
FloorEgg 4mo ago
You are right and this is the way, it's just a lot easier said than done, especially the quizzes/exams part. There is a tension between: - authentic assessments (not multiple choice/ - grading resources - computer lab availability - students using AI in very discreet ways on their own laptop when taking an in-person exam So overall you are on point, it's just really hard to do honest authentic assessment at scale right now (in person or otherwise). I see a potential for it to get much better, or much worse... Hard to tell which way it will go right now.

theamk 4mo ago

I had some "reverse classroom" classes back in college, and it was the best kind of class for me. Read the papers on your own time before class, and spend class discussing and in tests. It did, however, absolutely require everyone to prepare for every class. Some people complained a lot about this, which might be why this was not as popular as more common lectures.

kajman 4mo ago
I worry the sort of core classes that are in massive lecture halls (and everyone remembers hating) would be more of a "blind leading the blind" situation if run like this. Maybe not with lavish funding and small classes. I had a couple classes like you describe, but they were on specific topics I was very interested in near the end of my undergrad program.

libraryU 4mo ago

I had a chat with my state legislators to streamline education; shift all public school and university funding to libraries staffed by SMEs Mandate N hours year of and guided group work for under 18s Mandate N hours for becoming an SME for roles that require such Break the pipeline from the factory era of linearly pumping out kids who are just smart enough to run the machines

idiotsecant 4mo ago
Guided group work? Have you ever learned anything in a group project other than how lazy half of your group is? Just because an idea is different doesn't mean it's good

mmarian 4mo ago

Yep. I've been using AI to teach myself system design and it's been a god send. Was struggling with other courses because I couldn't have it tailored to what I wanted.

gchallen 4mo ago

Lectures have been an incredibly ineffective way to learn forever. Faculty continue to lecture, and we continue to build lecture-style classrooms, further enshrining this poor approach. Active learning works, and yet both faculty and students dislike it. Faculty like to talk and pretend they're teaching, and students like to listen and pretend they're learning. All to say—I wish it was this easy to change the academy. But it's not.

aunty_helen 4mo ago
15 years later I can still remember parts of my lectures that were interesting. The only thing I remember about studying is those now banned little energy drink shots.
- the_mar 4mo ago
  they banned energy shot drinks?!
  - aunty_helen 4mo ago
    Not sure about state side. But it my country they started enforcing the 32mg/100ml caffeine limit. Which was an effective ban.
senshan 4mo ago
> Lectures have been an incredibly ineffective way to learn forever. Mainly due to shortage of very good lecturers, no? I can not see a better way to cultivate the professional pride than to attend lectures of truly remarkable professors. The style, the manner, the attitude go much beyond the dry proofs. I'm an applied math major.
- gchallen 4mo ago
  You're describing your response to a performance, not to a learning opportunity. Is it fun to watch a great performer? Sure. Is that an effective way to learn? No. Does lecturing have a place in disseminating ideas? Sure. I love that scene from Oppenheimer when he attends Heisenberg's lecture, being exposed to cutting edge ideas directly from the mouth of a truly remarkable professor. Watching that gave me a better appreciation of lecturing's original purpose and historical importance. But that's very different from teaching well-understood concepts and skills.

FloorEgg 4mo ago

You are right and this is the way, it's just a lot easier said than done, especially the quizzes/exams part. There is a tension between: - authentic assessments (not multiple choice/ - grading resources - computer lab availability - students using AI in very discreet ways on their own laptop when taking an in-person exam So overall you are on point, it's just really hard to do honest authentic assessment at scale right now (in person or otherwise). I see a potential for it to get much better, or much worse... Hard to tell which way it will go right now.