DJ Prof: Mixing instructional modes to improve student learning

Abstract

Active learning encompasses a broad variety of activities designed to engage students with material while instructors are present to answer questions. In contrast, traditional lecture instruction is passive, and students' initial interaction with material is relegated to homework, which is often completed alone. Freeman et al.'s meta-analysis of 225 studies comparing lecture and active learning concluded that active learning is the "preferred empirically validated teaching practice" and showed that active learning courses have significantly lower failure rates than lecture courses [PNAS, 2014]. Incorporating proven active learning techniques into acoustics courses will improve student learning. In Acoustics Today [2016], John Buck, Jill Nelson, and I compared the professor in an active learning course to a DJ mixing different modes of instruction. DJ Prof designs a student-centered environment combining collaborative in-class exercises, short lecture segments, online video examples, and reading assignments. If you're an active learning skeptic, this talk will highlight empirical evidence of its benefits. If you're interested in getting started with active learning, this talk will suggest easy exercises to try. If you're an experienced DJ Prof, this talk will provide examples to amp up your pedagogical playlist.