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our goal is to teach so the students will understand, then our instructional strategy should be designed in such a way that this goal can be realized.

What the existing literature say

The question is: How do we improve on the traditional lecture method?
Researches in physics education had shown that teaching by telling is an ineffective mode of instruction for most physics students. Furthermore, these researches (Felder, 2000; Hake 1998, Mazur, 2001; Zollman 1996; McDermott, 1991) suggest that for teaching to be effective, students must be actively involved in their learning which is not being achieved through the traditional lecture method of teaching.

In making students more actively involved in large lecture classes, Thorton and Sokoloff (1996) proposes the use of Interactive Lecture Demonstration. The following are the sequence of activities done in the interactive lecture demonstration (ILD) class:

1.The class basically starts with the instructor describing a demonstration. The demonstration is done for the class without microcomputer-base laboratory (MBL) measurements.

2.Students are provided with prediction sheets for the particular demonstration described by the instructor. They are also required to write down their name on this sheet. However, they are assured that these predictions will not be graded, although credit will be awarded for attendance at the ILD sessions.

3.After writing their individual predictions, students then engage in small-group discussion with their one or two nearest neighbors. They brainstorm about the situation and may change their prior predictions.

4.Students record their final predictions in the Prediction Sheet

5.Instructor elicits common student prediction from the whole class.

6.Instructor carries out demonstration with MBL measurements suitable displayed using multiple monitors, LCD, panel or computer projector.

7.Selected students describe the results and discuss them in the context of the demonstration. Instructor discusses analogous physical situations with different “surface” features- that is, different physical situations based on the same concepts.

Another instructional strategy that has been conceptualized to improve physics teaching is Mazur’s Peer Instruction (PI). Peer instruction involves students in their own learning during lecture and focuses their attention on underlying concepts. Lectures are interspersed with conceptual questions called Concept Tests. These tests are designed to expose common difficulties in understanding the material.

This strategy modifies the traditional lecture format to include questions designed to engage students and uncover difficulties with the material. The strategy is implemented in the following manner:

•Before coming to class, students are required to read the topics that will be discussed. In place of reading quizzes and short summaries, students are required to answer a three-question web-based assignment due before each class. All three questions are free response. The first two probe difficult aspects of the assigned reading and the third asks, “What did you find difficult or confusing about the reading? If nothing was difficult or confusing, tell us what you foun