Society for College Science Teachers: Teach for Understanding Before the Details Get in the Way

by: Thomas Lord

Several studies (Bruner 1996; Wiggins and McTighe 1998) have revealed that the teaching methods in college science classrooms often encourage students to memorize rather than comprehend. Too often, precious teaching time is spent going over details, diagrams, and definitions, or performing cookbook lab exercises. Rarely are students asked to apply information being taught to different situations, to give examples of items in the lesson outside the book’s listings, or to develop their own investigative activities in the lab. Comprehension involves more than knowing the facts and details. True knowledge involves reflection, prediction, interpretation, explanation, justification, and verification. College students should understand the whys and hows behind what they know.

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Type Journal ArticlePub Date 5/1/2007Stock # jcst07_036_06_70Volume 036Issue 06

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