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IDA Beam Distinguished Visiting Professor

Eric Mazur

Balkanski Professor of Physics & Applied Physics
Harvard University
http://mazur-www.harvard.edu/

Sponsored by
Center for Teaching and the Department of Physics and Astronomy with ITS-Instructional Services

After teaching optical physics and astronomy at Harvard for a decade, Eric Mazur “came to the agonizing conclusion” that his students were simply memorizing material he presented, rather than learning to understand.

Below are videos of three sessions Mazur conducted while visiting The University of Iowa on September 8 & 9, 2008. The videos show Mazur describing and demonstrating how he now teaches introductory, large-enrollment classes interactively. His entertaining and engaging presentations draw on his personal experience as a renowned educator as well as his research on teaching and learning, particularly verifiable ways to improve science education.