Examination of Witnesses (Questions 177
- 179)
TUESDAY 19 MARCH 2002
JOEL BROWN,
LEXI BOYCE,
MARK TOWERS,
SAM FORD
AND KARL
STRINGER
Chairman
177. I am going to take you round this course.
You have been looking at a range of activities, looking at how
the teaching of science can be brought about. Have you some views
on that? Who is going to report? Have you one spokesperson or
are you all going to jump in? There are lots of ways to do it—practicals,
videos. What have you been looking at and what have you found
out?
(Sam Ford) We asked the question in the internet survey.
We gave people a list of teaching methods and asked them which
they found most effective and then we see what that person found
enjoyable and contrast it, so the most enjoyable methods were
least effective and vice versa in teaching science. There has
got to be a compromise somewhere between getting more science
applications at a lesser depth, the inevitable thing, or the other
way round.
178. Okay. What else did you find out about
the different types of teaching methods that could be used? There
are lots of ways you learn science, taking notes, and so on. What
is the best way in your opinion and why?
(Sam Ford) People said the most effective was having
debate in class about a topic and the second most effective way
was to take notes from the teacher.
179. Taking notes from the teacher as the teacher
spoke?
(Sam Ford) Yes, the debate was enjoyed but the rest
was not. Again that is a conflict between the two.
| 
