By Rich Fisher
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kwgs/local-kwgs-985390.mp3
Tulsa, OK – (Note: This interview originally aired earlier this year.) On today's ST, an interesting conversation with Eric Mazur, the Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard University. In addition to being one of the world's leading physicists, Mazur is also known for creating and popularizing a decidedly Socratic teaching strategy known as "peer instruction." (Indeed, Mazur published a book in the late 1990s called "Peer Instruction: A User's Manual.") As he explains, peer instruction is about getting students to understand and discuss concepts --- rather than simply to memorize them. It all comes down to encouraging students to ask "Why?" as often as possible.