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Explaining things to people without insulting their intelligence

Started by xSilverPhinx, August 15, 2018, 01:39:25 PM

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xSilverPhinx

So, as some of you know, I am going to teach a few classes this semester to undergraduates (I whined quite a bit about it elsewhere :P). Yesterday I watched a lecture and saw that the students' knowledge is rather basic. Like, fresh out of High School basic. It's to be expected, of course, they are freshmen students after all, but it got me thinking: how am I going to explain concepts to them without going too slow? Or worse, make them seel like I think they're stupid?

I get that within a class there are people who are quicker to learn than others. There are also those less ignorant than others. So what do you do in such a situation?     
Maybe I shouldn't be struggling with this, but these thoughts kept me up for a good portion of the night.
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


jumbojak

You'll likely know if they're getting it. I can usually tell. Usually  anyway... I've trained a few people over the years who fooled me but it's rare. Just don't make a big deal if you do have to slow things down. Like, don't say you're slowing down, just do it and find your pace.

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

hermes2015

It happens to me very often, that when I give a talk that I think is so basic that I'm insulting the intelligence of the attendees, I get an excellent response. Many will come to me afterwards and tell me how much they enjoyed the lecture and how much they learned. So I don't think you need to worry.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

Dave

Possibly, even with just-out-of-school you will get a spread from knowledgeable nerds to "sounds sexy, I'll try that" types.

Would it be possible to start, after your intro, with something like, "We are new to each other. Some of you may thing that I am going to slowly and simply, please be patient. Some may have trouble keeping up, please let me know if that is the case. We will find a happy medium!"

Then try to guage the ratio.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: jumbojak on August 15, 2018, 01:49:06 PM
You'll likely know if they're getting it. I can usually tell. Usually  anyway... I've trained a few people over the years who fooled me but it's rare. Just don't make a big deal if you do have to slow things down. Like, don't say you're slowing down, just do it and find your pace.

Quote from: hermes2015 on August 15, 2018, 02:04:59 PM
It happens to me very often, that when I give a talk that I think is so basic that I'm insulting the intelligence of the attendees, I get an excellent response. Many will come to me afterwards and tell me how much they enjoyed the lecture and how much they learned. So I don't think you need to worry.

Quote from: Dave on August 15, 2018, 02:16:48 PM
Possibly, even with just-out-of-school you will get a spread from knowledgeable nerds to "sounds sexy, I'll try that" types.

Would it be possible to start, after your intro, with something like, "We are new to each other. Some of you may thing that I am going to slowly and simply, please be patient. Some may have trouble keeping up, please let me know if that is the case. We will find a happy medium!"

Then try to guage the ratio.


:thumbsup:

I'm really insecure about these things. The last thing I want is to appear arrogant, as it can be so off-putting.

For instance, one topic I'm going to have to explain is the hydrophobic effect, which is just a fancy way of saying that fat does not dissolve in polar liquids such as water, and so fat molecules jumble together to avoid as much contact with water molecules as possible. This effect is the main reason why amphipathic molecules  (fat molecules with a hydrophilic part and a hydrophobic part), which are the main constituents of cell membranes, are organised the way they are.

I could maybe before going into that, ask the class how they think cell membranes are organised and what keeps their components together? :notsure:

I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


hermes2015

Perhaps a good start is to ask the class why rinsing one's hands in pure water does not remove oil and grease very well, but soap and detergents work very well. Go around the class and ask for ideas. That will then naturally introduce concepts like polarity, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophilicity, as well as why some molecules are more polar than others. After that, progress to a discussion of how these things work at the cellular level.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

xSilverPhinx

:notes: That's good, Hermes! Good concrete intro into the subject.
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Dave

Quote from: hermes2015 on August 15, 2018, 02:49:31 PM
Perhaps a good start is to ask the class why rinsing one's hands in pure water does not remove oil and grease very well, but soap and detergents work very well. Go around the class and ask for ideas. That will then naturally introduce concepts like polarity, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophilicity, as well as why some molecules are more polar than others. After that, progress to a discussion of how these things work at the cellular level.

Drawing tadpoles and teaching kids why soap works is one of my favourite explanations!* It's also why soap bubbles are. 

* After the, "You are  made of Star Stuff" one.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

hermes2015

Quote from: Dave on August 15, 2018, 03:30:00 PM
Quote from: hermes2015 on August 15, 2018, 02:49:31 PM
Perhaps a good start is to ask the class why rinsing one's hands in pure water does not remove oil and grease very well, but soap and detergents work very well. Go around the class and ask for ideas. That will then naturally introduce concepts like polarity, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophilicity, as well as why some molecules are more polar than others. After that, progress to a discussion of how these things work at the cellular level.

Drawing tadpoles and teaching kids why soap works is one of my favourite explanations!* It's also why soap bubbles are.

* After the, "You are  made of Star Stuff" one.

One can go even deeper and discuss the order of electronegativities of different atoms and groups in a molecule that distort the electron cloud and cause polarity.
"Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects. The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se."
― Charles Eames

No one

You shouldn't worry. As long as you are not talking down to anyone, you'll be fine.

jumbojak

Quote from: No one on August 16, 2018, 02:51:08 AM
You shouldn't worry. As long as you are not talking down to anyone, you'll be fine.

I don't have a lot of formal teaching experience but through the years I have learned that in rare instances you do need to talk down to students. Some are just far too big for their britches. I went through this several times when tutoring engineering students way back in college and a few more when giving political lectures. Now I'm wondering who were worse, the snot nosed engineers or the intellectual aristocrats I ran with in political circles...?

"Amazing what chimney sweeping can teach us, no? Keep your fire hot and
your flue clean."  - Ecurb Noselrub

"I'd be incensed by your impudence were I not so impressed by your memory." - Siz

No one

There are always going to be exceptions. However, taking some asshat down a few notches isn't necessarily the same as making someone feel small.

Bad Penny II

People shouldn't so forken touchy.
So you get this obvious thing, huf huf impatience.
But you didn't get the three previous obvious things.
Take my advice, don't listen to me.

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Bad Penny II on August 16, 2018, 02:16:30 PM
People shouldn't so forken touchy.
So you get this obvious thing, huf huf impatience.
But you didn't get the three previous obvious things.

I don't get a lot of what's in the realm of obvious...the more I learn the more that becomes obvious to me.
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


xSilverPhinx

I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey