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Hello, VIPErs,
This fall I am scheduled to teach my organometallics course, a junior/senior level textbook/primary lit course. However, it turns out there will only be two students enrolled. My normal method involves small group presentations and discussions of the primary literature, but that isn't going to work. I am certainly not going to lecture to two students. How have you dealt with this situation? I don't want to cancel the class. I have attempted to do private readings on this topic in the past when I couldn't offer the course, and that didn't work very well.
Does anyone have advice or suggestions or warnings of what NOT to try?
Adam
My Inorganic 2 course was three students last fall. I still lectured to some extent, but it was extremely casual. The students knew each other pretty well, so they were much more willing to ask questions. I also had them working on i-pad minis using software that allowed me to project their work on the screen anonymously (yes, they usually figured out whose work we were looking at). But this provided lots of opportunities for discussion especially when we were counting electrons and doing group theory. We did literature discussions as part of class too and they really seemed to like it. Overall, I thought the class was great. It had some formal structure, but was very informal. It’s really up to the students in the class. Threaten them at the start that you can stand there and lecture at them for class, or they can make it a fun interactive experience.
Not sure I have advice for Adam, but I'd love to hear what software/hardward combination you used Chip. Sounds like a really interesting set up. Whose iPads? The department's? --Hilary
I got a small technology grant from Lafayette so the i-pads were 'mine'. I am using software by e-insight. Students can write on a blank page, mark up a slide I am showing in class, etc. I can watch what they are writing in real time (big brother), freeze their ability to write more, jot my own notes that will show up exclusively on their individual screens, and they project them in front of the class. I don't know how skilled I would be doing this with a larger class, but a small class was perfect. At least for a first trial.
The last time I was able to teach my advanced elective in polymer synthesis, there were 4 students (seniors) enrolled. Perhaps this is no longer tiny (nano) but just small (micro)? In any event, I kept the class structured with a textbook and notes. There were some "lectures" which were more like discussions since we were all very comfortable with each other (I had taught 3/4 students in classes earlier in the major) but there were also lots of independent reading of primary literature outside of class (requested by a student!) and then discussions. At the end of the semester, we had individual student presentations.
Unfortunately there was no cool technology like in Chip's class!