The physics department at the Massachusetts Institute of Technolkogy has replaced large introductory lectures with smaller classes that emphasize hands-on, interactive, collaborative learning. Attendance is up and the failure rate has dropped by more than 50 percent.
Also, students taking the two introductory courses in classical mechanics and electromagnetism meet in high-tech classrooms, where about 80 students sit at 13 round tables equipped with networked computers....
