Review of
Challenge
in the Classroom, R. L. Moore VHS tape from the
Mathematical Association of America
Four out of five stars
The pedagogical
tactics known as the Moore method for teaching mathematics is a significant
departure from traditional educational tactics. There is no textbook, in the
first meetings the students are given a list of the basic definitions, axioms
and theorems that they are expected to prove. There are no lectures and the
students are forbidden to discuss the topics outside of class. Students are
also discouraged from outside reading, there are no lectures by the instructor and
the class time is taken up by students presenting their work in progress. Some
of compared it to the classic method of teaching someone swimming, “Sink or
swim.”
This tape
contains a few short snippets of Moore classes, but the bulk consists of Moore
describing and explaining his tactics. He is a slow and deliberative speaker,
so the viewer has to exercise a bit of patience when watching. Given the
tactics used, it is clear that the word challenge in the title refers to the
perspective of the student. One can see how students can either be very
successful or extremely frustrated. Moore specifically mentions giving exams in
his classes, it would be very interesting to have learned more about the nature
of his tests. When there is no text or lectures, what specifically do you put
on the exams?
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