Teaching Complex Ideas

Part of the educational process is learning how to deal with complexity. These faculty members address complex ideas in their courses and talk about their approaches to doing so.

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History 137: Teaching Complex Ideas - Power (MP4 Video 9.8MB Jul28 17) (5:34 min)
Bill talks about the need to treat complex material in a way that does not oversimplify it. This involves the use of multiple examples and counter-examples.

History 161: Teaching Complex Ideas (MP4 Video 34.1MB Jul28 17) (4:03 min)
Parna talks about using specific, concrete examples, particularly visual ones, to teach about major concepts in colonialism in particular and the history of ideas in general.

Physics 131: Keeping it Simple (MP4 Video 6.3MB Jul31 17) (2:27 min)
To minimize confusion Arjendu advocates beginning with simple concepts and terms before moving on to greater complexity and the need for iteration in the learning process.