Date: 15 January
Time: 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.
Venue: Técnico Innovation Center powered by Fidelidade
«On January 15, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 11.30 a.m., the Técnico Innovation Center powered by Fidelidade will host the lecture “Confessions of a Converted Lecturer,” given by Eric Mazur, Balkanski Professor of Physics and Applied Physics at Harvard University and one of the world’s most influential figures in pedagogical innovation in higher education.
Initially trained in traditional lecture-based teaching, Eric Mazur became internationally renowned for developing the Peer Instruction method. This active learning approach revolutionised the teaching of physics and other subjects by promoting student participation, conceptual discussions, and deep knowledge construction. As the author or co-author of more than 400 scientific publications, Mazur wrote the influential book “Peer Instruction: A User’s Manual”. His seminal article, “Peer Instruction: Ten Years of Experience and Results,” co-authored with Catherine Crouch in the American Journal of Physics, documents ten years of results that demonstrate significant gains in both conceptual understanding and quantitative problem-solving among students. His work has been adopted by various institutions worldwide and has decisively influenced the way contemporary university teaching is thought about.
At the invitation of the Department of Physics at Instituto Superior Técnico, and on the occasion of the inauguration of the new Physics laboratories at Técnico, in this lecture Mazur will share his personal journey as a teacher and reflect on the limits of the traditional teaching model, discussing how active learning, formative assessment, and student engagement become even more central in a context marked by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. The session will address the challenges and opportunities posed by AI in the classroom, emphasising the irreplaceable role of teachers in promoting critical thinking, conceptual understanding, and intellectual autonomy among students.
The event is aimed at professors, researchers, students, and anyone interested in education, pedagogical innovation, and the future of higher education.
Participation is free of charge, subject to prior registration.»
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