Using Latex in classroom instead of blackboard?

Question

Does anyone find it doable to use Latex in a classroom setup instead of blackboard? I would think it is tempting except for the input speed one can reach. But considering the messiness of chalks, and the handwriting of some professors, using Latex seems really advantages in mathematics and natural science teaching. Obviously materials given in Latex would be much easier to understand, and the clear structure of Latex would make it easier for students to understand the overall structure of lectures. Any comments, critics or ideas? Thanks

Answer 1

I once did something along these lines. The first thing you have to ask yourself is what you want to achieve doing that.

I think that the "clear structure" of LaTeX is not superior to what you can achieve at the blackboard if you use the blackboard well (especially in conjunction with an overhead projector). In other words: If a professor is messy, he will (probably) also write messy/incomprehensible TeX documents or at least should try to improve on his ability to display a clear structure using the blackboard.

For me, the main reason for doing that was that there was no decent blackboard in the room I had been assigned and because of my (terrible) handwriting. But I did not use LaTeX itself, which I think is a bad idea due to the following reasons:

1. Not everyone knows how to read LaTeX, especially not in the first 3 semesters.

2. What so you find easier to understand/reason about quickly (remember that the students have to follow the pace of the lecture), either

\int_{B_1 (0)} \frac{x^{y_{a}}}{\gamma \pi_{a_{3}}^{7}} dx = \frac{\nu^{x_{2}}}{y_{a_\pi}}

or

$$ \int_{B_1 (0)} \frac{x^{y_{a}}}{\gamma \pi_{a_{3}}^{7}} dx = \frac{\nu^{x_{2}}}{y_{a_\pi}} $$

So what I used was a projector with my laptop running LyX, a (free, open source) "what you see is what you mean" document processor based on LaTeX. This has the incredible advantage of displaying the formulas similar to MathJax.

The students were quite happy with that, especially because I would send them the manuscript after the lecture.

But this has also the disadvantage that some students learn better when they write down what they read and this might take the motivation for doing this, which might in the end harm the lazy students.

EDIT: I should add that You have to be able to type quite fast to maintain the usual pace of the lecture. This is remedied slightly by the completion feature of LyX.

Also, you will lose certain "features" of the blackboard like the ability to draw freely (for figures or to highlight stuff, etc).