Dennis Matthies

Dennis Matthies (born April 12, 1946) received a B.S. in physics from MIT in 1968 and an M.A. in Philosophy and Humanities in 1981 from Stanford University, where he taught until 1997. From 1992 to 1997, at Stanford University’s Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL), Dennis Matthies developed several experimental courses that have subsequently become known to a wider public. These include: Precision Questioning (which was initially taught in the Stanford Philosophy Department), Self Coaching, Mental Ecology, Think on Your Feet, and Concept Busting. In each subject the approach is practical and meta-cognitive. These CTL subjects became part of a curriculum of short courses designed to prepare university students for both university...