Former Neuroscience lab director Paul Cammer talked to tjTODAY reporters on Dec. 5 about his experiences reshaping Chinese curriculum abroad. After retiring last year, Cammer moved to Beijing, China to work with the High School Affiliated with Renmin University in China, RDFZ, and promote interactive teaching.

In China, there is little interaction between the students and the teachers, according to Cammer.

 “Teachers are considered experts in China. Students generally don’t ask questions beyond the details of the lecture, and teachers don’t ask questions beyond what they themselves know,” Cammer said.

Cammer currently teaches a demo class at RDFZ in order to model interactive teaching methods in the school.

 “Students process more if they are not just given an answer,” he said. “They can easily forget answers if they don’t have discussions.”

 Cammer documents his experiences at the school and his life in China on his personal blog, DC’s Asian Adventures. He plans to stay in China through Aug. 2013.