Add Interactivity to Your Science Lecture Using a Classroom Response System

1. 0 Add Interactivity to Your Science Lecture Using a Classroom Response System October 14, 2005 Paul Williams Jeff Bechtold Paul Nacozy

2. Outline 0 • What is a Classroom Response System (CRS)? • How can a CRS be used to promote interactivity? • How can a CRS be implemented at ACC? • What is the progress of our system?

3. My principal teaching discipline is 0 • Astronomy • Biology/Bio-tech • Chemistry • Geology/ESTE • Physics/ENGR • Other

4. Prior to this workshop, I was familiar with CRS 0 • Strongly Agree • Agree • Neutral • Disagree • Strongly Disagree

5. I have previously used CRS in my teaching 0 • Yes • No

6. Classroom Response Systems 0 Components • Instructor poses question to entire class with computer/projector/receiver • Students have input device to answer questions

7. Classroom Response Systems 0 Advantages • Answers are recorded and immediate feedback can be given to students • Gives students anonymity while answering questions • Typically all students answer question • Can collect data for Research or Participation Grade • Pedagogically very versatile

8. Strategies for Using CRS in the Classroom 0

9. I am familiar with the issue of Intelligent Design 0 • Strongly Agree • Agree • Neutral • Disagree • Strongly Disagree

10. I believe Intelligent Design should be taught as an alternative scientific theory to Evolution 0 • Strongly Agree • Agree • Neutral • Disagree • Strongly Disagree

11. Polling 0 • Typically an opinion question • Students answer anonymously • Good tool for promoting class discussion

12. A rectangular flower bed has dimensions 2.0 m x 3.00 m. Its area is 0 • 6 m2 • 6.0 m2 • 6.00 m2 • 6.000 m2 • All of the above • Some other answer

13. Concept Tests 0 • Typically Brief Questions to test student understanding of concepts • Can be used to see if additional time needs to be devoted to topic

14. Sun’s corona is best observed with which electromagnetic radiation 0 • radio • infrared • visible • ultraviolet • x-ray

15. Sun’s corona is best observed with which electromagnetic radiation 0 • radio • infrared • visible • ultraviolet • x-ray

16. Think Pair Share Questions 0 • Goal – Students learn from each other (Peer Instruction) • Same Question is asked twice • First time students answer on their own • Small group discussion about the question is held and then students answer again • Question choice is important – need a question that you expect 30-50% of the students to initially know the correct answer

17. A large dump truck rear ends a Yugo. During the collision, the force exerted on the Yugo by the truck is 0 • Larger in magnitude than the force exerted on the truck by the Yugo • Equal in magnitude to the force exerted on the truck by the Yugo • Less in magnitude than the force exerted on the truck by the Yugo • Cannot be determined

18. Eliciting Common Misconceptions 0 • Physics Education Research has shown that students strongly and persistently hold non-Newtonian beliefs about force and motion • An effective strategy to change those beliefs is to elicit them and confront them

19. Task 0 • Break into groups of 3 – 4 • Introduce yourself to the members of your group • Brainstorm another way you could use a CRS in the classroom • You have three minutes

20. Uses of CRS in the Classroom 0 • Polling • Concept Tests • Think/Pair Share Questions • Eliciting Common Misconceptions • Others …

21. Implementation of CRS 0 • Purchase Model • Available Resources at ACC Getting Started – Instructor’s Perspectives • Jeff Bechtold’s Experiences • Paul Nacozy’s Experiences

22. Purchase Model 0 • College-owned Classroom Sets • College bears cost • Instructor manages roster • Bundled with Text • Cost is included in Text (Instructor equipment is typically included as part of adoption) • Student manages roster (typically over web) • Student Purchases Clicker at Bookstore • Student buys clicker (college may have to buy instructor equipment • Student manages roster (typically over web)

23. The campus at which I primarily teach is 0 • CYP • EVC • NRG • PIN • RGC • RVS • Other

24. Class Sets 0 • ACC currently owns four sets • Two are TurningPoint • Two are eInstruction (CPS) – Herb Coleman • One of each is at Media at RGC • One CPS is at media at NRG • Innovation Grant set of TurningPoint at NRG is what you are looking at

25. Innovation Grant 0 • Goal – Turnkey portable system for use by science faculty at NRG • Lives in Physics prep room – NRG 2229 • Develop slide sets of TurningPoint questions to share with other Physics Instructors (It’s easier to edit than create from scratch) • Conducting a number of Measures of efficacy – In progress

26. Jeff’s Experiences 0

27. Paul’s Experiences 0

28. Contact Us 0 • Paul Williams, NRG 2153, 223-4824, pwill@austincc.edu • Jeff Bechtold, NRG 2216, 223-4788, bechtold@austincc.edu • Paul Nacozy, NRG 4226, 223-4896, pnacozy@austincc.edu

29. 0 Workshop Evaluation Please feel free to trade clickers to answer the evaluation questions anonymously

30. The material presented in the workshop was interesting 0 • Strongly Agree • Agree • Neutral • Disagree • Strongly Disagree

31. The material presented in the workshop was clear 0 • Strongly Agree • Agree • Neutral • Disagree • Strongly Disagree

32. My knowledge about using CRS increased because of the workshop 0 • Strongly Agree • Agree • Neutral • Disagree • Strongly Disagree

33. My interest in using CRS increased because of the workshop 0 • Strongly Agree • Agree • Neutral • Disagree • Strongly Disagree

34. I would attend a future workshop about using TurningPoint software 0 • Strongly Agree • Agree • Neutral • Disagree • Strongly Disagree