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L earner-centered E nvironment for A lgebra-based P hysics

L earner-centered E nvironment for A lgebra-based P hysics. Paula V. Engelhardt Tennessee Technological University 7 th Annual STEM Research Conference February 7-8, 2013. Supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation Grant DUE CCLI 0737324.

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L earner-centered E nvironment for A lgebra-based P hysics

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  1. Learner-centeredEnvironment forAlgebra-basedPhysics Paula V. Engelhardt Tennessee Technological University 7th Annual STEM Research Conference February 7-8, 2013 Supported in part by the U.S. National Science Foundation Grant DUE CCLI 0737324

  2. Who takes our Algebra-based Physics Courses?

  3. Move away from lecture-only delivery Diversity Majors Mathematical ability Improve conceptual understanding Improve problem solving skills Our Motivation for Course Reform

  4. Assessment of Conceptual Understanding Force in the direction of motion

  5. PET Curriculum • Physics and Everyday Thinking • (formerly Physics for Elementary Teachers) • Fred Goldberg (SDSU) • Valerie Otero (UC – Boulder) • Steve Robinson (TTU) • One-semester physics course for pre-service elementary education majors and general science students. • Developed with NSF funding

  6. LEAP Course Goals Explicit/Major • Content:To help students develop a deep understanding of physics ideas and how they apply to real-world situations • Problem solving: To help students develop qualitative and quantitative problem solving skills Implicit/Minor • Nature of Science (NOS):To help students practice and develop an understanding of how knowledge is developed within a scientific community • Nature of Learning (NOL): To help students see how the structure of the learning environment and curriculum facilitate learning

  7. Course Structure • Meets three days a week for 2 hours a day • 3 – 4 students work together in a group • 10 groups per class • Space limits class size to 40 students • 1 Instructor, no Tas • Cover about 75% of material covered in a traditional lecture

  8. Content Covered 2-semester course sequence - consulted with stakeholders to determine desired content • PHYS 2010 - Physics I - Currently 9 units • Newtonian Dynamics • Kinematics • Conservation Laws (Momentum and Energy) • PHYS 2020 - Physics II - Currently 8 units • Static Electricity • Direct-current circuits • Magnetism • Electromagnetism • Light and optics

  9. Curriculum Structure • Learning objectives broken into sub-ideas • Hands-on/minds-on activities address these • All activities have same structure • Some ideas/skills developed over several activities, or even units • A unit consists of several activities • Activities take 1-2 hrs each • Several ‘Developing Ideas’ activities per unit • ‘Applying Ideas’ activity toward end unit • Adapted some existing PET activities, newly developed others

  10. Built on research-based design principles • Prior knowledge influences learning • Knowledge construction is a complex process • Interaction with tools facilitates learning • Social interactions aid in learning • Class structure can facilitate learning • Am. J. Phys. 78, 1265--1277 (2010) How do these principles applied to LEAP?

  11. 1. Prior knowledge influences learning • Initial ideas are elicited and shared at the beginning of most activities • Activities use students’ intuitive ideas • Activities build on previously constructed ideas • Common misconceptions are addressed within the activities

  12. 2. Knowledge construction is complex • Content organized around a central theme • Semester 1: Interactions and Forces • Semester 2: Interactions and Charge • Complex concepts and skills are introduced with extensive support • Support is gradually faded on different scales • Activity, Unit, Curriculum

  13. 3. Tools facilitate learning • Evidence is gathered using hands-on experiments whenever possible • Extensive use is also made of computer simulations and some video to extend these experiences • Guided inquiry structure • Viewlets (work in progress)

  14. Uses of Viewlets • Pre-flights • Review assumed prior knowledge before starting a unit • Homework • Practice/extend ideas developed in class • Guided problem solving • Explore new ideas • Checks for understanding • Have important concepts been mastered?

  15. 4. Social interaction aids learning • Group and class sharing of initial ideas • Collection and interpretation of data in small groups • Summarizing questions at end of activity • Group and class discussion with the intent of obtaining class consensus • Extensive use of whiteboards • Common representational space promotes consensus building

  16. Whiteboards

  17. 5. Class structure can facilitate learning LEAP Classroom Norms • Listening:Students and instructor should listen to other students’ ideas • Evidence:Students should base claims and reasoning on evidence • Respect:All students’ ideas are respected by instructor and by other students • Responsibility:Students, not the instructor, are responsible for coming up with ideas

  18. Curriculum Structure Multiple representations Graphs Diagrams Force Energy Ray Algebraic Qualitative and Quantitative problem-solving using the S.E.N.S.E. Problem solving strategy

  19. S.E.N.S.E. Problem Solving Strategy • Seeing the Physics • Explaining the Physics • Notating the Physics • Solving the Math • Evaluating the Solution

  20. Incorporating the ‘math’ • Consider • What does this expression say to your students? Our Challenge: To have the equation “talk” to the students in a meaningful way

  21. Incorporating the ‘math’ • Use experiments/simulations to establish qualitative relationships between variables • General ideas are stated in words • Give equation • Students explain how equation fits their qualitative results. • Usage • Written qualitative explanation must precede calculation

  22. Incorporating the ‘math’ • More general math concepts reviewed/ introduced ‘just in time’ • Vectors, trigonometry, quadratic equations, exponentials, scientific notation etc. • Examples • 1-D vectors (+/- only) introduced in Unit 2 • 2-D vectors introduced in Unit 6

  23. Assessment • Conceptual Gains • Force Concept Inventory (FCI) • Survey of Electricity, Magnetism, Circuits and Optics (SEMCO) • Attitudinal Gains • Colorado Learning about Science Survey (CLASS) • DFW Rates

  24. Force Concept Inventory Results

  25. Force Concept Inventory Results

  26. SEMCO Results

  27. CLASS Results

  28. DFW rates

  29. Bruner Hall Room 331

  30. Contact information • Paula Engelhardt • engelhar@tntech.edu

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