The effects of eliminating the lecture in favor of simulations-based
Physics In-class Collaborative Learning Experiences (Project PhICLE).
The Project Significance
At UT, I teach two concept-based physics classes for non-science majors (Physics 101/102). The courses are aptly named after the text that is used (How Things Work by Louis Bloomfield), which is designed to “reduce students’ fears of science and to convey to them a substantial understanding of our modern technological world.”i While the class could be underestimated as “Physics for Dummies,” conceptual courses such as this have critical functions. Foremost, as one of the approved natural science general education courses, the overarching goal is for students to develop basic scientific literacy and awareness. The Department of Physics and Astronomy views the course as a potential recruitment tool for increasing the faltering number of physics majors – a decline noted not just at UT but across the nation, in physics and other STEM fields.ii At UT, first-year students compose ~30% of the present 101 course enrollment, and ~10% of the students have not yet declared a major. The recruitment of preservice teachers is particularly important to the department. As part of national readiness to economic and environmental crises, the number of college students who pursue a career in teaching science at the K-12 level should be increased. The Physics Teacher Education Coalition suggests that for pre-service elementary teachers, a conceptual physics course can not only meet objectives for content knowledge, but also, more importantly, reinforce research-based pedagogical methods such as guided inquiry.iii In addition, via UT’s membership in the Holmes Partnership, pre-service secondary teachers must complete a bachelor’s degree in their primary content field before teacher certification is pursued.iv Recruiting preservice teachers, and highlighting content and pedagogy in the 101/102 course gains increased significance as the Tennessee State Board of Education moves towards a Physics First curriculum (where
physics is taught before biology and chemistry in the high schools).v To adequately meet these key objectives, as well as just to help students meet their individual learning objectives regarding course content, students must be engaged in the learning process. Hands-on collaborative learning is thought to be particularly important for the present generation of students (the NeXt generation or “Millenials”).vi
Many cooperative learning techniques, such as Peer Instruction (the use of ConcepTest questions using PRS/clicker technology to create the environment for small discussions) and Just-in-Time Teaching (the online submission of WarmUps and Puzzles before class lectures to prepare students for discussions, interactive demonstrations or short activities) were pioneered in physics education as a means of increasing student engagement and addressing student misconceptions.vii However, even using best implementation, these methods include large segments of traditional lecture, which is shown to be an ineffective method of instruction. viii Often the techniques are not implemented in the best manner. Instructors using ConcepTest questions frequently reveal correct answers after the first inquiry and fail to incorporate the element of peer instruction. JiTT activities are often used to tailor a full-session lecture; instructors cite difficulty tailoring short lessons to student results on just-completed pre-class activities and, because students work at different paces, difficulty scheduling a variety of ten-minute segments. Because I eliminate the lecture from sessions almost entirely, my “Project PhICLE” method – using “Physics In-class Collaborative Learning Experiences” – takes collaborative learning to an extreme and has the potential to transform class sessions in ways not evidenced by Peer Instruction and JiTT.
Research Problem: “Project PhICLE”
In my classroom at UT (even in the present class of 115 students), collaborative learning (in groups of 4 or less) is the primary form of instruction, and I generally do not lecture; I use guided inquiry methods and monitor students’ progress towards learning goals, interrupting groups only when necessary. In-class experiences focus on higher learning objectives including applied conceptual understanding and visualization. The activities make extensive use of free, research-based, online simulations,1 but students occasionally perform small experiments using simple materials when simulations are not available or can be supplemented. Before class, student complete an online quiz (administered on Blackboard using the online testing tool) covering required reading from the text. The online multiple-choice and true-false quizzes are graded partly for-credit and partly for completion. Some problems on the pre-class quizzes are designed to focus on the vocabulary and concepts needed for in-class learning activities and some of the problems are more difficult applications-based problems that relate to the problems tackled in class.
Before the midterm exams and finals, students have a review day, where they ask questions about the content (often in the context of a practice test). I have found that on the review day, the students ask questions that allow me to relate all the in-class activities to the required content of the course, condensing the traditional 5-6 days of lecture into one session, with the ability to relate the material to shared student experiences from the prior activities. The Project Rite grant will allow me to analyze the effectiveness of the “PhICLE” method and to promote the pedagogy if effectiveness is demonstrated.
Methodology
The assessment of the project’s effectiveness will be three-part:
1) Assessment of student attitudes towards science:
The students in the course will complete entrance and exit surveys online using the Blackboard survey capability, part of which will be a scientifically validated measurement tool of students’ attitudes towards learning science: the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS), a survey tool that categorizes students’ attitudes towards conceptual understanding, real-world connections, and problem solving. It is desirable that a general-education science course improve students’ approaches towards the discipline and help students become more expert-like. However, results from this survey tool and similar tools on science learning show that, in the traditional lecture setting, student attitudes decline and students become significantly less expert-like during the progress of the term.ix
2) Assessment of progress towards learning objectives:
The students will complete in-class pre- and post- assessment of conceptual understanding via validated survey tools within the discipline, namely the Conceptual Survey on Electricity and Magnetism (CSEM) and the Determining and Interpreting Resistive Electric Circuits Concepts Test (DIRECT ). These assessment tools like the CLASS tool, have standardized statistical analysis procedures.
3) Student interviews:
The research assistant will conduct midterm interviews to attain qualitative feedback and insight.
References and Notes:
i “How Things Work” text description on the author’s website: http://howthingswork.virginia.edu/course.html
ii Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. (The
National Academies Press, 2007).
Available online: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=11463
The decline in majors in physics and other STEM fields can be seen from data available from The American Institute
of Physics Statistics Center, and The National Center for Education Statistics:
http://www.aip.org/statistics/
http://nces.ed.gov/
The National Center for Education Statistics also tracks the qualifications (degrees and certifications) of high school
science teachers nationwide.
iii Recommendations of the Physics Teacher Education Coalition can be found on the website:
http://www.phystec.org/components/course/strategies.php
iv Information on the Holmes Partnership, UTK’s membership in the partnership, and the recommendations of the
partnership on teacher preparation programs can be found on the website:
http://www.holmespartnership.org
v The Physics First curriculum is promoted by the American Association of Physics Teachers:
http://www.aapt.org/Policy/physicsfirst.cfm
vi Mark Taylor, “Generation NeXt comes to College” and “Postmodern Pedagogy” Campus‐Wide Faculty/Staff
Learning Workshop, hosted by UTK’s College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources and Dr. Robert C. Holub,
Provost and Vice Chancellor, September 28, 2007.
vii Peer Instruction information can be obtained from Eric Mazur’s website:
http://mazur‐www.harvard.edu/education/educationmenu.php
And information and papers analyzing Just‐in‐Time Teaching can be found on the following sites:
http://webphysics.iupui.edu/jitt/what.html
http://www.indiana.edu/~rcapub/v22n1/p08.html
Some issues with Just‐in‐Time Teaching are discussed:
The Many Phases of Inductive Teaching and Learning, Prince, M. and Felder, R. Journal of College Science
Teaching 36(5) 14‐20 (2007).
The Peer Instruction and JiTT methods are compared (with benefits and drawbacks):
Student‐Centered Learning: A Comparison of Two Different Methods of Instruction. Slunt, K.M. and
Giancarlo, L. C. Journal of Chemical Education 81(7) 985‐988 (2004).
viii The ineffectiveness of the lecture and the effectiveness of research‐based instruction is discussed additional
references are given in the resource letter:
Recent advances in classroom physics. Thacker, B.A. Rep. Prog. Phys. 66 1833‐1864 (2003).
ix The description of the development of the CLASS attitudes survey, and the tendency for student attitudes to
decline and become “less expert‐like” is discussed in:
Towards characterizing the relationships between students interest in and their beliefs about physics.
Perkins, K.K. et al., PERC Proceedings (2005).