Iteractive Lecture Demostratios Active Learig i Difficult Settigs Roald Thorto Professor of Physics ad Educatio Director, Ceter for Sciece & Math Teachig Tufts Uiversity
Collaboratio Major Collaborator David Sokoloff Departmet of Physics Uiversity of Orego With help from Priscilla Laws Departmet of Physics Dickiso College
Ceter for Sciece ad Math Teachig Tufts Uiversity Curriculum Developmet Educatioal Research Computer Tool Developmet Teacher & Professor Educatio
Fudig l NSF Natioal Sciece Foudatio l FIPSE Fud for the Improvemet of Post Secodary Educatio l US Departmet of Educatio
Ca a active learig eviromet be created i a large (or small) lecture class?
I obviously thik so or I would t have proposed to talk to you about it. The method I propose is Iteractive Lecture Demostratios or ILDs You will hear two about two other methods for makig lectures iteractive-eric Mazur will talk about Peer Istructio ad Evely Patterso will discuss Just i Time Teachig. You ca effectively use all three methods together. Let s do a ILD to illustrate the method
ILD Predictio Sheet Motio with Carts-Demo 6 Please fid it i the hadouts This ILD is actually the 6th demo i the Motio with Carts ILD sequece which is the secod sequece i the Motio, Force,& Eergy series. To show you the procedure, I ll do it with you as if you were my studets
Let s do it
Tools for Scietific Thikig Iteractive Lecture Demostratio Procedure 1. Describe the demostratio ad do it for the class without real-time MBL measuremets. 2. Ask studets to record idividual predictios. 3. Have the class egage i small group discussios with earest eighbors. 4. Ask each studet to record fial predictio o hadout sheet which will be collected at the ed 5. Elicit predictios & reasoig from studets.
ILD Procedure cotiued 6. Carry out the demostratio with realtime MBL measuremets displayed. 7. Ask a few studets to describe the result. The discuss results i the cotext of the demostratio. Studets fill out a results sheet which they keep. 8. Discuss aalogous physical situatios with differet surface features. That is, a differet physical situatio that is based o the same cocept.
Referece Usig Iteractive Lecture Demostratios to Create a Active Learig Eviromet. Sokoloff & Thorto The Physics Teacher, September, 1997, Vol. 35, pp. 340-347
What effective curricular reform techiques does this example illustrate? Begi with the specific ad move to the geeral Use peer collaboratio Keep studets actively ivolved. Let the physical world be the authority Make appropriate use of techology Begi with what studets uderstad Emphasize coceptual uderstadig Lik abstractios to the cocrete Fid aswers from the physical world Experimet!
Choosig the Experimets i a Iteractive Lecture Demo Sequece The sequece of short, uderstadable experimets was derived from our research i physics learig. Experiece with studets i hads-o, guided discovery laboratories iformed our choice of activities. Studets must uderstad or trust apparatus used o Mr. Wizard stuff.
Tested MBL ILD Sequeces Walkig Sequece- Itro kiematics Kiematics-uses carts ad fas Dyamics- 1st ad 2d Laws Third Law Eergy of Cart o Ramp Simple Harmoic Motio with modelig ad Vector Visualizatio Gravity Projectile Motio usig the Visualizer Heat ad Temperature Simple DC Circuits, RC Circuits Leses ad Image Formatio
Tested MBL ILD Sequeces cotiued Itroductio to Vectors ILD with Dyamic Tutorial assiged as homework -uses Vector Visualizer
Motio, Force, ad Eergy Iteractive Lecture Demo Sequeces Published by Verier Software & Techology Icludes u Teachers Guide u Presetatio Guide u Studet Predictio ad Results Sheets u TST ad LoggerPro Versios of Experimet Setups Mac, DOS, Widows u Actual Backup Results i Experimetal Setups u Paper showig actual learig results u Videos of actual ILD s
ILDs are part of the Physics Suite beig developed by the Activity-based Physics Group Ceterpiece of the Suite is Uderstadig Physics by Cummigs, Laws, Redish, ad Cooey-- a ew book based o Halliday, Resik, ad Walker ad the results of physics educatio research. The Suite icludes coordiated Labs, Iteractive Lecture Demos, Tutorials Published by Wiley
RealTime Physics: Mechaics Published by Joh Wiley & Sos is also part of the Suite
How do studets react to ILDs?
Let s watch a Ist Law Demo from the Dyamics Sequece Demostratio 3: Show that cart accelerates i either directio whe oly oe fa uit is o as see i previous demostratios. With both fas o balaced the cart does ot move. Now push ad release ad observe velocity ad acceleratio. Push ad release-keep had out of way of motio detector Predictio begis just after cart leaves had ad eds just before the cart is stopped. Discuss i cotext of previous demostratio--costat velocity motio with et force equal to zero. Discuss i cotext of bicycle ad/or car movig dow road at costat velocity--why is it ecessary to pedal or step o the accelerator?
Make your predictio first
Video of a Newto s 1st Law Iteractive Demo Tufts Physics 1- o-calculus itroductory physics approximately 170 studets Fall 98
Video of The Eergy of a Cart o a Ramp Iteractive Demo Tufts Physics 1- o-calculus itroductory physics approximately 170 studets Fall 98
Active X Visualizer i LoggerPro
Active X Visualizer i LoggerPro
Example of a 3rd Law Iteractive Lecture Demostratio Forces of Iteractio i a Collisio Betwee Two Objects
Let s do it Look at Demo 4-Sample Forces i Collisios Demo part of Newto s 3rd Law Sequece
Newto Third-Collisio
Collisio-Impulse
So what do studets lear?
We have spet years Creatig effective learig eviromets for itroductory sciece physics courses curricula, tools, pedagogical methods, group structures Ad developig methods of coceptual evaluatio to measure studet learig ad guide our progress. For large scale ad frequet evaluatio we have settled o coceptual multiple-choice assessmet.
Multiple Choice Coceptual Evaluatio Coceptual evaluatio for u kiematics descriptio of motio ad u dyamics force ad motio which is well characterized by Newto s Laws. Force & Motio Coceptual Evaluatio FMCE developed by the Ceter for Sciece ad Math Teachig at Tufts Thorto & Sokoloff Assessig Studet Learig of Newto s Laws: The Force ad Motio Coceptual Evaluatio of Active Learig Laboratory ad Lecture Curricula Thorto & Sokoloff, Am. J. Phys, 66, pp. 338-352 1998
Why Multiple Choice? More easily admiistered to large umbers of studets. Evaluatio takes less time. Studet resposes ca be reliably evaluated eve by the iexperieced. Ca be desiged to guide istructio. With proper costructio, studet views ca be evaluated from the patter of aswers, chages over time ca be see, frequecy of studet views ca be measured. Multiple choice combied with ope respose ca help the teacher/researcher explicate the studets respose.
Usig the FMCE Studet aswers correlate well above 90% with writte short aswers i which studets explai the reaso for their choices Almost all studets pick choices that we ca associate with a relatively small umber of studet models. Testig with smaller studet samples shows that those who ca pick the correct graph uder these circumstaces are almost equally successful at drawig the graph correctly without beig preseted with choices.
FMCE Because we are able to idetify statistically most studet views from the patter of aswers ad because there are very few radom aswers, we are also able to idetify studets with less commo beliefs about motio ad follow up with opportuities for iterviews or opeeded resposes to help us uderstad studet thikig. The use of a easily admiistered ad robust multiple choice test has also allowed us ad others to track chages i studet views of dyamics ad to separate the effects of various curricular chages o studet learig.
FMCE l Use multiple represetatios u The Force Graph questios require explicit kowledge of coordiate systems ad graphs but require little readig. u The Force Sled questios use atural laguage ad make o explicit referece to a coordiate system or graphs.
Compariso with short aswer As with all the questios o the test studets who aswered correctly were also able to describe i words why they picked the aswers they did. Statistically oe of the last questios to be aswered i a Newtoia maer is the force o a cart rollig up a ramp as it reverses directio at the top questio 9.
Questios 8-10 refer to a toy car which is give a quick push so that it rolls up a iclied ramp. After it is released, it rolls up, reaches its highest poit ad rolls back dow agai. Frictio is so small it ca be igored. Use oe of the followig choices (A through G) to idicate the et force actig o the car for each of the cases described below. Aswer choice J if you thik that oe is correct. A Net costat force dow ramp E Net costat force up ramp B Net icreasig force dow ramp D Net force zero F Net icreasig force up ramp C Net decreasig force dow ramp G Net decreasig force up ramp 8. The car is movig up the ramp after it is released. 9. The car is at its highest poit. 10. The car is movig dow the ramp.
Cart o Ramp The followig are typical explaatios from studets who aswered this questio from a Newtoia poit of view: u u After the car is released the oly et force actig o it is the x-compoet of its weight which has a et force dow the ramp i the positive directio. Whe the car is at the top of the ramp, its velocity is 0 for just a istat, but i the ext istat it is movig dow the ramp, v2- v1 = a pos umber so it is accel. dow. Also, gravity is always pullig dow o the car o matter which way it is movig.
Cart o Ramp Typical studet aswers for those who aswered as if motio implies force were: u u At the highest poit, the toy car s force is switchig from oe directio to aother ad there are o et forces actig upo it, so it is zero. Because at the oe istat the car is at its highest poit it is o loger movig so the force is zero for that oe istat it is at rest = et force = 0 The agreemet betwee the multiple choice ad ope aswer resposes is almost 100%.
Physics Courses Usig New Methods We have evidece of substatial, persistet learig of such physical cocepts by a large umber of studets i varied cotexts i courses ad laboratories that use methods I am about to describe. Such methods also work for studets who have traditioally had less success i physics ad sciece courses: wome ad girls, miority studets, ad those who are badly prepared.
Uiversity Physics Courses Before Istructio Average College ad Uiversity Results Force Before Istructio Acceleratio Velocity 0 20 40 60 80 100 % of Studets Uderstadig Cocepts
Uiversity Physics Courses After Normal Istructio Average College ad Uiversity Results Force After Traditioal Istructio Before Istructio Acceleratio Velocity 0 20 40 60 80 100 % of Studets Uderstadig Cocepts
Uiversity Physics Courses After New Methods Average College ad Uiversity Results Force After New Methods After Traditioal Istruc. Before Istructio Acceleratio Velocity 0 20 40 60 80 100 % of Studets Uderstadig Cocepts
What about 1 umber results Not my favorite, but useful i some situatios If we wish to compare a large umber of learig circumstaces.
Let s compare ILD s to stadard istructio usig the FMCE
Example Data Coceptual evaluatio for kiematics ad dyamics uses the Motio ad Force Coceptual Evaluatio FMCE developed at the Ceter for Sciece ad Math Teachig at Tufts Gais % of possible improvemet show are preistructio, post-istructio gais o the sigle # score of the FMCE. correlates at 0.8 to the FCI Examples for differet studet populatios, differet professors. All ILD scores are far above the results of traditioal istructio.
Orego Traditioal Algebra 1988-1989 (N=236) SUNY Albay Traditioal Calc F1998 (N=73) Sydey Traditioal Calc 1995 (N=472) Compariso of FMCE Gais RPI Studio Physics S1998 (N=145) Sydey Calculus + ILDs 1999 (N=60) Mt. Ararat H.S. ILDs S1998 (N=33) RPI Studio Physics + ILDs S1999 (N=250) Muhleberg Col. Calc + ILDs F1997 (N=87) Dickiso Workshop Physics F97-00 (N=203) Orego Algebra + ILDs F1991 (N=79) Tufts Algebra + ILDs 1994, 1996, 1997 (N=325) 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% <g> (% Normalized Gai).
Let me tell you a story about egieers
New Methods at RPI Structural Chages RPI adapted some elemets of Workshop Physics to produce Studio Physics. Studets spet less total time i class but more time doig computer-based activities. The result? Studets happier. Coceptual learig i mechaics somewhat better tha traditioal. 22% vs 15% ormalized gai o the FMCE
Research-based Curricular Chage I the sprig of 1998 ad 1999 Kare Cummigs of the RPI physics departmet itroduced a series of research-based Iteractive Lecture Demostratios ILD s o Mechaics four 40-miute segmets some of which you have here ito Studio Physics Result? I 1999, ormalized gai for the FMCE was about 60% istead of 22%.
Summary Results Newto s 1st ad 2d Laws atural laguage Newto s 1st ad 2d Laws graphical Newto s 3rd Law collisio Newto s 3rd Law cotact
Typical Gais from Good Traditioal Istructio Average % of Studets' Uderstadig 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Coceptual Uderstadig of Newto's Laws before ad after Orego Itro No-Calculus Physics Good Traditioal Istructio (1988-89) atural laguage evaluatio graphical evaluatio Not asked 1st & 2d(l) 1st & 2d(g) 3rd (coll.) Newto's Laws Not asked 3rd (co.) Pre Ist. (0re. NC 88-89) Post Ist. (Ore. NC 88-89) N=236
Uiversity Algebra-based Physics Traditioal Istructio Uiversity Algebra-based Physics Newto's 1st & 2d Before ad After Traditioal Istructio Average % of Studets Uderstadig 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Orego 89-90 Before Istructio (N=240) Orego 89-90 After Traditioal (N=240) VA Tech 1992 After Traditioal (N=441) atural laguage evaluatio graphical evaluatio 1st & 2d 1st & 2d(g) Coi Toss Cart o Ramp Force & Motio Evaluatio
Orego after ILD s Average % of Studets Uderstadig 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 atural laguage evaluatio graphical evaluatio ot asked ot asked Before Istructio After ILDs Fial 0 1st & 2d 1st & 2d(g) Coi Toss Cart o Ramp Force & Motio Evaluatio
Summary Results for Iteractive Lecture Demo s at Tufts Coceptual Uderstadig of Newto's Laws after Tufts Itro No-Calculus Physics (P1 F94) Traditioal Istructio except for TST Iteractive Lecture Demo's & 2 MBL Kiematics Labs Average % of Studets' Uderstadig 100 80 60 40 20 0 1st & 2d(l) 1st & 2d (g) 3rd (coll.) 3rd (co.) Pre Ist. F94 (Phys. 1) Fial F94 (Phy. 1) N=135 atural laguage evaluatio Newto's Laws graphical evaluatio
Compariso of Teacher Results to Studet Results Coceptual Uderstadig of Newto's Laws after Tufts Itro No-Calculus Physics (F94) Traditioal Istructio except for TST Iteractive Lecture Demo's & 2 MBL Kiematics Labs Average % of Studets' Uderstadig 100 Pre Ist. F94 (Phys. 1) Fial F94 (Phy. 1) N=135 80 Teachers D'so SS 96 60 40 20 0 1st & 2d(l) 1st & 2d(g) 3rd (coll.) 3rd (co.) atural laguage evaluatio Newto's Laws graphical evaluatio
Our Istructioal ad Assessmet Philosophy I still do t have all of the aswers, but I m begiig to ask the right questios.